Leicester Guildhall

About the museum

Leicester Guildhall was built around 1390 as the Great Hall of the Guild of Corpus Christi, an association of merchants and gentry. After the Corporation of Leicester was created in 1589 it used the hall as its meeting place and administrative centre. Over the centuries the building also served as a courtroom, a place for feasts and plays, and a library: in 1632 the town library moved here, and it is described by the museum as one of the oldest public libraries in the country.

During the English Civil War the city's response to the Royalist demands was debated in the hall, and the defenders made their last stand outside it in 1645. Leicester's first police station was set up here and its Victorian cells survive. The corporation moved to the new Town Hall in 1876, after which the building was used as a school and became dilapidated. A restoration campaign led by local historians saved it from demolition, and it opened as a museum in 1926.

Today the Grade I listed building is run by Leicester Museums & Galleries as a museum and as a venue for concerts, theatre and comedy. The Medieval Leicester galleries, opened after the reburial of King Richard III, use objects and digital displays to show life in the medieval town, while the Great Hall, the Mayor's Parlour, the cells and the upstairs library show the many later uses of the building.

Highlights

• Great Hall built about 1390, one of the best-preserved timber-framed halls in the country
• Medieval Leicester galleries with objects and digital displays
• Victorian police cells and tales of local pickpockets
• Mayor's Parlour with stained glass and a carved fireplace
• Regular concerts, comedy and theatre in the Great Hall

Permanent exhibitions

• Medieval Leicester galleries – Two ground-floor rooms with objects, information panels and digital displays on life in the medieval town, plus a dress-up quest for families.
• Victorian police cells – Cells from the city's first police station, with displays about notorious local pickpockets.
• The Great Hall – The timber-framed hall of about 1390, used for meetings, courts, feasts and performances over six centuries and still a venue for concerts and theatre.

Founded

1926

Operated by

Leicester City Council (Leicester Museums & Galleries)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

General entry is free for everyone. Tickets for concerts, comedy and other events in the Great Hall are sold separately online, at reception or by phone. Carers are admitted free under a complimentary ticket policy.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The ground floor, including the reception, Medieval Galleries, Mayor's Parlour, Great Hall, courtyard and cells, is step-free. The path to the entrance is cobbled, and the doors are automatic and ramped. The upstairs library is not accessible to wheelchair users or visitors who cannot climb stairs. An accessible toilet is on the ground floor, and a wheelchair can be borrowed. There is no hearing loop and no audio guide. There is no car park and so no accessible parking; visitors can be dropped off on Peacock Lane behind the museum. Assistance dogs are welcome and water is provided on request. The museum has published an access statement.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

A family quest in the Medieval Galleries invites children to choose a character, dress up and walk the streets of the medieval town. The Guildhall holds seasonal children's events during the year.

Getting there & parking

The Guildhall is a 5-minute walk from the Clock Tower in the city centre and stands next to Leicester Cathedral. The entrance is on cobbled St Martins West. The King Richard III Visitor Centre and the cathedral are a 2-minute walk away.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Cafe No:7, next to the Guildhall and overlooking the Cathedral Gardens, serves sandwiches, cakes and drinks and is run separately by St Martins House. The reception shop sells medieval-themed souvenirs and tickets for events.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The Great Hall (with stage), Mayor's Parlour, library and Jury Room can be hired for weddings, meetings, corporate events, exhibitions and performances. The Guildhall holds wedding ceremonies and a one-hour drinks reception but not full wedding receptions.

Plan your visit