Leicester Museum and Art Gallery

New Walk is a leafy pedestrian way leading from Leicester city centre to Victoria Park. Laid out in the early 19th Century, New Walk is unique in English urban planning. The Museum was originally built as a school, but was converted into a museum in 1849, since when the building has undergone a number of revisions. There is an interesting display showing these adjacent to the café. Nicholas Pevsner described the entrance as a ‘dignified, somewhat heavy four-column portico of giant Tuscan columns’.

The centrepiece of the Museum’s possessions is a significant collection of Victorian Art housed in the splendid newly refurbished main gallery. New Walk Museum also has an important collection of German Expressionist paintings and a unique display of Picasso ceramics gifted to the Museum by the late Lord Attenborough. There are always interesting temporary exhibitions to see too.

The Victorian Art Gallery, with its excellent acoustic and Steinway grand piano, has hosted some of the UK’s finest classical chamber musicians. An annual season of Lunchtime Concerts, presented in association with Leicester Museums, has just completed 77 years and the more recent Leicester International Music Festival is now in its 29th year.

The Festival attracts outstanding international musicians and is now one of the UK’s leading festivals of classical chamber music.


Address

Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
53 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7EA

limf@live.co.uk


Access

  • automatic doors

  • external and internal ramps

  • disabled toilets on ground floor

  • guide dogs welcome (please specify when booking)

  • wheelchair spaces available: can be reserved with a complimentary seat for a carer (please specify when booking and leave contact details in order for us to provide the best possible experience)

  • disabled parking (please ring the Museum to reserve a space).