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Best for Families
Splashpoint Leisure Centre on Brighton Road (BN11 2EN) has a leisure pool with flumes and a water play area for younger children; family swim sessions run daily from around £7 per child, check southdownsleisure.co.uk for current prices and timetables. The Beach House Grounds on Brighton Road (BN11 2EJ) has the free Gull Island playground with sand play, a splash pad, and equipment for toddlers and older children, with the beach immediately adjacent. Steyne Gardens on the seafront hosts free family events across summer including the Worthing Festival in June. The pier is free to walk and good for crabbing from the sides. For teenagers, Homefield Park Skatepark on Newland Road (BN11 2RH) is a free concrete park run by the council, refurbished in 2016, and open 24 hours.
Free Things to Do
Highdown Gardens (BN12 6FB) are free and open daily: chalk gardens with rare trees, sea views, and paths through mature woodland planted by Sir Frederick Stern. The pier is free to walk. Steyne Gardens on the seafront is free at all times and the bandstand runs free summer concerts. The Gull Island playground at Beach House Grounds (BN11 2EJ) is free and beachside. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery on Chapel Road is free and houses a strong collection of costume, archaeology, and fine art. The beach from Goring to Lancing is free, with sand revealed at low tide.
Rainy Day Worthing
Splashpoint Leisure Centre is the go-to wet-weather option: fully indoor, with a pool, flumes, and a water play area for younger children; family sessions run throughout the day. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery on Chapel Road is free and has enough to fill an hour or two across costume, fine art, and local archaeology. The Connaught Theatre runs matinees, and the Pavilion Theatre at the seaward end of the pier also has a programme. For a longer day, Chichester Cinema at New Park (30 minutes west) runs independent films from mid-morning.
Food and Drink
Worthing's food scene is centred on the area around Montague Street and the streets running south to the seafront. The Wednesday market on Montague Street has street food and a cheese stall. Steyne Gardens hosts the Food & Drink Festival each September with local producers and cooking demonstrations. The canal basin area at the western end of the promenade has a growing cafe scene. For a pub with outdoor space, the Brooksteed Alehouse on South Farm Road (BN14 7AE) is a good independent option with rotating local ales.
Combine Your Visit
Arundel is 15 minutes west along the A27 with the castle (BN18 9AB), the WWT Wetland Centre, and riverside walks. Chichester is 30 minutes west by car or train, with a free Norman cathedral, the Novium Museum, and the Pallant House Gallery. Brighton is 15 minutes east by train for the Royal Pavilion, seafront, and the Lanes. Highdown Gardens and the South Downs ridge are 10 minutes north by car, with views across the coastal plain to the Isle of Wight on a clear day.
Things to do in Worthing
Worthing Pier
Marine Parade, Worthing, BN11 3PX
A Grade II listed Victorian pleasure pier stretching 305 metres into the sea, with the Pavilion Theatre at the promenade end and an Art Deco Southern Pavilion at the sea end. Free to walk. Good for pier fishing with a permit.
Splashpoint Leisure Centre
Brighton Road, Worthing, BN11 2EN
A seafront leisure complex with a six-lane pool, diving pool, and a leisure pool with flumes and a beach-themed water play area for younger children. Family swim sessions run daily; check southdownsleisure.co.uk for timetables and prices.
Highdown Gardens
Highdown Rise, Littlehampton Road, Goring-by-Sea, BN12 6FB
Free chalk gardens on the South Downs managed by Worthing Borough Council. Created by Sir Frederick Stern in the 1900s on what was thought to be uncultivable chalk. Rare trees, winding paths, and sea views. Open daily, free entry.
Connaught Theatre
Union Place, Worthing, BN11 1LG
A Grade II listed theatre dating from 1914, hosting touring theatre, comedy, live music, and cinema throughout the year. The main auditorium seats 500; the studio space is used for smaller shows and community events.
Steyne Gardens
Marine Parade, Worthing, BN11 3PQ
A long, formal garden at the heart of the seafront, used for outdoor events including Worthing Pride, the Food & Drink Festival, and live music across the summer. Free to enter at all times. The bandstand hosts regular free concerts.
Beach House Grounds and Gull Island Playground
Brighton Road, Worthing, BN11 2EJ
A beachside park on Brighton Road with the free Gull Island playground — sand play, a splash pad, swings, and equipment for toddlers and older children. The beach is immediately adjacent and reveals flat sand at low tide. Dogs are welcome year-round.
FAQs
QWhat is there to do in Worthing?▼
Worthing has a Grade II listed pier, Splashpoint leisure pool with flumes, free Highdown Gardens on the South Downs, the Connaught Theatre, and Steyne Gardens for outdoor events. Sandy beaches run from Goring to Lancing, and Brighton is 15 minutes east by train.
QIs Worthing good for kids?▼
Worthing is well set up for families. Splashpoint has flumes and a water play area. The Beach House Grounds on Brighton Road (BN11 2EJ) has the Gull Island playground with sand play and a splash pad. The beach reveals flat sand at low tide for rockpooling. Steyne Gardens hosts free summer events, and the pier is free to walk.
QWhat free things can I do in Worthing?▼
Highdown Gardens is free and open daily. The pier is free to walk. Steyne Gardens and the seafront promenade are free. The beach is free, with sand at low tide. The bandstand in Steyne Gardens runs free concerts in summer. The Gull Island playground at Beach House Grounds is free.
QWhat is a good rainy day in Worthing?▼
Splashpoint Leisure Centre on the seafront has a pool, flumes, and a water play area, and is good for a couple of hours indoors. The Connaught Theatre and Pavilion Theatre both run matinees. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery on Chapel Road is free and fully indoor.
QAre dogs allowed on Worthing beach?▼
Dogs are banned between Heene Road and Splashpoint from 1 May to 30 September. Outside this zone and during winter they can roam freely on the shingle. Beach House Grounds on Brighton Road is dog-friendly year-round, and Highdown Gardens welcomes dogs on leads.
QWhere can I park in Worthing?▼
The Grafton multi-storey (BN11 1LD) is closest to the pier and seafront. Buckingham Road multi-storey (BN11 1LZ) serves the town centre. Pay-and-display parking runs along Marine Parade. On summer weekends arrive before 10am or the seafront spaces fill quickly.
QHow do I get to Worthing by train?▼
Worthing is on the West Coastway line with Southern trains from London Victoria (1 hour 20 minutes), Brighton (15 minutes), and Chichester (30 minutes). The station on Chapel Road is a 10-minute walk from the pier and a 5-minute walk from the town centre.
QWhat markets are in Worthing?▼
A traditional Wednesday market runs on Montague Street in the town centre. An independent makers and food market runs on selected weekends in Steyne Gardens. The Worthing Food & Drink Festival in September is the largest food market of the year.
QWhat is near Worthing for a day out?▼
Arundel is 15 minutes west with the castle and WWT Wetland Centre. Chichester is 30 minutes west by train with a free cathedral and Pallant House Gallery. Brighton is 15 minutes east. Highdown Gardens and the South Downs are 10 minutes north by car.