18 splendiferous places to visit to celebrate Roald Dahl

Perhaps the best way to spend Roald Dahl day is in the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. The museum is dedicated to the great author and all his stories. Step through the chocolate doors, discover the BFG's sandal, create your own gobblefunk words and explore the replica of Roald Dahl's famous Writing Hut.

For hands-on fun, visit the fabulous Discover Bucks Museum and Roald Dahl Children's Gallery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It's perfect for Roald Dahl fans of all ages – your kids can crawl along Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel, squeeze inside the Giant Peach and let their imaginations run wild.

Fizzy lifting drinks, snozzberry jam, chocolate swudge milkshake, with fabulously fluffy floss and a box stacked high with wondrous cakes, sweets, mallows and creams, all washed down with chocolate tea... It's the delumptious Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired afternoon tea at One Aldwych, London. Yum!

See your favourite feisty heroine come to life in this wonderful musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda. With stunning songs, wonderful choreography and brilliant baddies, seeing Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre in London is a great way to celebrate Roald Dahl day.

Love musicals? Here are our recommendations for the best musicals for kids

Fans of Roald Dahl's sweet tortoise-filled romance, Esio Trot, can visit tortoises of all different sizes at various zoos and safari parks around the UK. London Zoo's new Giants of the Galapagos display features Dolly, Polly and Priscilla; while at Blackpool Zoo, you can meet the 100-year-old Aldabran tortoise called Darwin. You can spot tortoises at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Bristol Zoo and Colchester Zoo too.

Be inspired by Willy Wonka and step inside a real chocolate factory at Cadbury World in Birmingham. You'll learn about the origins of the cocoa bean, find out how your favourite lickswishy sweets are made, and embark on a 4D chocolate adventure that's as exciting as Roald Dahl himself could invent.

If you love Roald Dahl's Enormous Crocodile story, why not celebrate Roald Dahl day at the UK's only crocodile zoo? Visit Crocodiles of the World in Oxfordshire and you'll see endangered Siamese crocodiles from Cambodia, Nile Crocodiles as well as Chinese and American alligators and other incredible animals. Let's hope NONE of them have any secret plans and clever tricks ...

Seven Stories in Newcastle is the National Centre for Children's Books, and the perfect place to celebrate Roald Dahl day. Explore the seven floor Victorian warehouse where you'll find immersive exhibitions, exciting performances, fun spaces to get creative, and a fabulous bookshop too.

The Truly Scrumptious Retro Sweet Shop in Saltash is more than just a place to buy some penny chews. There's a scrumdiddlyumptious slushy bar, cake fridge, a build-a-bear workshop AND space to have a birthday party. It's the perfect place to celebrate the creator of Willy Wonka and all his incredible confectionery.

Creep through caves, find hidden ships and perform in a puppet castle at Discover Children's Story Centre in London. Or you can jump over alligators, captain spaceships, and slide down a monster's tongue. Discover is just the place to celebrate Roald Dahl day, foster a lifelong love of stories, and set young imaginations on fire.

Whether you're a fan of Muggle-Wump from The Enormous Crocodile or The Twits, or you love the monkey in The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me (more on this treasured book below!), you can take a trip to Trentham Monkey Forest in Stoke on Trent, or perhaps Monkey World in Dorset for guaranteed giggles on a day out to celebrate Roald Dahl's life and his quirky stories.

Fans of the wonderful The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me can spot the titular pelicans in St James's Park in London; or visit giraffes at various zoos and safari parks around the UK: look out for the book's long-necked heroes at Whipsnade Zoo, Woburn Safari Park, Folly Farm in Wales, or Longleat in Wiltshire.

Stories of all kinds come to vivid life at the Oxford Story Museum, making it a whoopsy whiffling place to visit in honour of Roald Dahl Day. Older kids will love the Enchanted Library; while younger visitors can explore the Small Worlds story-play gallery.

Hunt for traces of the BFG and his fellow giants at the Giant's Causeway in County Antrim. Legend has it this impressive coastline is the remains of a road built across the North Channel by a giant (Fin McCool) looking to do battle with another giant over the water. Wannabe Sophies can hunt for the wishing chair and the giant's boot, and perhaps, just maybe, you'll see the BFG himself...

The awe-inspiring landscape of Skye was used by Steven Spielberg to depict Giant's Country in the brilliant Disney BFG film. Visit the magical Fairie Glen, or walk in the giant's footsteps by hiking the impressive Quiraing.

Another wonderful centre designed to inspire a love of stories and storytelling, the Scottish Storytelling Centre is a wonderful place to celebrate Roald Dahl day. Don't miss the chance to see inside the John Knox House (we think Roald Dahl the spy would love it); look out for the interactive story wall; and search for Nessie, the Gruffalo, a dragon's nest and more...

Celebrate the Cardiff-born Dahl with a trip to Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff – the public plaza in the heart of Cardiff Bay named after the author. It's fantastic for scooting, running and letting off steam, and there's lots of lovely family-friendly places to eat and drink nearby.

Why not head to your local library to find more Roald Dahl stories this Roald Dahl day, and inspire a lifelong love of reading in your little ones.