Leicester is widely recognised as one of the most diverse cities in the UK. A thriving centre of community and inclusion, there are cultural landmarks and artistic spaces dotted all over the city, which is why we have compiled this BIG list of galleries, museums and diverse art this culturally accommodating city Leicester has to offer.
Attenborough Arts Centre
Where to start? You guessed it, Attenborough Arts Centre. Opened in 1997 by Richard Attenborough, our centre is a vehicle for accessibility, diversity and inclusivity in the arts. Based right on University of Leicester campus, we are a few minutes from the train station, next to Victoria Park and round the corner from the O2 Academy. Our exciting program includes creative courses, theatre and performance, family events, visual arts, music, comedy, spoken word, and free regular exhibitions in any of our four galleries. Our learning and outreach program offers young creative talent the opportunity to grow as an individual and within their chosen field of art.
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
Formerly titled New Walk Museum because of the 200 year old conservation protected promenade it’s located on, it dropped the old title in 2020 in order to promote the space in and outside the city. Right in the city centre, just ten minutes walk from the train station, universities and Highcross shopping mall, the Corinthian pillars and Parthenon arch welcome all spontaneous, planned and repeat visits through their doors. From free galleries dedicated to Ancient Egypt, Dinosaurs, the Attenborough collection, as well as the internationally renowned German Expressionism collection.
Phoenix Cinema & Art Centre
A city-wide recognised charity passionate about independent cinema, art and digital culture, Phoenix are located in the Cultural Quarter of Leicester. Ready to inspire and entertain, they bring together mainstream films with independent productions and boast a space that offers diverse thematic art.
King Richard the III Visitor Centre
Discover the incredible 500 year old story of a Plantagenet king defeated in battle then dumped in what would become a council car-park. Rumoured to be buried in the city for years, it wasn’t until 2012 that archaeologists unearthed his remains. Now you can unravel the mystery of why he was lost for so many years, how he was found and the history behind it all. It’s a fascinating experience and one not to be missed.
Botanic Garden and Attenborough Arboretum
A garden rich in history, The University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden offer free entry as well as the chance to lose yourself in a landscape of breath-taking flora and fauna. Included in the astounding array of botany are alpines, succulents and tropical plants. Residing on the grounds of a spectacularly restored Edwardian garden, you can feel inspired by the power of nature through creative courses we regularly host at the gardens.
Once you’ve experienced the Botanic Gardens you can hop over to the Attenborough Arboretum, which is the Latin word for a place with trees. One of the only places in the city where you can see a medieval ridge-and-furrow field, it also contains two large pretty ponds with a boardwalk for the keen observer and classrooms for educational visits. With a planting scheme designed to showcase trees as they would have been 10,000 years ago, it’s a trip back into the forests of our past.
Newarke Houses Museum
Maybe two Tudor houses rich in history are for you? If so, you’ll find Newarke Houses Museum located on De Montfort University campus. Originally owned by William Wygston and Thomas Skeffington, they offer gorgeous galleries to the Leicestershire Regiment as well as spaces designed as a commentary on social history. With oral histories, archive film, interactive exhibits and collections, as well as beautiful gardens set against a backdrop of English Civil War walls, there’s loads to see.
Curve Theatre
Carved into the heart of Leicester’s cultural quarter, the curved lines of the buildings architecture are a stand-out feature of the city’s skyline. Providing a dynamic mix of community engagement, artist development and learning programmes, they are an inclusive space for artists, performers and audiences alike. With a staggering 750,000 people going through their doors each year, they offer multiple forms of diverse art for everyone’s tastes.
Leicester Creative Business (the LCB Depot)
The iconic orange letters in clear plastic cubes of the LCB depot are a bright, inviting welcome to the Cultural Quarter of Leicester. There’s over a 100 creative businesses, artists and designer-makers in their three workspaces as well as regular events geared towards family, food and art.
The Y Theatre
The Y Theatre is part of the charity YMCA which was founded for homelessness and youth development in the 1800’s and is dedicated to providing a safe space for all young people to call home. Its modest entrance leads to a stunning 300-seat Victorian theatre which hosts varied arts like music, comedy, theatre, dance, new work and family shows. The Y theatre is also a community hub committed to the development of emerging and established artists. A real find within the city centre.
De Montfort Hall
The largest music and performance venue in Leicester, De Montfort Hall can seat up to 2,000 people. Built at the turn of the 19th century, it’s diverse art ranges from ballet to opera and pantomime to classical music – with the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra enjoying a residency since 1997. It features in regular festivals and has even placed in film, starring in Richard Attenborough’s ‘Grey Owl‘ in the early 90’s.
Leicester Gallery at DMU
Modernised to provide a rich and updated perspective for world-class art, Leicester Gallery is a cultural cornerstone of the city. Boasting musical ideas, thematic concepts, exploratory paintings and sculptures from across the globe, it caters for students and the general public alike.
Leicester Guildhall
The Leicester Guildhall is at least 600 years old, with some parts dating back to 1390. It’s one of the best preserved timber-framed structures in the country and has been used as a public performance space where Shakespeare may have acted, meeting place, police station, town hall and library. The space was also around during the time of King Richard the III. Currently, it hosts the Medieval Leicester Galleries and attracts a diverse catalogue of performance.
The Maker’s Yard
Managed by the LCB depot, the Maker’s Yard is where 20 designer-makers call 10 studios their creative home. Based in the cultural quarter and housed in the oldest surviving hosiery factory in the city, it is a hive of artistic exploration that offers regular markets, creative classes and exhibitions.
Leicester Print Workshop
Down the way from the Curve, Leicester Print Workshop offers classes in screen-printing, lithography, etching, engraving, relief and letterpress for beginners through to advanced practitioners. LPW also work with schools, community groups and art partners in teaching the art of printing to all. Plus, the centre has an exhibition space that hosts a changing program of displays related to the field of printing.
What’s on? Click here.
Jewry Wall Museum
Jewry Wall is one of the largest surviving Roman structures in Britain today. Almost 2000 years old, the excavation includes a series of rooms, baths and furnaces. It sits on the edge of the city centre and was formerly owned and managed by University of Leicester, who built Vaughan College on the site in the 1960’s.
National Space Centre
Despite the National Space Centre offering no galleries dedicated to art, it is a museum within Leicester which is why the intergalactic space finds itself on this list. They offer six galleries themed around Space, a star-studded planetarium, a Rocket Tower, as well as a universe worth of suits, satellites and meteorites. With immersive experiences on the history of human space travel and our Solar System also included, there is a whole cosmos to explore.
A Summary
There we are, the BIG list of galleries, museums and diverse art in Leicester. There’s a massive amount to do, see and learn within the city and we hope this has piqued your interest to venture out to spaces you may have been unaware of before. We researched long and wide to include all examples within the city of Leicester, however, if we’ve missed any we’d love to hear from you in the comment section of this page.