Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills image

Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills

Tourist attraction Museum Historical landmark Rail museum

One of the Top rated Historical landmarks in Leeds


Address

Canal Rd, Armley, Leeds LS12 2QF, United Kingdom

Website

museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk

Contact

+44 113 378 3173

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (784 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 12 to 5 PM
  • Sunday: 12 to 5 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: museum (32) history (21) Leeds (20) visit (15) industrial (15) time (15) worth (14) staff (14) great (13) interesting (13)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 2/5 Andrew W. 8 months ago on Google • 175 reviews
    If you're into the history of the textile industry, then this is worth a visit. I was expecting it to be an actual industrial museum, but there's very little except for the textile industry. Some of the site is closed, so maybe there's more to see. It seems to have a café but it was closed.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kei F. 9 months ago on Google • 33 reviews
    This is the best place in Leeds!! To start they are a lovely team with real love for their craft! Aleks gives an incredible tour! They also have a beautiful cinema that I had my own private screening in for my dissertation film, it was magical to be surrounded by history while I made my own history! Please go visit and enjoy the exhibitions, people and the canal! It's got it all!! Thank you so much to Chris and the team ♥️
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joe A. 2 years ago on Google
    Great museum, very informative if you like the industrial side of the city. Would be even better if they had maps either old or modern to show the patrons where the factories and industries were. I went on a Sunday morning and it was very quiet.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Boșcă Paul - Aurel (. 2 years ago on Google
    I spent a nice evening there. I recommend
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cath S. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place. Well worth a visit. Very educational. Helpful n friendly staff. Reasonable sized car park and inexpensive to get in. Quite a lot to see. Gift shop. Loos. Demonstrations of working machinery. NO café!! Missing a trick. You can apparently make your own cuppas with their facilities, but a place this size really needs a great on site café. Outdoor space includes further industrial heritage machinery, some art sculptures, a flower garden and a nature area with bird feeders and insect hotel.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ace R. 8 months ago on Google
    Excellent museum. Learnt a lot about the history of Leeds and the industrial revolution.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pete L. 2 years ago on Google • 247 reviews
    Real trip down the lane of memories, such a beautiful mill both inside and out. Full of history and fascinating facts about the past. This place is not free but worth the small admission charge, the car park is a short walk from the mill but again worth it once you get there. All the staff were helpful and friendly.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Chris 1 year ago on Google
    It's a very long time since I have been in as a visitor. It's still spectacular to take photos of. Historical buildings are disappearing all over. I know we need progress but it's still a little sad to lose our history.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Phill T. 2 years ago on Google
    Fantastic little museum! My partner and I were the only ones there at the time; they fired up the spinning jenny and gave us an excellent demonstration and lecture just for the two of us. Brilliant place well worth popping in
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 charlotte s. 2 years ago on Google
    Did a ghost hunt here last week the museum staff were there till 2am too they were lovely can't wait to visit in daylight on Monday
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Joe B. 1 month ago on Google • 296 reviews New
    The museum focuses on the clothing industry which is important in the history of Leeds- though there are other exhibits as well . The manholes are accompanied by good interpretive materials. We witnessed a demonstration of a mechanical loom which really helped to bring nineteenth century factory conditions to life.

  • 5/5 Anthony R. 1 year ago on Google • 94 reviews
    I got there well before opening time as I had walked there from the hotel on Wellington Street, a distance of around a mile or maybe slightly more. I saw a spinning mule in action. This took me back over 50 years as my late grandad had been an overseer at a hosiery mill. I am sure that he took us to see the place but I doubt that any machine would have been in operation while we were there. The member of staff who had switched the machine on gave us loads of information on wool and cotton. He showed how you could strengthen the strands of wool simply by twisting them. The more twisting, the more strength. A member of staff talked to a group of young school children about how things were in war time days. He even wore a tin helmet and often blew a whistle. That must have been a day for the children to remember. There are loads of exhibits relating to various industries. I was told that you could get round the three floors in about an hour. For me, a couple of hours worked well and that included the demonstration mentioned earlier. Definitely a fiver well spent !!!! Only teas, coffee and light snacks are available but this shouldn't be an issue in view of the short period of time spent there. This turned out to be the highlight of my stay in Leeds. Sadly my other plans did not work out well.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris B. 6 years ago on Google
    Great morning walking round. Really nice place to see Yorkshires industrial heritage whether that's engineering or wool. We went when they had the annual wool festival on . Very busy about 30 stalls and a small canteen selling drinks and buns staffed by the WI.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 ibby m. 3 years ago on Google
    Educational
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Richard M. 2 years ago on Google
    Absolutely fantastic experience, shedding so much light on Leeds's incredible industrial past. A must visit for anyone.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andrea R. 4 years ago on Google
    Went for a ghost hunt but will definitely be visiting this museum in the daytime as it looks really interesting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Stephen H. 11 months ago on Google
    This museum is full of history, over many floors, it truly felt like I had stepped back in time, highly recommended :)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Liz W. 1 year ago on Google
    A great collection of exhibits from Leed's manufacturing heritage. Awesome machines. The cinema is excellent and the films of working life are brilliant.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Tina J. 4 years ago on Google
    Very impressive and interesting but need to go back when it's all open part closed because of the floods so will go again as they gave us a free ticket to go again.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andy C. 1 month ago on Google • 99 reviews New
    Brilliant museum. A little bit out of the way - short bus ride (72) out of the centre and get off just past B&M and Lidl, but the building and location are a big part of the experience. So well worth the effort. You get a real sense of what life would have been like.

  • 3/5 Wendy G. 5 months ago on Google • 78 reviews
    Interesting museum made lovelier by the wonderfully welcoming staff.

  • 5/5 Paul C. 1 month ago on Google • 7 reviews New
    A fascinating museum with engaging displays. Unfortunately starting to look run down with some interactive elements either not working or missing. Clearly both in need of and deserving of greater funding.

  • 5/5 Obed A. 3 months ago on Google • 7 reviews New
    I went to this place with 2 service users and they started speaking in tongues. If you are a married man and you don’t feel happy at home don’t waste money to go to on trips with your wife, just take her there and I promise you she will bow to you.😜. Their pass too is cheap so don’t worry just get a biscuit and enjoy the show. PEACE🥶

  • 5/5 Dee P. 1 year ago on Google
    Amazingly large! It is a step back in time. The children that were used to clean these monstrous machines, were sometimes chewed up by them. This is where my interest comes in, macabre in a way, but I will be booking a group ghost hunt there. Its thought to be very active.

  • 5/5 Sarah B. 2 years ago on Google
    Really enjoyed our visit 😊 super friendly staff and lived wat himg the loom work x

  • 5/5 Dominic W. 4 years ago on Google
    Interesting small museum in an old mill lots of old machinery etc.

  • 3/5 wolfgang s. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice little museum only saw the entrance but looks interesting

  • 5/5 Dan M. 4 years ago on Google
    Brilliant museum

  • 5/5 Di 4 years ago on Google
    Great museum for all ages. Visited as part of U3A trip. Plenty to see. Was given a demonstation and talk about the Spinning Jenny and textile industry in general. Very informative. Little cafe and shop on site. Some exhibits outside (didnt see due to poor weather). The museum also runs eduction programmes for scho children. Worth a visit.

  • 5/5 George C. 4 years ago on Google
    Great visit. Fantastic repository of leeds history. I was born ib armley and learned a lot barry was brilliant demonstrated the mule! Would recommend wbole heartedly

  • 5/5 Daniel M. 1 year ago on Google
    We recently visited Armley Mills for a Ghost Hunt event 👻 hosted by Haunted Happenings , the event was 8pm until 2am - This was truly an amazing experience and we could not of expected what the night had in store for us , The Haunted Happenings team were super friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this event although worth knowing it is pretty pricey at £55 a ticket.

  • 5/5 Paul Wilkinson (. 1 year ago on Google
    Gives a good insight into Leeds' industrial past in a large old mill. Small outdoor section and 3 floors of well explained exhibits, small admission charge and friendly staff + tea room. Very good.

  • 5/5 Sue C. 1 year ago on Google
    Really interesting, as I worked in the clothing trade it was a trip down memory lane. My grandchildren enjoyed it especially the interactive bug terrarium. Finished off in the cinema a Really good day thanks to all the staff.

  • 5/5 Ula Z. 1 year ago on Google • 6 reviews
    The trip has started amazing - really nice and helpful staff ready to share with many useful and interesting info! The museum itself was really cool, made for young visitors and also for a little older ones :) There were places, where a child could have some fun by drawing or thinking about super cool riddles through the tour. Recommending it for everyone in every age! Must have to see in Leeds! ( costs 5£ per adult and takes up to 1 hour to see everything )

  • 5/5 Angie W. 1 year ago on Google
    Took a walk back to the textile industry. The working conditions and that a lot of young children worked there to prevent families going into the workhouse. Children went to school on Sunday.

  • 5/5 Christine M. 9 months ago on Google
    Went at the weekend 3rd June as they were holding the Leeds wool festival there, was a good day out. Lots to see and lots of interesting stalls selling the items. Will go again. Have added a few pictures of one of the stalls which interested me.

  • 4/5 Adam 6. 9 months ago on Google
    Really really really really cool, such great machinery and history, only lacking some more in-depth explanation on the exhibits.

  • 4/5 Gail W. 1 year ago on Google
    Easy free parking, easy entrance, very well organised knowledgeable folk on hand, loved the cinema lay out and the 25 mins film, only drawback was the stairs up and down Loved this museum, we are 73 and 80 year olds, so interesting it was our era, kind off, would highly recommend going here, if your from leeds get a leeds card,( cheaper tkts) and you can get a cup of tea for a £1 and biscuit for 50pence, an excellent way to spend 2 and 1/2 hours on a damp Tuesday. Highly recommended.

  • 4/5 Stephen L. 8 months ago on Google
    Like most places we visited in Leeds we were alone in a large museum dedicated to several industries but Where cotton and wool are king.The objects could be better described and organized but that takes time and money. The museum is a Long walk along the canal from central city but worth the battle with bicyclists. They do own the canal path. Well Worth a morning or afternoon at leisure with much walking up and down stairs of the old factory. Best museum after medical museum.

  • 4/5 Andrew H. 8 months ago on Google
    Nice little museum showcasing industrial machines. Lots of stairs as you decend the many floors then climb them back up again. Not sure if there is a lift, so do check before hand. Definitely worth going on a rainy afternoon

  • 5/5 kyle s. 3 years ago on Google
    Such a great place to take the kids this half term we had a blast

  • 3/5 Chris A. 4 years ago on Google
    If you're interested in the history of manufacturing in Leeds then worth a visit. Bit boring for kids.

  • 5/5 Paul S. 4 years ago on Google
    A really interesting and informative place. More death and disease than you can shake a stick at.

  • 5/5 Yaseen S. 4 years ago on Google
    Great place and staff. The demo of the machinery was fascinating.

  • 5/5 Daniel H. 4 years ago on Google
    Fascinating collection, good meeting room.

  • 4/5 Damian B. 4 years ago on Google
    Good place to visit for a look at the industrial past unfortunately at the time of the visit floods and work in progress limited the tour

  • 5/5 David T. 4 years ago on Google
    Great museum, take ID if you’re from LS12 for cheap entry

  • 5/5 Mark S. 3 years ago on Google
    Very interesting

  • 4/5 Pam B. 3 years ago on Google
    Love this place so much. From the school trips dressed as Victorians to the family outings we've done. Brilliant

  • 2/5 Kim M. 4 years ago on Google
    Interesting enough but weird layout and confusing about which room to go to first

  • 4/5 DarkSideMatter O. 4 years ago on Google
    A fantastic museum for those interested in the history of the Leeds industrial age. Ideal for any age. As the site is an old mill before becoming a museum, it is still full of machinery used to make cloth and garments. It's a real insight for children who will never again have to working in gribble conditions from a very young age. A brief reminder of how things have changed over the years.

  • 5/5 Wr1tt3nwh1sp3r 4 years ago on Google
    We had a fantastic afternoon here. As someone who loves to knit, I really enjoyed learning about what's involved in the process of turning raw wool into usable yarn. The vintage cinema was absolutely lovely - very atmospheric!

  • 5/5 T.A.K 3 years ago on Google
    Great Museum and a very reasonable price. The staff are all friendly. Would definitely recommend

  • 4/5 Amanda G. 3 years ago on Google
    Interesting history of Leeds clothing industry. Lots of big machines, some of which still work. Dropped a star because its not clear if or when the machines are operated. The small Leeds Innovation exhibition was good too. Killed an hour with the kids.

  • 5/5 claire L. 4 years ago on Google
    Just take the time and go, we've been meaning to go for years. Its fabulous. For £4 per adult it was worth it. To see the looms working was amazing, to actually see what we learnt about in school, and to see what our grandparents did was very humbling .

  • 4/5 Sallyann G. 3 years ago on Google
    Glad I made the effort to visit. Learned lots about the eclectic industries of the past in Leeds. My only disappointment was that the museum was closing by 4.30 even though it's advertising 5pm and I couldn't visit the gift shop.

  • 5/5 P J. 3 years ago on Google
    Living history rebuilt... Set in true Leodis style education and progress remembered.

  • 4/5 Hfz R. 4 years ago on Google
    A lovely and great old museum detailing the history of textiles and other industries at Leeds. It costs about £4.50 per adult to enter. There are various exhibits from eighteenth century onwards and it was certainly interesting to learn how much progress has been made since then. It was also worthewhile to learn all of the consequences and side effects to the induatrial workers whose have been exposed to various industrial related diseases.

  • 4/5 Robert H. 4 years ago on Google
    An absorbing look a Leeds' industrial heritage, engaging and informative

  • 5/5 Karen C. 4 years ago on Google
    Did the ghost hunt. Amazing!!

  • 5/5 Jesus take the k. 3 years ago on Google
    Underrated museum. Location doesn't help. Not too big but it's reflected on the entry price amd the designs are quite good.

  • 5/5 Robert M. 4 years ago on Google
    10 out of 10. A brilliant experience for all the family. Worth a day out.

  • 4/5 Richard E. 4 years ago on Google
    Huge old mill complex a short walk from the centre of Armley and the bus routes on Stanningley Rd (there's also a sizeable free car park to the front, but it's perfectly accessible by public transport). The approach alone is very atmospheric, with the canal to one side and trees to the other. Go on a gloomy autumn or winter afternoon for the full Dickensian, slightly eerie experience! This is a very different building to Salts Mill - less dramatic in some ways, but with more hidden corners, levels, bits that have been added on the years, and much of its original contents. The complex is huge - briefly the biggest factory in Europe - and clings to the Armley side of the Aire Valley between various Victorian engineering marvels including the steep and winding Canal Road itself, the looming railway arches and viaducts, the massive engineering works of the railway, mill races, canal and channels. There are multiple levels and galleries to explore; often you'll be by yourself and have freedom to take as much time as you need due to the sheer size of the place. Highlights include the working looms, cinema, reconstructed Victorian home interiors and the area around the chimney stack, mill race, waterwheel and sluice, where you get a real sense of the scale of the place and the change in levels. It's a little scruffy and down at heel but I'd imagine it's much how it would have looked when it was full of workers at the height of textile production. If you want some context, a short drive or bus ride to nearby Gotts Park contains the remains of the mansion which the eponymous industrialist built so he could look over the mill - source of his wealth - in the early 1800s, lit up by night like a beacon in the valley. Yes, it could be better presented / maintained in places but it's council owned and run and they are somewhat short of resources in the present political climate. It's still an absolute must for anyone with an interest in the Victorian period, working class / social history, industry / machinery and engineering. The smell of grease and oil transports you back to a time before everything was clean, sterile and frankly a bit soulless.

  • 5/5 Emma T. 4 years ago on Google
    Great little museum very interesting, especially when they have talks about the history about not just the main building but the outside house in the garden area. Definitely worth a visit.

  • 4/5 Lynda I. 4 years ago on Google
    Went with my family to support their school learning of the Victorians and children at work. The health trail around the mill was great and really made an impression on my boys. It's a great way to spend a few hours as a family learning about Leeds and local history.

  • 5/5 MUNICH L. 4 years ago on Google
    We visited this museum recently and really enjoyed the time we spent here. Two hours just flew by. There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere and it provides an educational and informative insight into the industrial history of Leeds. The place had very polite and professional staff and represented great value for money. I would definitely recommend this place to anybody.

  • 5/5 Russell N. 4 years ago on Google
    Fantastic, good value

  • 4/5 Nigel S. 4 years ago on Google
    Gives a great insight into Leeds' industrial past, with excellent examples of textile machinery.

  • 5/5 Lee F. 4 years ago on Google
    Most haunted evening

  • 2/5 TECKERZ101 4 years ago on Google
    Website was helpful but it has been closed nearly all the time

  • 5/5 Will F. 4 years ago on Google
    Love learning about the history of my home town. Very informative and a great insight into Leeds' history

  • 4/5 Michael De G. 4 years ago on Google
    Where I live in Eccleshill (Bradford), we have an Industrial Museum right on our doorstep - which may account for the reason why I've never before made a visit over to the one at Armley in Leeds. It costs £4.50 to get in (£1 if you have a Leeds card), and it's run by Leeds Council which means it's been starved of funding for a few years now. Nevertheless - it's well worth visiting - either on your own or with the family - I spent over 3 hrs there - and it's interesting to note the contrast between exhibits which are in tip-top condition and those which are just as important and irreplaceable being left to rot where they stand or lay at rest in those out-of-way places. Notwithstanding, this contrast can offer some great opportunities for those of us with a photographic bent ;) The staff were great and very helpful - However, I would say this to Leeds Council - You seem somewhat adverse to funding museums which reflect the Working Class Heritage and what I would call for that period - the White Slavery our forebears endured to make Leeds the place it is today - I'll bet the big museums in the centre of Leeds are well funded ;)

  • 1/5 Mark 4 years ago on Google
    Not worth the money compared to Bradford industrial museum which is free.

  • 4/5 Emma E. 4 years ago on Google
    Brilliant for the kids and very interesting

  • 5/5 Jack h. 4 years ago on Google
    Took the kids, a great time had by all


Call +44 113 378 3173 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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