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Beauty, brains and exceedingly good taste: the Lake District, Cumbria is the full package. Here we celebrate a living culture that incorporates the past but is rooted firmly in the present. Our history - ancient and more recent - is alive and well in the very Cumbrian landscape, but you can interpret it in our impressive collection of museums that tell Cumbria’s story - from prehistory right through to the modern age.
There’s an impressive list of radical thinkers and artistic pioneers who found inspiration here – William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, JMW Turner, John Ruskin, Kurt Schwitters, Josefina de Vasconcellos and Andy Goldsworthy. You can walk in their footsteps, visit their homes and explore the rich creative life built on their exceptional heritage.
You can see and feel it within a few short miles: as well as museums and heritage centres there are scores of galleries, exhibitions and artists’ studios; there’s artworks in the mountains and forests; a packed, year-round programme of live theatre performances, independent cinemas and festivals celebrating all manner of creative endeavours, from music to local craft. And yes, we have lots of traditional performance venues, but there’s a particular thrill in attending a show on an outdoor stage in a spectacular setting.
Inspiration
Experience adventure at Keswick Mountain Festival (16-18 May 2025) with trail runs, hikes,…
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The…
Whether you see yourself as an aviation enthusiast or simply a curious explorer, Solway Aviation…
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes.…
Long House Studios is a small, friendly, independent art school offering intensive and immersive…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
The loveliest spot that man hath ever found
Number of results: 53
, currently showing 21 to 40.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Visit BAHA and enjoy LIVE MUSIC on Fridays & Saturdays all year round!
Whitehaven
Imagine leaving the heart of Whitehaven's historic port and being taken back in time to an exotic tropical island's rainforest in the Caribbean, that is just the start of your great adventure in The Rum Story.
Crosby-on-Eden
Whether you see yourself as an aviation enthusiast or simply a curious explorer, Solway Aviation Museum has something to offer. Based on the site of RAF Crosby-on-Eden, a former WWII fighter base, the museum has been painstakingly created by a team…
Kendal
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The Museum has a long history in Kendal Town and has occupied various sites but has been at its current location (previously a wool warehouse) since 1913.
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
Ambleside
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a fantastic collection of art & crafts by some amazing artists, many of them local to the area.
Coniston
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and memorabilia. The 250-acre estate comprises 8 unique gardens, ancient woodland, high moors and meadows.
Stramongate, Kendal
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions and remarkable people....made by 4,000 people. Facilities: Gift Shop, Cafe, Audio guides, Films, Interactive Displays, Children's Activities.
Ulverston
The Coro is an historic arts, culture and entertainment venue presenting Theatre, Music, Comedy, Community, Talks and Dance all year round in Ulverston, Cumbria at the edge of the Lake District.
Ambleside
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes. Collections include Kurt Schwitters, Beatrix Potter, photography, fine art and local history.
Kendal
Brewery Arts is a thriving and dynamic arts organisation with over forty years' experience of delivering an exciting and inspirational programme, including cultural events, festivals and creative learning courses.
Kendal
Lakeland Arts' much-loved art collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture ranging from the 1700's to the present. In our refreshed collection galleries discover the stories of our extraordinary collection pieces and the people…
Keswick
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica graphite mine which would have served as the source of the pencil industry over three centuries ago.
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house is a rare architectural gem in the heart of the Lake District and offers a perfectly preserved snapshot of early 20th-century living.
Hawkshead
Come and discover all that Grizedale has to offer – take in Lake District landscapes, experience a whole range of contemporary art and enjoy an adventure, no matter your age!
Bowness-on-Windermere
A magical indoor attraction that brings to life all 23 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales. Meet all your favourite characters and find out more about Beatrix Potter herself.
Penrith
Rheged is a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes.
Penrith
A flexible space for getting together or enjoying time alone with a book or notepad; a place where stories are told, ideas are sparked and the Cumbrian landscape is a constant source of inspiration.
Barrow-in-Furness
BarrowFull is an arts organisation led by Barrow-based partners with the aim of increasing participation in the arts. We work with the people of Barrow, enabling creative experiences to happen across the town including a vibrant programme of public…
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