10 Best Things to Do in Leicester

The Cultural Quarter is a place with a rich legacy of pre-Victorian and Victorian warehouses and factories that have been transformed into cultural venues. You can find many award-winning restaurants, bars and cafés around Rutland Street and Halford Street.

A thriving area for the arts in Leicester, one of Cultural Quarter’s most prominent landmarks is Curve Theatre. Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly in 2008, it hosts contemporary productions for audiences of all ages. The nearby Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre is the city's hub for independent movies, art, and culture.

Leicester Cathedral, in the Cultural Quarter, stands out from the city’s medieval and Georgian buildings. While the building dates to the 13^th century, the site itself has been in use since pre-Roman times.

The Grade II-listed cathedral is known for housing the remains of King Richard III. You can find a bronze statue of the king and an art installation depicting his life in the Cathedral Gardens. After spending time inside Leicester Cathedral, you can step outside to wander through the public garden, where flowers, trees, and a water fountain surround the site's gravestones and stone pathways.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre is where you can learn about the king's life and death, as well as explore details of the archaeological dig that uncovered his remains. They discovered his bones buried beneath a car park in Leicester's city centre, on the site of the former Greyfriars Church.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre highlights his legacy in 3 parts: dynasty, death, and discovery. You'll be able to view the exact discovery site of Richard's bones through a glass floor in a room designed for quiet contemplation. Steps away, Leicester Cathedral is a medieval church where Richard III was reinterred in a stone tomb in 2015.

Victoria Park offers 69 acres of open space to explore, along with sports facilities, a skate park, and an adventure playground. It’s often the venue for Leicester’s most important outdoor events, including Leicester Pride, Leicester Caribbean Carnival, and Summer Sundae.

The park has a proud memorial arch dedicated to fallen World War I soldiers – Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Arch of Remembrance. He also crafted The Cenotaph in London. Victoria Park borders the University of Leicester and Clarendon Park, a vibrant artistic community.

The Attenborough Arts Centre focuses on community involvement and making inspirational artwork accessible to all. Prominent British filmmaker and actor Sir Richard Attenborough inspired this city-centre art gallery. It opened in 1997.

The Attenborough Arts Centre hosts a revolving schedule of exciting contemporary art exhibitions, live music, dance performances, and dedicated events for little ones. Located in the grounds of the University of Leicester, the building houses 4 free-to-access galleries, an onsite café, creative learning courses, workshops, and a 230-seat theatre.

The National Space Centre is a place where interactive exhibits bring the history of space exploration to life. Its extensive collection includes meteorites, spacesuits, and satellites that have ventured into the cosmos and back again.

Children love the fact that the museum is interactive, filled with first-hand experiences and displays. Highlights include touring a replica of the Columbus science lab from the International Space Station and travelling through a wormhole to watch the Big Bang. Leicester's National Space Centre also has a planetarium (one of the largest in the UK), where award-winning shows feature in the domed theatre to packed audiences.

Bradgate Park lies deep in the rolling East Midlands countryside, about a 20-minute drive from Leicester city centre. Part of Charnwood Forest, this 830-acre medieval deer park’s facilities include a playground, 2 tearooms, and a visitor centre.

Stroll along Bradgate Park’s winding pathways and spot hundreds of peacocks and fallow deer roaming free. You can climb up to Old John Tower, built by the 5th Earl of Stamford in 1784, to enjoy far-reaching views across Leicestershire. The ruins of Bradgate House is one of the park’s historical landmarks – this brick-built country house was the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, known as the Queen of England for Nine Days.

The Leicester Museum and Art Gallery is known for its dinosaur displays, Ancient Egypt collection, and Victorian art gallery. Established in 1840, it’s one of the oldest public museums in the UK. You can find a treasure-trove of relics, along with a first-hand wildlife exhibit exploring natural habitats.

To learn all about the interesting displays at Leicester's flagship museum, you can join exhibition tours and listen to curators give talks on the diverse collections. Located on New Walk, the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery is less than 1 mile southeast of the city centre.

The Golden Mile is a vibrant stretch of Leicester known for its South Indian shops, restaurants, and community events. Located along Belgrave Road and Melton Road, this area is at its best during Diwali and Christmas celebrations, when bright lights adorn the street.

There are various gold jewellery shops, authentic Indian cuisine, and sweet shops to enjoy year-round. At Bobby's, you can sample Gujarati-style vegetarian food, like comforting channa bhatura (rich chickpea curry) with thick fried bread. Nearby is the National Space Centre, with firsthand exhibitions and one of the UK's biggest planetariums.

The Kilworth House Theatre occupies a wooded glade in Lutterworth, about a 30-minute drive south of central Leicester. Opened in 2007, the open-air theatre is covered with elegant sail-like canopies, so you'll be able to enjoy a live show regardless of the weather. There are 550 comfortable, tiered seats to ensure that everyone has a great view of the stage.

The Kilworth House Theatre is known for hosting quality productions, like Happy & Glorious, a musical by the British Philharmonic Orchestra that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II – history's longest-reigning monarch. The theatre is right by a lake, great for strolling before or after a show. It’s also in the grounds of Kilworth House Hotel, which has 2 onsite restaurants serving British cuisine.