The Best Bradford Tourist Attractions

To celebrate the recent announcement that Bradford is to be the City of Culture in 2025 it feels like the perfect time to share the best Bradford tourist attractions.  These are places the whole family can visit and are great days out for both locals and tourists to enjoy our amazing city and its surrounding district.

Things to do in Bradford

Situated in West Yorkshire, Bradford is a multi-cultural city with a rich heritage.  It is full of art galleries, museums, parks and so much more.

The Alhambra

The Alhambra Theatre in the centre of Bradford is one of the best in the UK.  It’s still so beautiful on the inside and it is always showing some of the best West End Shows.  If you love a trip to the theatre then The Alhambra is a real gem that must be visited.

National Science and Media museum

Next to The Alhambra, is the National Science and Media Museum.  Not only do they have some incredible exhibitions, it is also home to the IMAX cinema.  Bradford was crowned the first UNESCO City of Film and at the museum, I have been to some brilliant film-based talks and discussions.

Lister Park and Cartwright Hall

On the edge of Bradford centre is Lister Park which is a large, green park perfect for family fun times. Inside the park is Cartwright Hall which hosts a number of art exhibitions including a David Hockney Art Gallery.   

Saltaire including Salts Mill

Saltaire village is a UNSECO World Heritage Site and you can spend hours visiting the independent shops, cafes and bars dotted around the village.  Saltaire is home to Salts Mill which sits on the Leeds Liverpool canal. Within Salts Mill there are shops, cafes and another David Hockney exhibition!

Haworth home of The Brontes

Haworth is another famous village and is most known for the literary family of the Brontes and its cobbled main street.  Haworth is full of independent shops, cafes and pubs and at the top of the main street, you will find the Bronte Parsonage Museum which is a must to learn about the history of the Bronte family.

St George’s Hall

The newly renovated St George’s Hall is another great theatre within Bradford City Centre. Although not as big as The Alhambra it often has lots of famous faces performing and is another great looking theatre.

Bradford Industrial Museum

Bradford Industrial Museum is always lots of fun as it is an old mill that shows you what life at the height of the Industrial Revolution was really like.  This is somewhere I loved to visit when I was younger as it was full of fascinating information which felt like it was from another world!

Cliffe Castle Museum

Cliffe Castle is another museum situated in a park, this time in Keighley.  The museum is a Victorian home which has been transformed into a museum with art, history and special exhibitions.

East Riddlesden Hall

The National Trust site of East Riddlesden Hall has wonderful grounds you can explore alongside the 17th-century house itself which you can also visit.  It also has a tea room for when you need a little break.

Brontë Waterfall Walk

The Bronte waterfall is the only attraction which is 100% in nature and may not be suitable for everyone as you have to walk in the moors to find it.  It does make a nice walk from Penistone Car Park.  You can go back and forth from the waterfall or make a loop of it and include Top Withens to get a real feel for life on the moors.

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Shipley Glen Tramway

Situated at the far side of Roberts Park in Saltaire the Shipley Glen Tramway is a fun way to get up to Shipley Glen!  It’s certainly a fun experience and once you are at the top you can get some great views on a sunny day.

Bolling Hall Museum and Library

Not too far out of Bradford City Centre is Bolling Hall Museum which is a house that has been converted into a museum and is a chance to see a large spectrum of Bradford’s history,

Bingley Five Rise Locks

The Leeds Liverpool Canal runs through the Bradford district and is always great for a walk. Bradford has plenty of hills which means the canal needs locks to allow the canal boats through.  The Five Rise Locks at Bingley is one of the more well-known set of locks because it has so many of them!

Ilkley

The town of Ilkley is a lovely place to visit for a day trip to spend a few hours shopping and dining.  It includes the famous Betty’s tearooms which serve traditional silver service style dining.  It’s also home to the Cow and Calf which looks down onto Ilkley from the moors.

Centenary Park

In the centre of Bradford is Centenary Park, flanked by Bradford City Hall.  This is often the home of events which take place in the city centre and also has a mirror pool in the centre. 

For more information about what is happening across Bradford when you are visiting, head to the Visit Bradford site here.

There are so many places to visit in Bradford and these are just a few of the things you can do when visiting Bradford.  It will certainly live up to its name as City of Culture as there is always so much to see and do.