Free things to do in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a great patch for free days out, with big museums, old parks and country estates that cost nothing to get into. In Sheffield, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery are both free, and Cannon Hall near Cawthorne gives you a museum, park and gardens without an entry fee.
You can mix free museums in Sheffield and Barnsley with Victorian parks, woodland walks, nature reserves and the 18th century follies around Wentworth. Indoor spots work all year, while the parks, gardens and walks are at their best from spring to autumn.
Highlights
Bilham Belvederei
Bitholmes Woodi
Coalpit Woodi
Dyscarr Wood Nature Reservei
Experience Barnsley Museumi
Best for rainy days
See more ›On a wet day head for Sheffield's free museums: Weston Park Museum covers archaeology, natural history and art, and the Millennium Gallery holds the city's metalwork collection and the Ruskin Collection. In Barnsley, Experience Barnsley inside the Town Hall tells the town's story and is free to enter.
Experience Barnsley MuseumThe story of Barnsley told through objects and memories.✓ FreeMillennium GallerySheffield's metalwork collection and the Ruskin Collection.Free entry · paid extras
Sheffield CathedralSheffield's oldest building still in daily use, mixing medieval and 20th-century architecture.✓ Free · donations welcome
Weston Park MuseumSheffield's museum of everything, set in a lovely park.✓ Free
Abbeydale Industrial HamletA museum or gallery near Whirlow.Free entry · paid extras
Best for families
See more ›Weston Park Museum is a firm favourite with families and sits in its own park, and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet has a timber-framed play area as well as free entry. Locke Park in Barnsley has a children's play area, and Cannon Hall Country Park gives kids plenty of space to run about.
Locke ParkVictorian park with a landmark tower and big views.✓ Free
Millennium GallerySheffield's metalwork collection and the Ruskin Collection.Free entry · paid extrasSheffield Botanical Gardens19 acres of gardens and historic Victorian glass pavilions.✓ Free
Sheffield CathedralSheffield's oldest building still in daily use, mixing medieval and 20th-century architecture.✓ Free · donations welcomeWeston Park MuseumSheffield's museum of everything, set in a lovely park.✓ FreeBest for walks and views
See more ›Sheffield Botanical Gardens are free to wander, with restored Victorian glass pavilions to duck into. For longer walks, follow the public footpaths around Wentworth to Hoober Stand and the Needle's Eye, or explore nature reserves such as Blackburn Meadows and Carlton Marsh.
Coalpit WoodWoodland walks in Jordanthorpe.✓ FreeDyscarr Wood Nature ReserveWoodland walks in Letwell.✓ FreeMelton WoodWoodland walks in High Melton.✓ Free
Barnsley Main Nature ReserveA nature reserve to explore on foot near Kendray.✓ Free
Bilham Sand Pits SSSIA nature reserve to explore on foot near Hooton Pagnell.✓ Free
Best for history
See more ›Bishop's House in Meersbrook Park is the best preserved timber-framed house in Sheffield and is usually open free at weekends. Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet shows Sheffield's working past, and the Wentworth follies, including Hoober Stand (built in the 1740s) and Keppel's Column, are fine to see from the outside.
Doncaster MinsterGeorge Gilbert Scott's grand Victorian minster, built 1854 to 1858 after a fire.✓ FreeHoober StandA folly or tower to walk up to in Wentworth.✓ Free
Keppel's ColumnA folly or tower to walk up to in Thorpe Common.✓ Free
Needle’s EyeA folly or tower to walk up to in Wentworth.✓ Free
Sheffield CathedralSheffield's oldest building still in daily use, mixing medieval and 20th-century architecture.✓ Free · donations welcomeAll free places in South Yorkshire
See them all on the map ›
Abbeydale LocomotivesPublic art to spot on a walk in Beauchief.✓ Free
Abbeyfield ParkA public park and green space near Pitsmoor.✓ Free
Allen the PeregrinePublic art to spot on a walk in Sheffield.✓ Free
Aston ParkA public park and green space near Aston.✓ Free
Barker's ParkA public park and green space near Kimberworth.✓ Free
Bear statuePublic art to spot on a walk in Broomhill.✓ Free
Bingham ParkA public park and green space near Greystones.✓ Free
Bishop's HouseA museum or gallery near Meersbrook.Free entry · paid extras
Bittern HideA bird hide for free wildlife watching in Brampton.✓ Free
Black BankA public park and green space near Norfolk Park.✓ Free
Blackburn Meadows Nature ReserveA nature reserve to explore on foot near Sheffield.✓ Free
Blake Street Nature ParkA public park and green space near Upperthorpe.✓ Free
Bolton Brickyard PondsA public park and green space near Bolton upon Dearne.✓ Free
Boston ParkA public park and green space near Canklow.✓ Free
Boy and the BirdPublic art to spot on a walk in Pitsmoor.✓ Free
Bradgate BrickworksA nature reserve to explore on foot near Masbrough.✓ Free
Bramley GrangeA historic site to explore near Bramley.✓ Free
Bretton Country ParkA public park and green space near West Bretton.✓ Free
Bretton Lakes Nature Reserve (Lower Lake)A nature reserve to explore on foot near High Hoyland.✓ Free
Brookfields ParkA public park and green space near Rotherham.✓ Free
Broomhill ParkA public park and green space near Barnsley.✓ Free
Bunting's Wood LNRA nature reserve to explore on foot near Stainforth.✓ Free
Cannon HallA museum or gallery near Cawthorne.Free entry · paid extras
Upcoming free events
Getting there and around
Sheffield station has trains across the north and the Midlands, with Supertram stops right outside, and Doncaster is on the East Coast Main Line with LNER services to London and Edinburgh. Sheffield has eight park and ride sites, including Meadowhall, Halfway and Middlewood, all with free parking and trams into the city. City centre parking is paid. Many of the country parks, woods and follies are easiest by car, and some charge for parking (Cannon Hall does).
Questions people ask about South Yorkshire
What free things are there to do in South Yorkshire?
Free museums include Weston Park Museum, the Millennium Gallery and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet in Sheffield, plus Experience Barnsley and Cannon Hall. Outdoors you have Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Locke Park in Barnsley and the follies around Wentworth.
Are Sheffield's museums free?
Yes. Weston Park Museum, the Millennium Gallery and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet are free to enter, with donations welcome. Bishop's House in Meersbrook Park is also free and usually opens at weekends.
Is Cannon Hall free to visit?
Entry to the Cannon Hall museum, park and gardens is free. Parking is charged, so check the current rates before you go.
Can you go up Locke Park Tower in Barnsley?
Locke Park Tower is a listed observation tower with views from two platforms, and volunteers open it on some days, so check before you visit. The park itself is open daily from dawn to dusk and has a children's play area.