Derby Market Hall

What it’s like

A food hall with a free miniature railway ride, a giant doodle wall and live entertainment thrown in for good measure.

The big draw for kids here is the free miniature railway, a 5-inch gauge train that actually runs, plus a giant collaborative "Doodle Train" they can scribble on without anyone telling them off. There are free railway activity sheets too if you need five minutes of colouring peace while the grown-ups decide what to eat, and a little library corner with a book swap for the quieter moments.

This is really a food hall first, market second, so the rhythm of a visit is: let the kids loose on the train and the doodle wall, then work your way round street food traders doing everything from Caribbean to South American to French-African. Nobody needs a table booked, you just turn up and order in person, and food's served all day so it flexes around nap times and fussy eating windows alike. There's an on-site distillery and several bars too, which tells you this stretches into an evening-out venue as much as a daytime one.

Opening hours shift a fair bit through the week, running to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays but a shorter 8am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so it's worth matching your visit to the right day if you want the later, livelier atmosphere or the calmer morning one. Access is genuinely good: step-free throughout, disabled toilets on both floors, a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor and baby changing facilities.

Live music, DJs and events like a wrestling show pop up regularly, which is more a bonus for older kids and adults than something to plan a toddler's morning around. Over Christmas and New Year the hours change again, with full closures on the 25th, 26th, 29th December and 1st, 2nd January, so that's one to note if you're relying on it over the holidays.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Good for younger kids drawn to the train ride, with plenty for adults too

Food

Street food traders offering international cuisine including British, Caribbean, South Asian, French-African, South American

Dogs

Must remain on a lead, under control and accompanied at all times

• The miniature railway and doodle wall are both free, only food and drink cost anything
• Opening hours change a lot by day, Tuesdays and Wednesdays shut at 3pm while Fridays and Saturdays run to 10pm
• Christmas and New Year hours are different, with closures on 25, 26, 29 December and 1, 2 January
• Dogs need to stay on a lead throughout

Plan your visit

See all Circus & Street Performance in Derby · Things to do in Derby