It’s been seven years since my daughter and I last tried ticking off Wallace and Gromit statues in Bristol – but with a new trail around the city this summer, you’re never too old for the Aardman duo, as my Gromit Unleashed 3 review goes to show.
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Although with so much to discover in Bristol with kids, we never turn down an excuse to head back to one of our favourite UK cities, revisiting one of our favourite attractions and checking out a few teen-friendly options this time too.
And as ever, spotting the statues is a great way to explore parts of Bristol you might not otherwise visit – as well as encouraging kids to walk just a bit further. Here’s what we got up to.
Gromit Unleashed 3 trail
Who needs mechanical trousers for a grand day out, when you can enjoy some of the most creative corners of Bristol?
Every time we visit, I wish we had longer, and inevitably this trip was no exception. But with our Gromit Unleashed 3 app downloaded and comfy shoes packed, we were ready to set off – with an eagle eye (penguin eye?) out for any fiendish plots from Feathers McGraw to spoil our plans.
This time, there are a whopping 53 statues dotted around, from College Green to Cheddar Gorge, Warmley to We The Curious, and Puxton Park to Pucklechurch, so you’re unlikely to be seeing them all on foot!
As ever, there are some fantastically creative ones – Feathers McGraw is always among my favourites, including a snorkelling shark version, a Darth Vader suited penguin, a purple Wednesday-themed statue, a frozen Feathers and one inspired by both a pack of cards and Alice in Wonderland.
But we also spotted a map-decorated Gromit, Bristol-inspired statues, fun names (like a green-suited Wallace called Robin Hood, Prince of Cheese) and even a yellow submarine-inspired creation as part of a collaboration with Paul McCartney.
We managed to tick off 20 in slightly under two days – 17 entirely on foot, with another five that we might have got to if it hadn’t been 36C during our visit, and were within a dog’s whisker of finishing two of the mini trails. Happily, children under 16 travel free on Bristol’s buses so if you have a bit more time (or a bit less sun), it’s easy to get around to collect the final statues.
It’s worth knowing that the app costs £2.49, although profits go to The Grand Appeal for Bristol Children’s Hospital, and you can also pick up a free paper map if you prefer – there are fun sound effects for some of the statues as you virtually tick them off using the codes at the base, as well as being able to see which mini trails you’ve completed and picking up various awards, so I was glad we’d spent the few pounds for the added fun.
GROMIT UNLEASHED 3 TIP: As you wander, it’s worth remembering that some statues are inside buildings, so you’ll need to check opening times – we got caught out trying to squeeze in a last-minute Gromit at St Nicholas Market, forgetting the gates would be closed for the evening
And it’s easy to combine the trail with other family attractions around Bristol – you can even spot one at Bristol Temple Meads station if you’re getting the train to the city, with another couple within a few minutes’ walk of the station itself.
Along the way, we headed into We The Curious, one of our favourite attractions in Bristol and home to its own statue, as well as Wake The Tiger and took a walking tour of the city, covering everything from monks to pirates to street art.
Not to mention a string of statues tucked away around the shops of Cabot Circus and Cribbs Causeway
One of the easiest places to start is around the Harbourfront, as you can tick off a string of statues as well as stopping in to some of the city’s biggest family attractions.
Wandering past M Shed to the SS Great Britain, we didn’t have time to visit either on this trip, as we had a small detour to the Aardman Animations offices to fit in – you can’t go inside, but it’s worth peeking in the window for the wanted poster of Feathers McGraw, and the only statue of Shaun the Sheep in the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail.
On a sunny day, it’s a gorgeous place for a walk, and the only reason we didn’t keep walking further on to Spike Island was knowing we had an appointment to get back to.
As you’ll be stopping at We The Curious to tick off their statue, it would be a shame to miss this fantastic interactive science centre. I’ve been going there with my daughter since our first trips to Bristol, and it’s geared up brilliantly for younger kids to get hands on.
With her teenage years just beginning, I did wonder if she would have outgrown it now. Definitely not! There’s plenty to get older kids thinking too with exhibits on AI, plus questions about the soul, genetics and our perceptions of time for starters.
Even if she skipped the play area, plenty of the hands-on stuff is fun at any age too, whether that’s creating giant bubbles, trying to solve physics problems, making music with bats and tubes and creating the perfect slope for a ball to roll down.
And if you’re inspired by Wallace and Gromit, you can make your own stop-motion animation film and have it emailed to you – definitely a lot more precision and plot this time round!
Or head over to College Green, where you’ll find another statue of Wallace in front of the cathedral, as well as Norbot not far away on Park Street. If you’ve been trekking around in the heat like us (or, honestly, even if you haven’t), save some time to stop in to Swoon Gelato for some much-needed ice-cream – nicely cooling and a helpful bribe if required!
The cathedral is also the starting point for the fantastic Blackbeard to Banksy walking tour, whisking you through 1,000 years of Bristol history in around two hours – with a large helping of street art thrown in.
Along the way, there’s chance to learn why the monks and friars of medieval Bristol were enemies, how Bristol figured in the fight against suttee, the historic Hindu practice where widows were expected to burn themselves on their husband’s funeral pyres, and how Bristol council’s stance on street art has changed dramatically over the past few decades.
If your kids love street art, you’ll spot a couple of works by Banksy, and learn some of the stories behind them, but also pieces by other artists, and tales of street art festivals too.
Add in some pirate history, tales of protest (including modern ones), the slave trade, actors and authors and it’s a fantastic gallop through Bristol history.
If all the creativity has inspired you, you can’t miss a visit to Wake The Tiger , just outside the city centre. While there are no Gromits to find here, you do get to step through a portal into another world…
Calling itself the UK’s largest immersive art experience and the world’s first Amazement Park, there really is nowhere quite like it. Step inside with an open mind, and you can wander through strange worlds, trick your eyes with a string of illusions, and take a virtual voyage without leaving your seat.
You’ll find explosions of colour and light, quirky displays galore and more hidden behind secret doors and inside cupboards – in total, you’ll wander through more than 40 immersive spaces.
There are holograms and art created by your own movements, even a slide as you explore – the starting point is the idea of a development project which accidentally opens the portal from our world to that beyond, and you’ll find lots of references to this as you go too, including challenges and information to collect.
With so much to take in, we quickly abandoned the idea of focusing on those and just wandered, soaking it all up. Weirdly wonderful enough for teens and tweens, there’s plenty to entertain younger kids as well.
In fact, it’s pretty hard to sum up in words what a visit involves – as the experience says, turn up with an open mind and just enjoy.
For more ideas of the best things to do in Bristol with kids, check out my top picks
Want more Gromit Unleashed 3 fun?
The Gromit Unleashed 3 trail runs until August 31, 2025 but if you don’t have chance to spot them all in their current locations, you can also see the Gromit Unleashed 3 sculptures under one roof in The Greatest Dog Show on Earth 3 at Cribbs Causeway from September 13-28, 2025.
If you’ve been inspired to get creative yourself, you can also create your own stencil spray art of Gromit or Feathers Feathers McGraw at Bristol Folk House, hosted by Graft on August 6. All profits from the 30-minute workshops go to The Grand Appeal, with all materials provided and you can take your artwork home as a souvenir.
Or for those who think they could outwit Feathers McGraw, test your skills at Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Way Out at Locked in a Room, the largest escape room experience in the south-west. There are three themed rooms to try on Millennium Square on the Harbourside.
Where to eat in Bristol with kids
You are entirely spoiled for choice when it comes to places to eat in Bristol with kids. Along with all the usual chains, a lot with their own kids’ menus, there are some great independent options scattered around the city, particularly on the Harbourfront.
If you’re looking for pizza, it’s hard to beat The Stable, or I love the fish and chips at Salt and Malt down on Wapping Wharf. Not sure what you fancy? The buffet at ZaZa Bazaar (Europe’s largest restaurant) changes regularly but you’ll find plenty of family favourites alongside Caribbean, Tex Mex, Indian, European, American and more – with live cooking stations as well.
For a quick snack, we rated the cafes at We The Curious and Wake The Tiger, while there are countless stalls at St Nicholas Market – I don’t believe you can walk past without your mouth watering…
But this trip, we checked out a new (to us) restaurant, Cosy Club on Corn Street. Originally a church, then a branch of Coutts bank, this is family-friendly dining in style. The decorative ceiling – and quirky decor on the walls, including hatted animal heads – was as impressive as the dinner itself.
There is a kids’ menu although tweens and teens should find dishes to tempt on the main menu as well (as my daughter did), while I was spoiled for choice, settling on king prawn and cod linguine. Chocolate and salted caramel mousse got the thumbs up from both of us.
Despite the grandeur of the Grade II-listed Neo-Palladian building, this isn’t somewhere you’re on edge with kids either.
My daughter was as warmly welcomed as I was, and there was a cheerful buzz rather than any kind of imposing silence, as everyone seemed to be having just as good a time – one family group celebrating, friends having drinks and more.
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit special (and a distinctly elegant way to refuel after walking miles in search of Gromit statues), the Cosy Club is hard to beat.
Where to stay in Bristol with kids
As my daughter gets older, I no longer have to focus entirely on the practical side of travel with kids as you often do when you’re young – which means a hotel with a bit of personality and individuality is back on the cards.
And the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel managed the mix of style and practicality perfectly. You could hardly have a better location – just moments from Corn Street and St Nicholas Market, you’ve got plenty of places on the doorstep to eat.
Check out my full review of Mercure Bristol Grand hotel with kids
It’s also only a short walk to Broadmead and the shops there, including more than a few restaurants (and a handful of Gromit statues), and only around 10 minutes to the Harbourfront for yet more restaurants and family attractions, or to College Green.
With plenty of space in the family rooms, some much-needed air con and quirky artworks throughout the hotel (King Kong over Clifton Suspension Bridge was one of my favourites), all our boxes were ticked. There’s even parking in the little car park next door.
You can also find various offers at Bristol hotels to tie in with Gromit Unleashed 3, including donations to The Grand Appeal charity or other fun extras included in your stay.
Disclosure: My stay in Bristol was courtesy of Visit Bristol and the attractions mentioned for the purposes of this Gromit Unleashed 3 review – all decisions about where to visit, and whether you should really attempt to tick off 20 Gromit statues in two days with a 12-year-old, are my own.
Images copyright MummyTravels
