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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Emma Gill

The incredible entertainment centre named Lancashire's visitor attraction of the year

An entertainment centre just a short drive from Manchester has been voted Lancashire's Visitor Attraction of the Year.

The Flower Bowl features the north of England’s only full-sized curling rink, a boutique cinema, mini golf course, ten pin bowling alley and so much more.

Designed for all ages to enjoy, it's a popular choice for families, who travel to the Preston venue from miles around.

Read more: Things to do with the kids in the Easter holidays

Crazy golf at The Flower Bowl (Manchester Family/MEN)

Visitors can book on whichever activities they fancy and it's advisable to book online in advance as it does get busy, especially during the school holidays, when extra sessions are running - including Mini Curling for beginners, which gives people 'a taste of the game but without any complicated rules'.

There are unique touches across the centre which make it stand out from other places, including the soft, sofa style seating in the cinema and the retractable roof over crazy golf, which is opened up when the sun is shining, but can shelter you from the rain if it's damp.

Mini Curling (Manchester Family/MEN)

Bizarrely the toilets are something of a star attraction themselves - with flower bowls for basins and brightly coloured doors making for a far more exciting loo trip than you'd expect. Apparently you can buy postcards featuring the toilets from the garden centre next door.

And some new additions to the centre are pulling in even bigger crowds than before.

Last year, it opened a new ice cream parlour Knickerbockers which serves up delicious Italian ice creams and frothy milkshakes.

More recently it launched a new game called Shuffleboard on Ice, which is a faster version of curling played on a shorter course where players aim to slide their stones into the smallest zone.

Luxurious sofa seating inside the cinema (Manchester Family/MEN)

And it's now also home to crazy pool, a golf simulator and a new VR jungle ride - where you enjoy a rather bumpy virtual reality boat ride, collecting crystals along the way.

That's not to mention the dining options at the site, including Blooms restaurant, the Oasis Coffee Bar and The Ocean Fish and Chip Restaurant just next door, which gets rave reviews of its own.

After being named Best Visitor Attraction of the Year 2022 at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, The Flower Bowl’s manager Emily Topping said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won this coveted award. Throughout the recent challenging times, we’ve worked really hard to develop and strengthen our offering.

The crazy golf course (Manchester Family/MEN)

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to improve the experience of every visitor who walks through our doors. This award is a fantastic accolade and a great boost for the whole team.”

The Flower Bowl will now be entered into the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023.

To find out more about the place, or to book activities, visit the website.

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