Save your pennies by taking advantage of a range of activities you can do for FREE in Leicester!

There are FREE activities for all age groups to enjoy across the city - explore a new part of town, discover one of Leicester's parks, pick up a new hobby, enrich your life in 2011 by volunteering or keep fit and feel great.

We've also listed just a few of the suggestions people have sent in, plus highlighted winners of a recent competition. Why not send in your suggstion too... Send us your ideas for FREE things to do in Leicester. We will endeavour to publish all clean and suitable suggestions below. Simply email us and tell us 'One thing you like to do for FREE in Leicester'. Keep it clean! Send to: info@oneleicester.com

 E.g. Paul Smith: "Play footy on Victoria park with my mates".

 Be curious - visit an museum
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
See ARTIST ROOMS exhibition of artworks by international artist Gerhard Richter.

Learn about your family history
Leicester Libraries
Help with research, information and guidance - discover clues about your family history.

Embrace the great outdoors!
Leicester’s Parks
Walk, run, jog, bike, play, explore and discover over 2000 acres of open space. 

Why not try ‘Walking Your Way To Health’ – a walking for health scheme, promoting walks across the city’s 10 main parks. Free maps and more information

www.goleicestershire.com/outdoors/default.asp

Go with friends and family to CurveBall
The last Friday of each month with free entertainment and happy hour at the bar. 

Volunteer and enrich your life
Opportunities in culture and sports

Find out about volunteering opportunities in Leicester. 

Toddler Time

Leicester Libraries

Weekly drop-in sessions held at local libraries where you and your under-5s can play and learn for FREE!

Activities for Young People 5-19 years

Leicester City Council Leisure Centres

Many FREE 'Multi Skill' activities are available to help young people improve their basic movement and fundamental sport skills.

 YOUR SUGGESTIONS
Thak you for all the things you suggested, here are just a few...

Paul Beard  "I like to cycle along the canal tow path on a sunny morning. (But don’t tell everybody!).

Fabrika: the two gallerys are free to use, also our wifi is free and most of the events here are free like craft fairs, gigs, open mic nights etc. Find us at 68-70 Humberstone Gate: www.taoleicester.co.uk

Lauren Ramskir  "For free activities for young people in Leicester please see '2funkyarts' for a whole list of projects and ideas: www.2funkyarts.co.uk

Danuta Myszor  "I enjoy spending time with my family FOR FREE in relaxing Abbey Park."
 

Sandra  "I like to visit New Walk Museum (in the city center) when we go up to stay with our friends (we live in Cornwall)."

Bella Shah  "One thing I would like to do for free is - take beautiful photos in the snow“.   

Marie Phillips  "The thing I like to do free in Leicester is to take a stroll down the New Walk on a sunny Autumn day towards town. It is beautiful with all the leaves falling down and the lovely old building are great to look at as well."

Anne  "Having a picnic in the park - can't wait for the summer!"

Sal  "I enjoy talks given by  experts/artists on exhibitions.  This broadens the mind as well as opening a door into greater  appreciation and interest of the arts which  otherwise is inaccessible to many."

Mrs. Chris Camplisson  "I would like to see again the Jewry Wall, I saw it as a child and would like to see it again."  

Sheri Darby  "I love walking in the wonderful parks."

 Mayank Pandit  "I use the Library for free: I use books, internet, leaflets and information packs, maps and social activities for free. The staff is very co-operative and I just love this!!!!!!!  I could not get the information I have got free even by paying premium price of the things."

Mrs Jackson  “I like to take walks around the pleasant free parks and festivals and new exhibitions that are held in the museums.”   

Beverley Lambie  “The one thing I like to do for free in Leicester is to pick blackberries, sloes, rosehips etc in the park to make into jams and jellies.  My favourite place for this is Western Park – very relaxing/satisfying and you end up with treats to eat.”   

Sal  "I enjoy talks given by  experts/artists on exhibitions.  This broadens the mind as well as opening a door into greater  appreciation and interest of the arts which  otherwise is inaccessible to many."
 

Prem Parmar  "Going for a 30 minue run around Victoria Park with my best friend."

Nazish Kassam  “One Free thing I do in Leicester is make FULL use of the library and its facilities. Be it the books for reading, for research or the internet.” 

Paul  "Why not go on Leicester's ArtWalk www.oneleicester.com/artwalk ."

Rhaana Starling  "My favourite free (by donation) Leicester attractions are Abbey Pumping
Station and Gorse Hill City Farm."

Vinisha  "I love to see the exhibitions at new walk museun for free! :-) "

Barbara Crocker  " I love to go to Abbey Park: It’s very close to the city centre so very easy to get there. It's very beautiful any time of the year - with plenty of birds on the water to watch and feed, pets corner for the grandchildren and the playground, and lastly the history of the park Cardinal Wolsey and the Abbey Church."

Andy Salkeld  "Leicester Shire Cycle Challenge www.leicestershirecyclechallenge.org.uk "

Tracy Thomas  "For free I like to cycle the canal towpath. It is a fabulous way to see and feel the remains of Leicester in its industrial hey day. Quieter stretches are good for bird and duck feeding. Exhilarating to be in the centre but not feel like it."

Mrs Anne Draycott   "I like to sit in Castle Gardens and watch the wildlife."  more about Castle Gardens >>
 

Melanie Chambers   "I love visiting leicester and the thing I love doing most that's free is visiting at Diwali, I love the atmosphere, how friendly and welcoming everybody is, and of course the fireworks!" 

more about Diwali in Leicester

Iain Maciver  "Take a cycle round the countryside."

Emma Clarke  "The Gas Museum in Aylestone Road was fun when I visited last - completely free to enter!" www.gasmuseum.co.uk
 

Karen Ries  "I like to visit the Roman remains in Leicester (Jewry Wall)."

Josie Fox  "I enjoy a pleasant stroll along the elegant New Walk."

 
Dawn Thornton  "I love to visit Belgrave Hall.  You can step back in time in this wonderful museum - complete with walled garden."  Belgrave Hall Website

Susannah Leggatt  "Winter - visiting the museums; my son loves Abbey Pumping Station (he loves flushing the poo down!), the Dinosaur Museum, as we like to call it on New walk is also very popular with us, Newalke Houses museum, with 'the street like granny lived on', must also be worth a positive mention, having the most toys to play with is a bonus.  Summer - the wealth of outside spaces right on our doorstep. A trip down the canal and Great Central way is wonderful to get glimpses of Kingfishers and Herons, we even saw a Great Tufted Duck on the canal last year. If you go at the right time of year you can even pick lots of free fruits and nuts, like apples, plums, damsons, cherries, cob nuts, raspberries and even wild strawberries, you just have to know what to look for. Castle park is also lovely at any time of year, autumn is for sure it's most vibrant time and the squirrels are so friendly, just rustle a bag and they soon come out and have a look.  There are lots more to do, but I thought I would just let you in on our favourites.  

Subhasree  "There are whole load of things I love doing which does not cost me a thing, but to me the most precious one is spending time near the Town Hall, it gives me a happy feeling. It is nice to see the newly wed couples coming out of the building, happy and smiling with the promise of a new start. 

Through out the year I like taking my little boy and let him loose there. I love watching him chase the pigeons or answer his question about the fountain. I love making up stories about the fountain saying that it is magical. In winter, I like to stop and watch the Christmas decorations and summer I love taking a book from the library and enjoy my lunch and a bit of sunshine. I have hundreds of picture on my phone and camera to capture the moments I felt was magical to look at, but it does not compare the feeling I get when I am standing there.
I never feel I am in the middle of the city centre. To me this place is where I like to escape for a little while before getting back to my busy life.  This is the one thing I like to do for FREE, but is very precious to me."

 For more great things to do in Leicester, find out What's on:  www.oneleicester.com/whats-on