Heritage Open Days: 60+ free Leicester discoveries
Leicester’s Heritage Open Days returns from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September, opening historic buildings and rarely accessible spaces across the city. More than 60 events are planned at various Leicester locations, with free admission for the general public, although advance booking is required for some activities.
The ten-day festival combines building open days with guided walks, exhibitions, talks and performances. Visitors can choose between medieval landmarks, historic churches, industrial heritage, local archives and objects that are normally held in museum storage.
Historic buildings reveal spaces usually kept closed
The medieval Magazine Gateway is among the landmarks welcoming visitors. Abbey Pumping Station will bring back tours of its transport shed and beam engine, while several of Leicester’s historic churches will also hold open days.
Other participating buildings include Winstanley House in Braunstone Park, the Grade I listed City Rooms, Braunstone Stables, Clarence House and Glenfield Hospital Creative Health and Heritage Centre. Together, the programme offers a once-a-year route into buildings or sections of buildings that are not normally accessible to the public.
At Leicester Guildhall, visitors can see an exhibition from Leicester Photographic Archive and join themed tours exploring the medieval building’s less familiar history. The programme also includes a rare opportunity to view the book collection inside the Jury Room, supported by the Leicestershire Archaeological & Historical Society.
Anyone interested in related local heritage programming can also revisit the guide to Leicester’s free archaeology weekend.
New walks trace Leicester’s streets and stories
Expert-led walking tours will cover Georgian Leicester and the historic Greyfriars Legal Quarter. New routes for this festival explore the High Street and Leicester Lanes as well as the Wharf Street area, widening the programme beyond individual buildings.
On Bowling Green Street, the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage will invite visitors into its Living Archive. Leicester Museum and Art Gallery will meanwhile display 100 rarely seen objects selected by museum volunteers from the museum service’s stored collection, using pictures, stories and objects to show its range.
The programme also reaches Leicester’s performance venues. The Y Theatre will mark its 125th anniversary with special performances of “125 Years in 125 Minutes”, while arts organisation Pedestrian will present a free live performance inspired by its “Tell Tall Tales” interpretations of local folklore.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said the annual festival allows people to learn more about Leicester’s historic buildings as businesses, venues and places of worship open their doors. Assistant city mayor for culture Vi Dempster described the programme as a celebration of the city’s diverse built heritage, spanning hidden sites and established landmarks.
Check booking requirements before choosing a visit
Every event in the Heritage Open Days programme is free, but some activities must be booked. No single festival start time, transport guidance or accessibility information was included in the council announcement, so visitors should check the entry for each chosen activity.
The full programme and booking information are available in the Heritage Open Days brochure on the Visit Leicester website. Checking that brochure before travelling is the confirmed way to identify participating locations, activity details and events requiring reservations.
Source: Leicester City Council
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The dates, free admission, booking condition and programme highlights were checked against information published by Leicester City Council.
- Confirmed the festival runs from 11 to 20 September 2026.
- Confirmed that more than 60 events are planned across Leicester.
- Confirmed that all events are free but some activities require booking.
- Kept unspecified times, transport and accessibility arrangements out of the event details.
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- Leicester City Council
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- Leicester
- Updated
- 2026-09-10 18:31
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