Despite the unfortunate reputation of the surrounding area, Armley Mills is still a popular option for a historically themed family day out. Paying homage to Leeds’ thriving industrial past, the museum and former woollen mill is simultaneously a tribute to the ingenuity of Victorian Britain, and a grim reminder of the punishing hours and conditions that workers endured. The surrounding estate of 19th-century back to backs and terraces gives the museum a deep sense of relevancy and authenticity, while the working machinery and hundreds of artefacts inside will keep visitors occupied for hours. Intricate, meticulously restored examples of textile machinery, railway equipment and heavy engineering are displayed in the large mill building museum, which overlooks the River Aire and Kirkstall Valley.
Image ©: AdamKR
Whatever your historical interests might be, the artefacts, exhibitions, oddities, educational pieces and intriguing events at Leeds many magnificent museums and art galleries will have you covered. These paeans to the past are treasure troves of historical interest, from the award-winning medical collections at Thackray Museum to the military antiques at the Royal Armouries and the classical pieces at the Leeds City Museum (and the stuffed tiger...), there's plenty to get your teeth into. Here are our favourites.
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