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You are here: Explore > Preston > Things to do in Preston City Centre

Things to do in Preston City Centre

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Avenham & Miller Parks

Parkland/Woodland Garden

The Grade II* parks, a 5 minute walk from the city centre, boasts many fine features, from the Swiss Chalet and beautiful Japanese Garden to a fountain centre piece and Italianate terrace. Stroll along the riverbank before enjoying lunch at the cafe.

Brockholes Nature Reserve

Nature Reserve

Samlesbury, Preston

Whether it’s on the iconic floating visitor village or on the 250 acre nature reserve, Brockholes is full of nature moments just waiting for you to find. Located just off the M6, Brockholes is perfect for a family day out.

Preston Guild Wheel

Cycle Route

The Preston Guild Wheel is a 21 mile "Greenway" that encircles the city of Preston, linking the city to the countryside. The Guild Wheel route makes the most of the different landscapes that surround the city

Fishergate Shopping Centre

Shop/Shopping Centre

Located on the high street, the Fishergate Shopping Centre is a bustling retail destination that caters to the diverse shopping needs of locals and visitors alike.

Preston Market

Preston Market offers fantastic choice with the Indoor and Outdoor Markets and the ever popular Car Boot and Flea Market.

Level Preston

Family Days Out

Situated in the heart of Preston, Level is the largest entertainment complex in the city, with a great selection of activities, ten pin bowling, laser tag and crazy golf, assault course and private karaoke rooms making it a great destination for a…

Leisure Lakes Bikes Preston Hub

Located at Preston Train Station with a large electric bike, hybrid bike and mountain bike fleet available for hire! With men's and women's bikes available to hire from just £10, it's perfect for exploring the infamous Guild Wheel.

Ribble Steam Railway and Museum

Steam Railway

Today in the heart of Preston’s historic docklands, Ribble Steam Railway volunteers keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well. This heritage attraction connects the story of the north’s industrial railways, charting their rise and fall,…

Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library

Market Square, Preston

A great day out for all the family, the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library is a treasure trove of fantastic art and fascinating objects.

Penwortham Golf Club

Golf Course

Penwortham Golf Club invites both new members and visitors to enjoy its undulating, tree-lined fairways and to experience the fantastic golfing dividend.

Haslam Park

Parks & Gardens

Haslam Park is a particularly good example of a fine Victorian influenced town park, with many of the original features still in place.

PrestonWall Climbing Centre

Adventure Sports

Creating a community hub for those seeking fun, challenges and an incredible social group, PrestonWall aims to be a safe space for all.

North Lancashire Bridleway

The first phase of this ambitious project to develop a circular Bridleway in Bowland is complete, offering a 47km journey that cuts throught the heart of the spectacular Forest of Bowland.

Picnic Site

Preston's largest open space with 4 bowling greens, space for 4 cricket matches played on artificial wickets, tennis courts, football and baseball pitches. There are also 2 very well equipped children's play areas.

Preston Cemetery Ground

Cemetery/Mausoleum

This site contains burials from both World Wars, some from nearby Fulwood Barracks. 

Preston Docks

Canal / Waterway / Marina

Watch boats at Riversway, Preston's Dock and Marina and have a walk around, taking in the history, steam trains, waterfront living, shops, eateries, pubs and cinema. Make sure you stop at the cafe on your way round.

Trax Motor Sports & Paintballing

Adventure Park / Playground

This unique and dynamic 140-acre site is the largest off-road facility in the UK with a variety of circuits purpose built for the activities of Mini Motors, Motor Cross, Karting, 4x4 Driving, Rally Driving, Supermoto and Paintball.

Preston Musical Comedy Society

Event Venue

Preston Musical Comedy Society are one of the most highly regarded amateur musical theatre companies in the North West.

Lancashire Infantry Museum

The largest regimental military heritage collection in the North of England tells the 300 year-long story of the Lancashire Lads. In war and peace.

Preston North End Football Club

Sports Ground / Stadium

Preston North End are the city's football team located approximately a mile from the city centre in the Deepdale area.

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Home » Travel Guides » United Kingdom » England » 15 Best Things to Do in Preston (Lancashire, England)

15 Best Things to Do in Preston (Lancashire, England)

On the River Ribble, ten miles before it reaches the Irish Sea, Preston is a former market town granted city status in 2002. In the 14th century Flemish weavers settled in Preston, establishing a textile industry that would power the economy until the mid-20th century.

Sir Richard Arkwright, the man who invented the revolutionary spinning frame in the 1700s, was born right here.

As a burgeoning industrial centre in the 18th and 19th centuries, Preston was furnished with fine squares, cultivated parks and institutions like the Harris Museum.

The Ribble Steam Railway has one of the top locomotive museums in the UK, and St Walburge’s Church has the tallest spire of any parish church in England.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Preston :

1. Harris Museum and Art Gallery

Preston’s city museum and art gallery is in a striking Neoclassical hall inaugurated in 1893. The first thing you’ll see when you enter is a Foucault Pendulum, demonstrating the rotation of the earth and also a working clock.

The museum has awesome collections of natural history, textiles, costumes, ceramics and other decorative art.

The art gallery is furnished with hundreds of works by luminaries of 20th-century British art like Lucian Freud, Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland, and has watercolours by J. M. W. Turner.

As a priority, check out the Poulton Elk, the skeleton of an Ice Age elk, dating back 13,500 years with two barbed points inserted by humans.

This is the earliest evidence of human occupation discovered in Lancashire.

Finish with tea at the cafe, which sits in the atrium and has a special view up to the museum’s Egyptian balcony.

2. Avenham and Miller Parks

Two of the Northwest of England’s most refined Victorian parks, the Avenham and Miller Parks are side-by-side, flowing down to the Ribble to the south of Preston railway station.

The pair were designed by the prominent Victorian landscape architect Edward Milner in the 1860s and are separated by the embankment for the defunct East Lancashire Railway.

The larger of the two is Avenham Park, which has sprawling lawns, a Japanese Garden and a belvedere pavilion on high ground on the northeast side.

Miller Park is more formal, and features a rose garden, intricate flowerbeds and the very refined Derby Walk, ornamented with urns and a balustraded staircase that conducts you down to a fountain and bandstand.

Make sure to get down to the river, get a look at the Victorian railway viaduct and the open moorland on the opposite bank.

3. Ribble Steam Railway

On an industrial estate near the Preston Docks, the Ribble Steam Railway is a combined museum and functioning heritage railway line.

The railway uses track that laid down for the docks, and runs for just over a mile along the Ribble River to Strand Road.

In summer you can come for a ride, pulled by a vintage steam or diesel locomotive.

These operate on weekends, but also for extended periods during the summer holidays.

The visitor centre and museum at Preston Riverside is attached to the workshops, where some sixty locomotives are stored and maintained.

This is among the largest collections of steam locomotives in the UK, 13 of which are on display, including five Andrew Barclay 0-4-0STs dating from the first decades of the 20th century.

4. Church of St Walburge

Preston’s Grade I-listed Gothic Revival church went up in the middle of the 19th century, and was built by Joseph Hansom.

He also designed the Hansom cab, which revolutionised horse-drawn transport in Victorian times.

St Walburge’s is renowned for having the tallest spire of any parish church in the country, at 94 metres tall.

Not only is it Preston’s most commanding landmark, it’s one of the tallest buildings of any kind in the northwest of England.

The interior also has impressive proportions, at 50 metres in length and with a delicately carved hammer beam roof 25 metres above the floor of the nave.

If you’re keen to know more there are free heritage tours every Saturday between 11:30 and 14:30.

5. Winckley Square

One of the prettiest places in Preston is this Georgian square, intended as a residential quarter for the city’s upper crust at the turn of the 19th century.

Winckley Square is at the heart of a conservation area, and is fronted mostly by long terraces of Georgian townhouses, which are especially grand on the north and west borders.

These look onto Wickley Square Gardens, which have flowing lawns, shaded by tall old hardwood trees like birches, willows and limes.

On the east side is a statue of Sir Robert Peel (1852), the Lancashire-born MP, and two-time Prime Minister of the UK, who introduced the concept of modern policing as Home Secretary in 1822.

6. Preston North End F.C.

The local football club is a team with serious heritage.

Preston North End was established in 1880 and was one of the 12 Founding Members of the football league, which played its first season in 1888-89. Preston North End won both the League and the FA Cup in 1888-89, still the most successful season in the club’s history.

The Lilywhites, as they’re sometimes known, play at 23,404-capactity Deepdale in the north of the city.

This storied ground opened in 1878 and is touted as the oldest continuously used football stadium in the world.

Its pitch has been graced by greats like Tom Finney and Bill Shankly, who went on to become one of the most decorated managers of all time.

As of 2018, Preston North End play in the Championship, the second tier of English professional football.

7. Guild Wheel

The Burgesses (freemen of the borough) of Preston were bestowed the right to hold a Guild Merchant (a kind of fair) by King Henry II in 1179. From 1328 this took place every 20 years, and there was an unbroken sequence of celebrations from 1542 to 1922, spoiled only by the Second World War.

For the Guild Merchant in 2012 the city devised a 21-mile greenway, a circular walking and bicycle path linking Preston to the Lancashire countryside and villages.

A good starting point is the Preston Docks on the Ribble to the west of the city centre.

8. Preston Cenotaph

The designer of the UK’s iconic red telephone boxes, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, was responsible for Preston’s monument to its First World War dead.

The Cenotaph was unveiled on Market Square in 1926 and its inscription was later revised to include those who perished in the Second World War.

The sculpture is the work of Henry Alfred Pegram who belonged to the British New Sculpture movement at the end of the 19th century.

The centrepiece is an image symbolising Victory, holding two wreaths, while at the top of the column is an empty tomb.

To underling the Cenotaph’s importance to Preston, the memorial was recently restored at large expense to mark the centenary of the beginning of the First World War.

9. Lancashire Infantry Museum

Anyone inspired by military history should call in at this museum, which is the largest repository of regimental history in the north England.

The location is half the appeal, in the active, but soon to be decommissioned Fulwood Barracks, a group of solemn sandstone buildings built in the 1840s.

The museum charts Lancashire’s involvement in wars going back to the end of the 17th century, and is overflowing with banners, medals, weapons, instruments and curiosities.

The Waterloo Room holds the Salamanca Eagle, which is listed by the Home Office as a British National Treasure.

This highly symbolic gold standard was carried by the 22e Regiment de la Ligne and captured at the Battle of Salamanca on 22 July 1812.

10. Moor Park

The largest and oldest park in the city, Moor Park is north of Preston’s centre next to the Deepdale Stadium.

It is claimed to be the first municipal park established in England’s nascent industrial towns in the 19th century.

Previously this had been common land, a holdover from the Medieval Royal Forest of Fulwood.

Edward Milner was hired to redesign Moor Park in the 1860s, as a project to give employment to redundant spinners and weavers during Lancashire Cotton Famine.

The park has a lake, the Serpentine, and an observatory, constructed in 1927 and now in the hands of the University of Central Lancashire.

Go for a wander along Moor Park Avenue on the south side of the park, traced by tall lime trees and next to some of the most coveted property in the city.

11. Preston Docks

When the sun is out you couldn’t pick a finer place for a walk than Preston’s long rectangular dock in the Riversway area.

The dock was opened in 1892 by Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was Victoria’s second son and soon to be Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy.

At the time it was Europe’s largest single dock, at more than 900 metres long and 180 metres across.

There’s an Odeon cinema on the east, while to the east is the Preston Marina and the Riversway Control Centre.

On a large patch of grass here is the 100-ton crane, erected in 1958 to remove the 19th-century lock gates for restoration.

This giant mechanism still operates today, lifting larger boats from the water.

12. Brockholes Nature Reserve

A former quarry upriver on the floodplain of the Ribble has slowly been turned into a 250-acre nature reserve, made up of pools, woodland and reedbeds.

The reserve has three designated walking trails, partly over boardwalks and installed with hides where in summer you can sight sand martins and herons among the geese and swans.

What makes the reserve stand out is its award-winning visitor village, which floats on a lake and is joined to the bank by wooden walkways.

In the village’s wooden hut-like houses, topped with solar panels, there’s a restaurant, shops, an exhibition space, activity rooms for schools and a conference centre.

13. Turbary Woods Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary

In the south of Preston, ten minutes by car from the city centre, there’s a non-profit rescue and rehabilitation centre for owls and other birds of prey.

Turbary Woods provides a habitat for more than 90 birds of prey, such as falcons, buzzards, hawks, eagles, vultures, all housed in spacious aviaries in a forest.

You’ll get the chance to see some of these birds, like falcons, hawks and owls in flight, while during the week you can attend owl and hawk experience days.

Here you can handle four different species, including a vulture if you’re brave enough, and learn the basics of falconry.

14. Forest of Bowland

The City of Preston incorporates a parcel of this large Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Forest of Bowland is one of the last traces of a massive expanse of wilderness that once cloaked most of Northern England.

Despite the name, most of the Forest of Bowland is heathland and blanket bog, inhabited by grouse.

People travelling from Preston city centre tend to stop at the Beacon Fell Country Park in the south of the forest.

There you can drop by the visitor centre and walk the isolated eponymous hill, which rises to 266 metres.

From the summit you can see Blackpool Tower in the west and spectacular Bowland hills like Parlick and Fair Snape Fell to the north.

15. Bowland Wild Boar Park

While out in the Forest of Bowland you can pay a visit to this animal-oriented family attraction.

The Bowland Wild Boar Park has sheep, wallabies, llamas, skunks, red squirrels, chickens, meerkats, raccoons, coatis and of course, wild boars.

In season you can meet cute baby animals, and there’s a schedule of activities like feeding lambs, coatis, skunks and meerkats, and petting chicks.

Kids can burn off extra energy at the straw barn play area, and take tractor and trailer rides around the park for a small additional fee.

15 Best Things to Do in Preston (Lancashire, England):

• Harris Museum and Art Gallery
• Avenham and Miller Parks
• Ribble Steam Railway
• Church of St Walburge
• Winckley Square
• Preston North End F.C.
• Guild Wheel
• Preston Cenotaph
• Lancashire Infantry Museum
• Preston Docks
• Brockholes Nature Reserve
• Turbary Woods Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary
• Forest of Bowland
• Bowland Wild Boar Park

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• Walks and trails

Walks and trails in and around Preston

Discover beautiful walks in the lush Lancashire countryside.

For scenic family outings suitable for little ones, Brockholes is a must go to with it's impressive floating village, vast nature reserve and bustling year round events calendar. Beacon Fell County Park is another family staple with well maintained paths, relaxed picnic areas and a creative sculpture trail for kids. For those after a more traditional rural walk, the surrounding area offers a number of routes for all abilities. If you fancy a family friendly leg stretch, then the small picturesque fell of  Nicky Nook makes a great option with fantastic views over Lancashire. Or, if you'd prefer something a little more challenging, then Parlick and Fairsnape Fell would make a good choice - involving a short but steep start, followed by a panoramic ridge walk often referred to as the 'loveliest mile in Lancashire'.

For those keen to explore the city's urban heritage trails delving into Preston's past see tours and trails .

Beacon Fell Country Park

Brock Bottom

Guild Wheel

Lancashire Cheese Walk

Longridge Fell walk

Nicky Nook Fell

Parlick and Fair Snape Fell

Preston Docks

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Places to visit near Preston

Lytham and its windmills are worth a visit, just a short drive from Preston

Preston is a city to watch.  It is popular for a number of reasons.  One of these, is that not only is there so much to do within the city, there’s also so much to do in places outside of the city.  Whether you’re visiting the city of Preston and wanting to explore more of the North West, or you’re a resident of the city, wanting to try something new; there’s plenty going on outside of Preston, which you can find out about here.

Two extremely popular places, only half an hour’s drive away from Preston City Centre, are Lytham St Annes and Blackpool.  Home to seaside attractions and endless entertainment, these are two places not to be missed.

Blackpool is always a worthwhile visit.  One of the main reasons for its popularity is the infamous Pleasure Beach Resort.  Home to one of Europe’s tallest rollercoasters, the Pepsi Max Big One, coasters suspended completely over water and many others with special effects, this theme park should definitely make the list of “things to do”.

Another attraction is the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, Sandcastle, which has over eighteen slides for everyone to enjoy.  Opposite the Pleasure Beach, this waterpark has everything you need to enjoy the whole day; from burger bars, arcades and a swim shop.  At the end of the day, you can even go for a stroll along Blackpool’s promenade and visit the unspoilt sandy beach.

Blackpool is also host to Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool Zoo, the 518ft Blackpool Tower and much more.  You can find out more information on the Visit Blackpool website .

Lytham St Annes, a ten minute drive away from Blackpool, is a picturesque place.  It is perfect, if you want to escape the bustle of the town centre, and unwind.   There are historic places of interest, such as Lytham Windmill and Lytham Hall, which provide an insight into the history of the town.

Lytham Windmill is a museum open throughout the year, which hosts different exhibitions displays organised by the Lytham Heritage Group.  Lytham Hall is a historic house, which is known as the “finest Georgian house in Lancashire”.  Just a mile from the city centre, this house is host to a courtyard, which acts as a tea room, and if you like it that much, you can book it for weddings or other special events.

St Annes-on-Sea is also host to miles of beautiful beach.  It is quintessentially British, with everything from ice cream vans to donkey rides.   Visitors can also experience the charming Victorian Pier and the elegant parks and gardens.  You can find out more information on the Visit Lytham St Annes Website .

Places near Preston range from big to small, and a place on the smaller side, is Lancaster.  Small it may be, but Lancaster is big in terms of popularity and is only half an hour away from Preston city centre.  And it is now home to the ninth best university in the UK, Lancaster University, in the ‘Complete University Guide 2013’.

Lancaster is known for its cultural heritage.  You can visit Lancaster City Museum, which displays collections that represent the history and archaeology of the city; and Lancaster Maritime Museum, an award winning museum that portrays the history of the port, the Lancaster Canal, the Lune Estuary and Morecambe Bay.

Lancaster Castle is another highlight of the city.  Owned by Her Majesty the Queen, this tells the history of Lancaster.  It is a brilliant experience, and visitors can even see what it is like to be locked in the ancient dungeons.

You can take boat trips, indulge in the shopping centres, take a walk round the attractive parks and visit the beautiful and not to be missed, Ashton Memorial.  You can find out more here .

Bigger places near Preston include the increasingly popular cities, Manchester and Liverpool.

Manchester, a 45 minute drive from Preston City Centre is one of the most popular cities in the UK.  It is known as the shopping capital of the North West, home to niche boutiques and fashionable chains.  With many highly rated restaurants and an electric nightlife, you can spend a day, a week or a lifetime in Manchester.

For sight seers, the city does not disappoint.  Manchester’s only national museum, The People’s Museum, was reopened in 2012 after a £12.5 million development.  It tells a 200 year story of British democracy, with many interactive exhibits.

Oxford Street, known by locals as Manchester’s ‘cultural corridor’ is home to many galleries, museums and theatres.  Some of these include the Cornerhouse, the Whitworth Art Gallery and the Manchester Museum.

As football fans will know, Manchester is home to the infamous football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City.  The National Football Museum holds both the FIFA and FA collections and even the hallowed ball used in the World Cup final in 1966.  This is not to be missed.

For a complete guide to Manchester, visit Manchester.com .

Liverpool, an ever-growing city, is about an hour’s drive away from Preston City Centre.

The city is home to various art galleries, theatres and museums with a wide range of exhibitions.  An unmissable exhibition is the Beatles Story, a unique attraction that lets you experience the life and music of the Beatles.  For something else unique, you can visit the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, which is host to the ‘Liverpool Phil’, the oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra; and the second oldest concert-giving organisation in the UK, featuring top names from all genres of music.

For fashion lovers, there is Liverpool ONE, a shopping centre offering over 160 famous high street stores and independent boutiques.  Popular museums include the Museum of Liverpool and the International Slavery Museum and more, which are all worthwhile visits.

Liverpool Echo Arena is a highlight of the city situated on the waterfront and seats over 10,000 guests.  It opened in conjunction with the city being awarded the European Capital of Culture in 2008 and has been host to a range of high class names, including Beyonce, Elton John and Bob Dylan.

For a complete guide to Liverpool, visit Visit Liverpool .

Image credit to Bob the Courier

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The Top 20 Attractions around Preston

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Bike Touring Highlight ( Segment )

Part of the Transpennine Trail near Hornsea. Work has been ongoing to smooth out some sections where tree routes have disturbed the tarmaced surface. Rideable with MTBs and gravel bikes, not very good for road bikes

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Bike Touring Highlight

Victoria Dock, opened in 1850, was the first dock to be built to the east of the River Hull. A year after it opened, the Earle Brothers started their shipyard … read more

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Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.

This is the straightforward ride which is on the old railway line which was joining both Hull and Hornsea with most Villages in between. It’s great alone or with friends … read more

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Road Cycling Highlight

Thornton Abbey was a medieval abbey located close to the small North Lincolnshire village of Thornton Curtis, near Ulceby, and directly south of Hull on the other side of the … read more

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Hiking Highlight

Hull Old Town is a treasure trove of British history, where Georgian and Edwardian architecture collide. Discover its brick paved streets and numerous free museums where you can learn about its significant past.

Popular around Preston

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Explore the most popular Tours around Preston

Still not found the Highlight you’re looking for? See guides of the top attractions in other regions:

• North Yorkshire
• Halton Gill
• Kettlewell With Starbotton
• Threshfield
• Malham Moor
• Flasby With Winterburn
• Horton In Ribblesdale
• Hetton-Cum-Bordley
• Grassington
• Conistone With Kilnsey
• Giggleswick
• Bolton Abbey
• Embsay With Eastby
• Long Preston
• Kirkby Malham
• Stirton With Thorlby
• Hazlewood With Storiths
• Clapham Cum Newby
• Wigglesworth
• Bank Newton
• Coniston Cold
• Hartlington
• Halton East
• Thornton In Lonsdale
• Appletreewick
• Burton In Lonsdale
• Glusburn And Cross Hills
• Gisburn Forest
• Bradleys Both
• East Riding of Yorkshire
• Bridlington
• Thornton In Craven
• Flamborough
• Lothersdale
• Anlaby With Anlaby Common
• Halton West
• Walkiington
• Barton-Upon-Humber
• Bishop Burton
• South Ferriby
• Elloughton Cum Brough
• Brantingham
• Winteringham
• Martons Both
• North Ferriby
• West Halton
• Burton Fleming
• Wold Newton
• South Cliffe
• Bishop Wilton
• Kirby Underdale
• Sutton Upon Derwent
• Roxby Cum Risby
• Cherry Burton
• Full Sutton
• Barrow Upon Humber
• Skirpenbeck
• Dalton Holme
• Fridaythorpe
• Saxby All Saints
• Thornton Curtis
• Holme Upon Spalding Moor
• New Holland
• Market Weighton
• Brandesburton
• North Dalton
• Londesborough
• Pocklington
• Allerthorpe
• Newton On Derwent
• Nunburnholme
• Barmby Moor
• Shipton Thorpe
• North Lincolnshire
• Barmby On The Marsh
• North Frodingham
• East Halton
• Snaith And Cowick
• Twin Rivers
• Goole Fields
• Eastrington
• Stamford Bridge
• Spaldington
• Seaton Ross
• Burton Upon Stather
• Kingston upon Hull
• Hutton Cranswick
• Foggathorpe
• Luddington And Haldenby
• Crowle And Ealand
• Burton Agnes