Date is now set for £2.3m Gruffalo-themed family attraction to open in Blackpool

The £2.3m investment will see leisure giant Merlin open The Gruffalo and Friends Club House in council-owned space beneath the Sea Life Centre on Central Promenade.

It has now been announced that the amenity will open on Friday May 19.

In a world first, the attraction will bring together six of the best-loved stories from the UK’s number one bestselling children’s author Julia Donaldson to create a two-hour play experience.

The project has been developed in partnership with Magic Light and Blackpool Council.

Young visitors to the venue will burst through the pages of some of their favourite stories and into a magical 3D world.

From The Gruffalo’s deep dark wood, to Princess Pearl’s castle in Zog, they will embark on an adventure of imagination with play zones inspired by The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Room on the Broom and The Highway Rat.

Kate Shane, regional director for Merlin Entertainments, said after the plans were first announced in February: "We are incredibly excited to bring some of the UK’s best loved children’s characters to Blackpool."

Blackpool Council previously said it would fund the £2.3m cost of the scheme inside the Golden Mile Centre by lending the money to Merlin, with repayments coming from revenue from the attraction, before moving onto a profit sharing scheme.

The council bought the Golden Mile Centre in 2010 as part of a £40m deal which also included the Tower and the Winter Gardens.

Tickets are now bookable here: https://bit.ly/gruffaloclubhousetickets