King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester (must see)
King Richard III Visitor Centre is an establishment that showcases the life of King Richard III and the story of how his remains were discovered in 2012. The centre opened in 2014 on the site of Greyfriars, the medieval friary where the King was originally buried.
The visitor centre occupies a former school (Alderman Newton's School) next to the car park where King Richard's remains were found during excavations in 2012/2013. Because of worldwide interest in the discovery, Leicester City Council quickly decided to convert the Victorian school building into a visitor centre. The project includes a covered area over the grave site, which was in the church of the friary. The centre cost £4 million and was designed by Paul East (Maber Architects).
The burial site is part of a scheduled monument. In December 2017 Historic England scheduled a significant part of the site of the former friary. While the buildings in question have long been demolished, the site has been assessed as having archaeological potential.
In October 2018, the Visitor Centre was awarded Best Museum in the Group Leisure and Travel Awards, after being nominated in the same category as the British Museum and the National Railway Museum.
The visitor centre is open daily.
The visitor centre occupies a former school (Alderman Newton's School) next to the car park where King Richard's remains were found during excavations in 2012/2013. Because of worldwide interest in the discovery, Leicester City Council quickly decided to convert the Victorian school building into a visitor centre. The project includes a covered area over the grave site, which was in the church of the friary. The centre cost £4 million and was designed by Paul East (Maber Architects).
The burial site is part of a scheduled monument. In December 2017 Historic England scheduled a significant part of the site of the former friary. While the buildings in question have long been demolished, the site has been assessed as having archaeological potential.
In October 2018, the Visitor Centre was awarded Best Museum in the Group Leisure and Travel Awards, after being nominated in the same category as the British Museum and the National Railway Museum.
The visitor centre is open daily.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Leicester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
King Richard III Visitor Centre on Map
Sight Name: King Richard III Visitor Centre
Sight Location: Leicester, England (See walking tours in Leicester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Leicester, England (See walking tours in Leicester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Leicester, England
Create Your Own Walk in Leicester
Creating your own self-guided walk in Leicester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Buildings
Leicester, a city in England's East Midlands, has a storied past that is vividly presented in its historical buildings. Valuable architectural monuments, they are the city's pride and as such enjoy special protection by the government.
Among such, Magazine Gateway stands as a testament to the city's medieval legacy. Originally part of its defensive walls, this structure now... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Among such, Magazine Gateway stands as a testament to the city's medieval legacy. Originally part of its defensive walls, this structure now... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Leicester Introduction Walking Tour
Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, whose history goes back almost two millennia. The Romans arrived in the area around 47 AD, during their conquest of southern Britain. Following the Saxon invasion, Leicester was then captured by Danish Vikings, in the 9th century.
The settlement was first documented in the early 10th century, under the name Ligeraceaster. At the time of the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
The settlement was first documented in the early 10th century, under the name Ligeraceaster. At the time of the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles