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Free things to do in Bristol

22 places in Bristol with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Free things to do in Bristol

  1. See

    Arnolfini Gallery

    A modern art gallery, shortlisted for Museum of the Year 2016.

    Tue-Sun 11AM-6PM (open to 8PM on Wed)free

  2. See

    Bristol Cathedral (Church of England/Anglican)

    Built as the abbey of St Augustine founded in the Norman era, and extensively rebuilt in the 16th and 19th centuries. The seat of the diocese of Bristol.

    DailyFree, donations are welcome

  3. See

    Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

    Bristol's major museum and art gallery houses an outstanding and diverse range of objects, from sea dinosaurs to magnificent art. A visit to the region's largest museum and art gallery is guaranteed to inspire! A range of subjects can be found. From Archaeology to History and Art. It also has a cafe.

    Daily 10AM–5PMfree

  4. See

    Cabot Tower

    This dramatic Victorian tower occupies a prominent hilltop in Brandon Hill park, seen from much of the city. If you climb up the spiral staircase, you get a great view of the whole city from the top. There are signs which show you what you are looking at. It's a great way to get acquainted with the city and oriented to where you are.

    DaytimeFree

  5. See

    Castle Park & St Peters Church

    It is difficult to imagine now, but this large harbour-side park was a network of busy streets and shops until it was bombed out during the second world war. Within the park are the excavated ruins of Bristol Castle, and the ruined St Peter's Church preserved as it stood after the bombing as a memorial to those killed.

    St Peters Church is closed to the public; the park is freely accessibleFree

  6. See

    Cheese Lane Shot Tower

    Historic drop tower used for the production of lead shot (the "hail" used in shotgun shells) by dropping molten lead through a zinc sieve into a tank of cold water 35 m lower. The original tower was built in 1782, the first of its kind if the world, but was demolished in 1968 as part of a road widening project. Thus, the current tower was constructed in the architectural style of 1969, around 400 m from where the original tower stood. It continued producing lead shot until the late 1980s when lead was phased out for environmental concerns. The tower was scheduled to be demolished because it isn't particularly flattering to the city landscape 50 years after its construction, but as one of the only 3 remaining historic shot towers in England, it was conserved as a Grade II listed building. A new development was built around it in 2005, incorporating it into the redeveloped neighbourhood. The tower's interior isn't accessible to the public.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  7. See

    Clifton Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

    A striking modernist design completed in 1973, with an equally modern interior and spire. It was constructed of reinforced concrete faced with granite. Worth a look.

    Open DailyFree, donations are welcome

  8. See

    Corn Exchange & The Nails

    The Palladian Corn Exchange, built in 1743, boasts a clock on its frontage that ingeniously tells time both in the new-fangled GMT and the old Bristol time. In front are nails (in reality Bronze pillars) over which the local merchants did business; from these come the expression 'cash on the nail'.

    Exterior always openFree

  9. Do

    Leigh Woods

    National nature reserve with a history that dates back to a hill fort in the Middle Ages. The woods have hiking trails and mountain biking circuits (from moderate to advanced difficulty levels) signposted. It's possible to descend into the Avon Gorge on the north side of the woods, although you'll need dry weather for this — after rain the trails turn into a mud swamp.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  10. See

    Pero's Bridge

    Shrek's Bridge

    Bridge over the Harbour, known for the iconic counter weights of the lifting section which resemble the shape of movie character Shrek, hence its popular name with the locals. Its formal name Pero's Bridge is a reference to Pero Jones, a Caribbean slave who arrived in Bristol through the harbour channel below the bridge in the 18th. Although the bridges hydraulic mechanism allows it to open and close swiftly, it only does so rarely because the ferry was designed explicitly to pass under the bridge without it needing to be lifted.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  11. See

    Purdown AA Battery

    One of the best preserved heavy anti-aircraft defence sites of the Second World War in the UK. The site is on top of a hill overlooking the north-east of Bristol. During the Second World War, anti-aircraft guns including the iconic Bofors were stationed here, aided by search lights to intercept Luftwaffe bombers before they reached the city. Much of it is overgrown, and it has fallen prey to graffiti vandalism. It is part of Stoke Park which is also worth a visit.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  12. See

    Quakers Burial Ground

    Original burial ground for the Society of Friends, better known today as the Quakers. They were a religious society, split away from the Church of England, and formed a closed community with a complex social and economic structure spanning from Europe to North America and the Caribbean in the 18th century. Many Quakers lived and worked in Bristol. They became the first group to oppose slave trade in 1760, a remarkable point of view considering many Quakers owed their wealth directly or indirectly to the slave trade in Bristol.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  13. See

    Queen Square

    A 2.4 ha garden square in the centre, originally laid out outside Bristol's city walls in an area known as the Town Marsh. Its planning started in 1699 and construction finished in 1727, being named after Queen Anne. It has seen a turbulent history, with much of the north and west side buildings being destroyed during the riots of 1831 and subsequently rebuilt. From 1937 to 1992 the square was scarred by a dual carriageway road crossing it diagonally, which created a lot of traffic to flow through the area. After this became unbearable by the 1990s, the road was closed and demolished by the late 1990s, and the garden restored to its pre 1937 glory. Although originally a residential neighbourhood, the buildings surrounding the square are nowadays used as offices, and many are listed under heritage protection. The centre of the square hosts the iconic statue of William III, a sculpture by John Michael Rysbrack who cast it in 1733 in brass and erected it in 1736 to signify the city's loyalty.

    Free

  14. See

    Red Lodge

    The house was built in 1590 and then altered in 1730. It has fine oak panelling and carved stone chimney pieces and is furnished in the style of both periods. The garden has now been laid out in Elizabethan style.

    Sat-Tue 11AM–5PMFree

  15. See

    St Mary Redcliffe Church

    A short walk from Bathurst Basin. Described by Queen Elizabeth I, as "the goodliest, fairest and most famous parish church in England."

    Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM; Sun 8AM-7:30PMFree

  16. See

    The Georgian House

    Built for merchant and plantation owner John Pinney in 1790, also the former home of Pero Jones, a slave brought to Bristol from Nevis, by Pinney. It is displayed as it might have looked in the 18th century and provides an insight into life above and below stairs. Free. The book Pero, the Life of a Slave in Eighteenth-Century Bristol (C Eickelmann and D Small) is for sale at the museum.

    Apr-Dec: Sat-Tue 11AM–4PMfree

  17. See

    We The Curious

    formerly @Bristol

    Science-themed interactive museum opened in 2017, with as stated goal to make science accessible to all. It features numerous labs for engineering (including robotics) and life sciences, a makerspace with 3D printers, and a planetarium.

    Tue — Sun 10AM-5PM; Mondays during school holidaysAdult (16+) £22.50/£20.40 with/without Gift Aid; child (2-15) £15.30/£13.90; free entry for the youngest; all tickets cheaper after 3PM

  18. See

    Whitchurch Airport

    Old Bristol Airport

    Former airport of Bristol, operating from 1930 until 1957. It played an important role during the Second World War as air bridge between the UK and neutral Portugal, and other territories such as Gibraltar. From the early 1950s the airport became too small to accommodate scheduled services, and expansion was limited by surrounding housing estates. It remained in use for some years for short flights to the Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, but flying ceased from 1957 onward. It was reopened in 1959 as a racing circuit, but most of the former airport grounds have been redeveloped since. The main runway still exists and can be visited.

    Open now · open 24 hoursFree

  19. Do Not mapped

    The Croft

    The croft has a policy of supporting new music of every style and scheduling mainly homegrown talent.

    Free M-W before 10PM, and then a charge on Th-Su

  20. See Not mapped

    The Matthew

    The Matthew of Bristol is a replica of the 15th-century caravel that John Cabot sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497. In 1997 she sailed across the Atlantic to mark the 500th anniversary of the historic voyage. You can buy tickets for its occasional special voyages.

    Dec-Apr: Sat Sun 10AM – 4PM; Apr-Nov: Tue-Sun 10AM – 4PMFree

  21. See

    M Shed Museum

    History of Bristol

    Tue-Sun 10AM-5PMFree entrance

  22. Do Not mapped

    The Fleece

    St Thomas St

    Free on Monday and Tuesdays

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bristol (CC BY-SA 4.0).