Leeds Art Gallery, in West Yorkshire, is a great free place for adults and kids alike. There’s plenty to interest the creative minded, from magnificent paintings to new exhibitions, and even a wonderful space for kids where they can make their own art. Even my 1 year old enjoyed running around here! Situated in the centre of Leeds, it makes a very good pit stop during a shopping trip, and there are plenty of other family-friendly attractions nearby if you wanted to make a full day of fun.
I visited during the school holidays when everywhere else was very busy, but found Leeds Art Gallery to be quiet, peaceful and a really good place to avoid the crowds.
Opening Times and Tickets:
This is a completely free museum to all. Officially, it is give what you can.
The art gallery is open every day except for Mondays, although the café is open every day of the week. Click here for more information about opening times.
Parking and Travelling:
The closest parking is Cookridge Street, where you will find on street parking. There are several multi-storey car parks nearby, including Woodhouse Lane, The Light (which is where I parked and had plenty of spaces in the school holidays), Merrion Centre and Rose Bowl.
Leeds Art Gallery is 0.8 miles away from Leeds Bus Station and 0.4 miles away from Leeds Train Station.
Prams and Accessibility:
This is a very accessible and pram friendly location. There is one location that is accessed by steps only, so the gallery does not display any art work here.
Things to do at Leeds Art Gallery
1. Admire the Art
There are sculptures and paintings from world renowned artists across two floors of exhibitions. This includes work from Antony Gormley and Atkinson Grimshaw. As well as the permanent displays, several of the galleries are devoted to showcasing temporary exhibitions that its always worth keeping an eye on to see if anything particularly sparks your interest! Click here for information on current exhibitions.
2. Get Creative
There is a massive space with several stations to engage kids. This includes a reading corner with comfy sofas and a great selection of books, two crafting tables with resources like pencils, scissors and card, and a large rug with soft stools and cuddly toys. This would also be a great place for resting with small babies while bigger kids do some crafting.
3. Visit the Gift Shop and Café
The gift shop is stocked with some excellent gifts for crafty people, from stationary, art books, prints of the art work and much more. If you like a particular piece of art work you might be able to find it printed on a tote bag or cushion here too. The Tiled Hall café used to be the main library reading hall and now has been renovated beautifully, with the original fabric of the room revealed. They serve sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks.
Things to do nearby
A free museum in the heart of Leeds City Centre, the exhibitions range from ‘Ancient Worlds’, where you can see a real life mummy, to ‘The Leeds Story’. They also have a wonderful toddler town, which is a great ( and completely free) play area for children under 5.
A free museum like no other, the Royal Armouries has tons of weapons and armour from throughout history on display. There are many activities for children to interact with and daily events such as live sword fighting. In the school holidays then even host international jousting competitions.
A farm, historic house and extensive grounds, Temple Newsam Estate has something to offer everyone. Spring is an especially lovely time to visit as they have lots of baby animals.
4. Tropical World
Visit the desert, rainforest and mangroves at this zoo, a short drive from the city centre. Here you can see reptiles, meerkats, crocodiles and other wonderful animals. A highlight for me at Tropical World is the butterfly house. Just outside Tropical World are the beautiful Specialist Gardens and Canal Gardens too.
Packed full of opportunities for children to play, explore, and get hands-on with friendly farm animals, it’s a place where memories are made. Whether your little ones want to feed the goats, meet the pigs, or simply run wild in the outdoor play areas, Swithens Farm offers a fun, educational, and down-to-earth experience that kids (and parents) will love.
4. Discovery Centre
On Wednesdays and Thursdays, this museum has free tours where you can explore their collection of over one million objects. If you and your children have a particular interest, such as meteorites, insects, historical fashion or anything really, the tour guides will tailor the tour and make sure you get to see the objects that will be of most interest to you, and to hear the stories about them.