The Midland Railway Centre is a lovely half day out for anyone who likes trains, no matter what…read moreage! There is a small cafe on the site offering hot and cold food and drinks. There is also a small play area for kids, although it is just a collection of unused childrens toys and slides in a penned off area. There is a tin church that has been relocated to this site, which is fascinating to see and read about. The Centre is accessed via Butterley or Golden Valley, and both sites are linked by a nature walk. There is no entrance fee, only if you want to catch one of the trains, then it gets expensive! They have regular outings of Thomas, and host a Santa Special at Christmas (obviously!) Personally I think the train trips are too expensive, and its definitely something to do as a special occasion, rather than a regular outing.

We only spent a little while here as we only discovered it's existence about an hour before closing…read moretime! It's a lovely little place. Educational, historical and beautiful. The house apparently dates back to the 13 Century with recently developed 17th Century style maze and herb garden outside. It was raining when we went which was a shame. There is free car parking, toilets including disabled and baby changing and a gift shop which sells local honey as well as a small selection of other souvenirs. They also hold events. Current events include open top bus tours. More information can be found at Leicestershire County Council's website: http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/community/museums/donington/doningtonmuseum_events_exhibitions.htm We did not make use of the cafe although we intend to visit again soon and may update this review to include our opinions on that. :)

Nice little place & free. Educational for the kids. Very pleasant in the summer as they have an…read moreoutside cafe. Relaxing atmosphere.

Great building..love it. This building, which dates back to…read more1390, has seen many incarnations. Originally built for the Guild of Corpus Christi, it was extended during the 1400's to include two halls. The Guildhall has been used as the town hall, city library, courtroom, school, and even a museum. The building's interior features exposed wood beams and an elaborate gilded coat of arms. Today, the city uses the structure as a performance venue. When it was a museum I was in there, on a winters day, alone. It has a long sweeping staircase and I started to walk down it saying (out loud) I care not for your fortune, my Lord. I shall never marry you for you are not worthy. etc. When I got to the bottom, standing silently, staring at me, was a school party! I smiles, said hello and rapidly left. Built in stages between the 14th and 16th centuries, the city's most prominent public building was Leicester's first town hall and contains one of the oldest libraries in Britain. It is one of the best preserved timber framed halls in the country, dating back six hundred years. The Guildhall has had many uses and lives. The Great Hall itself was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi (a small but powerful group of businessman and gentry). Over the next hundred years the Great Hall was extended and the two wings at either end added. By the end of the 14th century the corporation of Leicester had begun to meet in the Guildhall. When the Guild was dissolved in 1548 the Corporation bought the buildings for the sum of £25 15s 4d! In 1632 the Town Library was moved into the East Wing of the Guildhall from St Martin' s Church. It is the third oldest public library in the country. At about the same time the ground floor of the West Wing was refurbished as the Mayor's Parlour. The Great Hall was often used as a courtroom and a jury Room was created above the Mayor's Parlour. The Guildhall was also used regularly for theatrical performances, banquets and civic events. With the growth of the town and the expansion of local government functions in the 19th century it became increasingly clear that, as a town hall, the Guildhall was far too small. After much debate a new Town Hall was built on Horse Fair and opened in 1876. For the next fifty years the Guildhall was used for several purposes including the headquarters of the local police and a school. It became very dilapidated and there were even calls for its demolition as an eyesore! Fortunately, the council decided to restore the building and following a major renovation programme it was opened to the public as a museum in 1926. It is reputed that William Shakespeare appeared here. In recognition of this, the television company, Maya Vision, brought the Royal Shakespeare Company to perform at the Guildhall as part of its 2003 series for the BBC, 'In Search of Shakespeare,' written and narrated by the historian, Michael Wood. Part of the Shakespeare legend is that Shakespeare first came across the tale of King Leir whilst appearing at the Guildhall and this inspired him to write his own play King Lear. There is, however, no actual evidence to support this, although the legend of King Leir is often associated with Leicester. Today, The Guildhall is best known as an excellent performance venue, attracting acts from across the country, and as a museum where visitors can step back in time and come face to face with 'Crankie Gemmie' and 'Emma Smith', two of Leicester's notorious pick-pockets who can be found lurking within the Victorian police cells. The Guildhall is reputedly Leicester's most haunted building - five ghosts have been reported in total. Because of its reported hauntings, it has appeared on various TV programmes, most notably being investigated on Living TV's 'Most Haunted'. Derek Acorah and David Wells, immediately sensed the presence of Victorian era pick pockets, policemen and an 'evil presence' in the cell area. Footsteps were heard in the library roof space, two duelling men were sensed in the Great Hall and many of the crew felt sick in the area of the cells. Members of the public can also investigate the ghostly goings on at the Guildhall as it has become a popular place for several paranormal companies who hold overnight events there. The most frequent visitor is the White Lady, a name given to the phenomenon though she is very rarely seen. The ghost makes her presence known by moving the heavy Tudor furniture around the library and by opening doors once they have been locked and bolted. On numerous occasions, staff and police have been called out in the evening to attend to burglar alarms which have been triggered by an unseen presence. The White Lady also has a soft spot for the large Bible which is situated on the main table within the library. Staff will often close the Bible in the evening only to find that in the morning it is back open in exactly the same place as the night before. No one

The Guildhall is quite interesting in that it has been many things, the old town hall, a theatre, a…read moreschool and a police station!! There are lots of different bits you can explore including the cells and the haunted library! They put on lots of concerts and ghost hunts there and also you can get married there! Normally though, just to look around it's free to get in and they run lots of craft days for the kids. Something for everyone really, I only mark it down as disabled access isn't great for the top floors (not really their fault as it's such an old building) and there are not many displays to look at, apart from in the cells, it's all about the building!

It's an interesting place, depending on your age and knowledge of space. Plenty of interactive…read moredisplays about various aspects of space: planets, stars, basic physics, and history. Be prepared for a lot of school children, and don't expect much when it comes to food or beverages. Just bring your own snacks. Parking is £3 for the day and the wifi is free.

Great museum with lots to see and do. My whole family loved it! Plenty of interactive things. Lots…read moreof school kids but they were all well mannered and polite. Clean, tidy and well maintained. Overall very interesting and highly recommended.

Excellent local museum about DH Lawrence. If you've never been and you're a local, you really need…read moreto. Anyone who's interested in DH Lawrence must visit too. Really friendly and knowledgable staff.

There's a bit of a literary/cultural trail in Nottinghamshire, and popping out to Eastwood on a…read morepilgrimage to Lawrence's birthplace should be part of the grand tour. It's the humble home of a collier's family, furnished as it would have been in his childhood - the front parlour kept for best. Interesting to realise where he finished, given where he started. Really worth making the time to visit. [Follow the trail around the town if you've got the time too] http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/notable%20houses/dhlawrence%20house.htm

Okay, this was amazing, and so was out tour guide, who was happy to entertain my question regarding…read moreRobin Hood using them to sneak into and out of Nottingham. So, they are actually a bunch of caves underneath the city, and it actually looked like people lived down here. Honestly, it really did have a Dungeons and Dragons air about it.

These caves were amazing. Our tour guide, Meg, was very informative but didn't talk too much. She…read moregave us space to explore and didn't rush us. She also took special care to make sure the little kid with us could see. Our group, however, were an interesting bunch. Tour guide: "what goes well with poo?" Woman: "oh I dunno, toast, maybe?" Later on... Tour guide: "move closer, I don't bite" Man: "I do!!" We learned a lot about cesspits, wells, tanning, bomb shelters, pubs, criminals, and homeless people. Our favorite bit was the room dedicated to a world war 2 bomb shelter where we could even try on a gas mask! This one, don't worry, had no asbestos. I think. If you have spare time, about half an hour, head on over to the city caves and explore. Maybe even grab yourself a nice souvenir from the gift shop!

This museum is located inside Nottingham Castle…read more When we visited there was a large display on the top floor by the Laura Knight, but I assume this is regularly changed. It also has a nistory of Nottingham display which we did not see due to a lack of time. Hopefully we'll go back another day to see the rest. The ground floor also houses the Sherwood Forester's Regimental museum (reviewed seperately) The musem is large and spacious and has a coffee shop and gift shop on the ground floor. This is access for the disabled, and all floors have stairs and lift access.

There are great views of Nottingham from the Museum part of the Castle grounds and some lovely…read moreexhibitions on too. My daughter liked the gift shop so she could spend some of her pocket money and theres a cafe too. We spent most of our time wondering around the Castle gardens but would like to go back and see some more. We did go in to the part that has the Forester's Regiment things, like old uniforms and books of service which I really liked. Definatley worth a visit.

Apart from the beautiful building and the setting of New Walk itself many a happy, relaxing hour…read morecan be spent here. New Walk Museum and Art Gallery is situated along the historic New Walk . In 1849 the Literary and Philosophical Society formally presented to the town its various collections, which have grown and developed over the last 150 years into one of the premier collections and museums in the Midlands spanning the natural and cultural world. The museum has a coffee shop, is a venue for a wide variety of musical performances and is even licensed to host wedding ceremonies. New Walk Museum has been the inspiration for many people including Lord Attenborough and Sir David Attenborough, who pursued their love of art and natural history as a result of spending their formative years as regular visitors to the galleries. Leicester's oldest museum. Permanent exhibitions include: Wild Space is an exhibition that investigates what we mean by the word 'biodiversity'. By looking at different species and the habitats in which they live we can see how vital they are to the well being of the planet. The Mighty Dinosaurs Walk in the footprints of giants and discover the awesome power of these fascinating creatures and their sea going cousins the plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs. Watch out for the mighty Rutland Dinosaur and the 'Barrow Kipper'. Leicestershire's Rocks Leicestershire stands over rocks of many different ages and types, some of which are 600 million years old. Discover Leicestershire's rocks and explore a wide variety of fossils and minerals. Ancient Egyptians Step back in time and explore a civilisation that has lasted for 3,000 years. Come face to face with ancient Egyptians and find out how they lived and died. Mummies, coffins, gods and treasures greet you in the darkened corners of the tunnels. World Arts The new World Arts gallery provides insights into the vast range of human creativity and skill which has gone into making and decorating objects across the world. 'Our World Through Art' displays a regularly changing selection from Leicester's permanent collections featuring artworks from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Showing the brightest and best of the permanent collection, key works range from powerful 20th-century artists such as Francis Bacon, Peter Doig and the Old Masters to new, vibrant works from African-Caribbean and South Asian artists. Plus changing temporary exhibitions. Well worth a visit when in Leicester.

The New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, located a short walk from Leicester train station (helpful…read moresigns will point you to it) is a small "mix & match" place which includes displays on archaeology (both dinosaurs and Egyptian history), nature and fine arts. Entry is FREE and photography is allowed. The best part is the natural history display, which is very nicely presented. The Egyptian artefacts will not impress more knowing visitors, and are of main interest only to kids. If you've ever been to a proper Egyptian mummy exhibition (like the one at the British Museum in London), you will almost certainly be disappointed by what Leicester has to offer. The art collection, I'm afraid, is small and almost entirely forgettable. Most of the few dozen paintings on show (in one single large gallery, plus a very minor "modern" art display in the adjacent room) are second-rate genre paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Though officially called "the Victorian collection", they had to fill up the space with some seventeenth century art as well, none of it remarkable. Only a handful (like about 4) paintings are minor works by major artists of their time, like Edmund Blair Leighton or Alfred Sisley. The rest are by mostly unfamiliar artists. The "modern" collection does have paintings by Stanley Spencer and L.S. Lowry, but only one each. My advice: If you're mobile, take the train to Birmingham, or even Derby, and visit their art galleries, which have more interesting works on show. Their collections are superior to this one - in the case of Birmingham Art Gallery, MUCH superior. The New Walk Museum is of interest to locals and kids (When I visited on a Tuesday it was overflowing with the small fry). Adults from farther away need not bother!