Leicester Guildhall

The Grade I listed, timber-framed Guildhall has been at the centre of Leicester history for 630 years. Over the years it has been used as a court, town hall, venue for Shakespeare, prison, and now a museum and venue. Believed to be one of the ‘Most Haunted’ places in Leicester, uncover its ghostly stories.

Leicester is privileged to have one of the best-preserved timber framed halls in the country dating back 600 years 

The History of Leicester Guildhall

Leicester Guildhall is a historic building and the oldest building still in use in the city. It was Leicester’s first police station and between 1876 and the 1900’s and saw many unsavoury characters pass through its doors.

The Great Hall itself was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi (a small but powerful group of businessmen and gentry) and it’s also believed that Shakespeare performed here during Tudor times. Over the years it has had many uses, including housing one of the oldest public libraries and serving as the Town Hall. After restoration, the Guildhall was opened to the public as a museum in 1926.

The Guildhall Ghosts

Leicester’s Guildhall is known as the cities most haunted building having appeared in various television programmes, such as the well-known television show ‘Most Haunted’. There are known to be five ghosts in residence, including the mysterious white lady who makes her presence felt in the library. Although there are some that believe it’s not a white lady but a monk dressed in grey, which might be explained by the fact that there used to be the Old Grey Friars Monastery only 300 yards from the Guildhall.

There have also been sightings of a phantom dog and black cat ghost which have been seen in the courtyard and the Great Hall respectively.

If you dare, why not book yourself onto one of the haunted evenings held at the Guildhall, where you might just get up close and personal with a ghost!

Leicester Guildhall Today

Today, Leicester Guildhall is best known as an excellent performance venue, attracting acts from across the country. It’s also known as a museum where visitors can step back in time and come face to face with Crankie Gemmie and Emma Smith, two of Leicester's notorious pick-pockets who can be found lurking in the Victorian police cells. The museum is also home to the Medieval Leicester galleries. Through objects and activities, visitors can walk the streets of medieval Leicester and uncover a world both familiar and very different to our own!

Leicester Guildhall is available for private hire and is a historic and atmospheric venue for weddings, civil ceremonies, renewing wedding vows and naming ceremonies.