Museums in Leeds

Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England, which started as a small manorial borough in the 13th century. By the 18th century, it became an important center for the production and trading of wool, and with the Industrial Revolution, a major mill town. From a market town during the 16th century, Leeds expanded and absorbed the surrounding villages to become a populous urban center by the mid-20th century.

Leeds has over 16 museums and galleries. The Leeds City Museum showcases collections of local history, world cultures, natural history, archaeology, and fine arts. The Armley Mills Industrial Museum is housed in what was once the world’s largest woolen mill and includes industrial machinery and railway locomotives. The Thwaite Mills Watermill Museum is a fully restored 1820s water-powered mill museum. The Thackray Museum is a museum of the history of medicine, featuring Victorian public health, pre-anesthesia surgery, and safety in childbirth. The Royal Armouries Museum in the United Kingdom’s national collection of arms and armor.

Leeds Art Gallery houses a collection of British art, and there are also many smaller and exciting museums in Leeds, including the Otley Museum and the Horsforth Village Museum, amongst others.