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Photo: Benedict Hunjan, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The largest urban glasshouse in Europe, built spectacularly in glass and timber, and home to exotic ferns, trees, cacti and other plants from around the world. Temperatures are kept relatively cool in summer and warm in winter. Lots of benches and a coffee bar inside makes it a pleasant place to sit and read or watch the world go by, particularly if the weather outside is not so nice. In fact, there are few more satisfying experiences to be had anywhere than listening to rain or hail lash the glass while you're warm and dry! There is a visitor information stall in the gardens, space for a pop-up shop and a tourist information centre on nearby Norfolk Row.
Sheffield Winter Garden is a large temperate glasshouse located in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the largest temperate glasshouses to be built in the UK during the last hundred years, and the largest urban glasshouse anywhere in Europe. It is home to more than 2,000 plants from all around the world. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 May 2003.
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A gallery dedicated to arts, craft and design, with two permanent galleries, and one temporary exhibition space. The Metalwork Gallery includes an extensive collection of Sheffield-made cutlery and extravagant metalwork. The Ruskin Gallery was established by John Ruskin in the 19th century, and is a hotchpotch of different artefacts.
A grand 1930s library in Art Deco style with an impressive volume of books.
Shows productions by local amateur dramatics groups. Not accessible to wheelchair users.
Sheffield's municipal art collection, with a good chronological selection from the 16th century to the contemporary era. The British, Flemish and French impressionist sections are particularly impressive. Includes works by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Damien Hirst, L.S. Lowry, Grayson Perry, both Pissarros, Stanley Spencer, JMW Turner and Jan van Goyen. Often has notable travelling exhibitions. The gallery is not especially big, allowing you to see and appreciate everything within two hours. Keep your coat, as some galleries are kept uncomfortably chilly to the extent that blankets are left out for customers to borrow.
The rising and falling fountains and grassed areas make this small piece of open space popular in summer, with many people choosing to eat picnics here. The gardens are also often used for festivals and entertainment. Adjacent is Millennium Square, a rather windy place between modern office blocks (including the city's tallest building, St Paul's Tower) and with several large restaurants. The steel balls on the square have been chosen to represent Sheffield's industry.
The hub of Sheffield's local government - you can't go inside, but it's worth walking all the way around to admire the Victorian municipal architecture. Of note is the magnificent clock tower upon which the Roman god of metalworking Vulcan poses, and the many stone friezes depicting the city's industries. As you walk, don't miss the Sheffield Legends walk of fame - with plaques for actors Sean Bean and Michael Palin, Olympic athletes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Seb Coe, astronaut Helen Sharman and musicians Def Leppard and Joe Cocker, among others. You will also spot a green and white police box dating from 1928, which is still in use as a public information point.