Jewry Wall Museum
Museum beside the tallest surviving Roman wall in Britain, with a multimedia exhibition on Roman Leicester and a walk onto the bath site.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Jewry Wall is the tallest surviving piece of Roman masonry in Britain. It dates from around AD 160 and belonged to a large public bathhouse in the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum, today's Leicester. The wall is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled ancient monument. The site was excavated in the twentieth century, with Kathleen Kenyon among the archaeologists who worked there.
The present building was designed by the architect Trevor Dannatt and was completed in 1962 as an adult education college and archaeological museum for the city. For decades it displayed Roman finds from Leicester, including mosaics and wall paintings, beside the ruins.
The museum closed in 2017 for restoration and reopened in 2025 after a major refurbishment with a new exhibition. It is managed by Leicester Museums and Galleries, part of Leicester City Council, on behalf of English Heritage, which looks after the Roman remains.
Today the visit begins with a short immersive introduction to Roman Leicester, followed by a multimedia exhibition on the lower ground floor. From there visitors can step out onto the bath site and see the original wall, together with modern stonework that shows how the baths were laid out.
Highlights
- Jewry Wall, the tallest surviving Roman masonry in Britain
- Immersive seven-minute introduction to Roman Leicester
- Multimedia exhibition with Roman mosaics, glass, ivory and metalwork
- Walk onto the excavated Roman bath site
- Free Jewry Wall app with games and an augmented reality bathhouse
Permanent exhibitions
- Roman Leicester multimedia exhibition – Immersive introduction and multimedia displays on life in Roman Leicester, with mosaics, glass, ivory and metalwork from local excavations.
- Roman bath site and Jewry Wall – The excavated bathhouse ruins with the original Roman wall and modern stonework showing the layout of the baths.
- Founded
- 1962
- Operated by
- Leicester Museums and Galleries (Leicester City Council) on behalf of English Heritage
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £12.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £11.50Over 65s, students, Blue Light Card and Defence Discount Card holders (ID required) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 4 · Children aged 4 and under are free. Up to three children aged 15 and under go free with a paying adult during the "Kids Go Free" period in September and October; no standard child price is published for other months. |
| Seniors | £11.50Over 65s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Official carers are admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | £11.50ID required. |
| Groups (15+ people) | £8.50 per personGroup leader and coach driver are admitted free. |
| Families | £32Two adults and two children. |
| Joint ticket with King Richard III Visitor Centre – adult | £23Annual joint ticket. |
| Joint ticket with King Richard III Visitor Centre – child | £11.50 |
| Joint ticket with King Richard III Visitor Centre – over 65 | £21 |
| Joint ticket with King Richard III Visitor Centre – family | £62 |
English Heritage members pay £6.25 per day ticket on showing a valid membership card. A Roman Explorer Pass for unlimited entry over 12 months is mentioned without a published price.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The building is described as fully accessible for wheelchair users, with level routes and lifts to all floors; the Roman ruins outdoors are not fully accessible. Accessible toilets and a Changing Places toilet are on the upper ground floor near the café. A hearing loop is at reception and most audio content has subtitles. Wheelchairs can be borrowed if booked in advance by email, and perching stools are available at reception. British Sign Language tours can be arranged by email, and personal guided tours for visitors with visual impairments need one week's notice. Blue Badge holders park free in council-run city centre car parks.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
| Family ticket | £32 · Two adults and two children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
The exhibition has five tactile interactives and an immersive 3D introduction shown every 15 minutes. Highchairs are available in the café and there is a buggy store. Half-term mosaic-making sessions are offered, and children go free in September and October.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Jubilee Square (Hop Bus) · 2-min walk
Haymarket and St Margaret's bus stations are about a 12-minute walk. The free Hop Bus stops at Jubilee Square next to the museum. Leicester railway station is roughly a 15 to 20 minute walk.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The museum has no car park. Nearby public car parks include Highcross Rooftop (LE1 4FY), Highcross Main (LE1 4QJ) and Newarke Street (LE1 5SN). Blue Badge holders park free in council-run city centre car parks.
- Accessible parking
Coach drop-off is outside the entrance on St Nicholas Circle; coach parking must be booked in advance. The area is pedestrianised, so use a car park postcode in a satnav.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Lockers
The café and shop are on the upper ground floor by the entrance. Lockers are available.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 150 guests.
Meeting rooms for up to 20 or 40 people, a multimedia hall for up to 150 and the café for evening receptions. Enquiries to museumevents@leicester.gov.uk.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visitors spend about two hours on average. The free Jewry Wall app offers a mosaic puzzle, a Roman board game and an augmented reality view of the bathhouse. Guided tours and talks are available for groups of 15 or more. Schools can book exhibition visits and facilitated workshops. |
