Graves Gallery
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Sheffield
What it’s like
Free art gallery above Sheffield Central Library, good for a quiet browse rather than a run-about.
This one's a gallery in the proper sense, paintings and temporary shows above the Central Library, not a hands-on museum with buttons to press. It suits an older child who can cope with a slower pace and doesn't mind being told not to touch, more than a toddler who needs to move.
Entry is free, though they do ask for donations, £5 is the figure they suggest if you want to give something. There's no charge either way, which makes it an easy one to duck into if you're already in town and have half an hour spare between the Winter Garden and lunch.
The building itself is Grade II listed and it shows. There are three flights of stairs up from the main library to the gallery entrance, though step-free access is available via the Arundel Gate entrance with lift help from the library porters, and wheelchairs can be borrowed if you ring ahead. Food and drink aren't allowed inside, and there's no cloakroom or buggy storage, so if you've got a pushchair you'll want to think about where it goes rather than assume you can wheel it round with you.
Worth knowing before you go: some of the collection is currently closed off because of a heating fault, and the gallery is shutting at the end of October while it moves to an interim home, so this isn't a fixed set-up for the next few years. If a wet Saturday afternoon browse is what you're after, it does the job, but it's not somewhere to fill a whole day with kids in tow.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Britannia car park opposite Crucible Theatre (paid)
- Wheelchairs
- Available to borrow on request
- Getting there by bus or train
- 10-minute walk from train station
- Worth knowing
- Free entry. Donations suggested at £5
- Part of the collection is currently closed due to a heating system fault
- The gallery closes at the end of October for a move to an interim home until 2027
- No baby changing facilities on site
- Bike parking is available if you're cycling in
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, all the Sheffield museums including this one are free. They suggest a £5 donation if you fancy it, but nobody's checking.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays, so don't turn up on a Sunday stroll expecting it to be open.
Is there parking nearby?
Britannia car park opposite the Crucible is the nearest paid option, or Q Park on Charles Street has a 30% discount code. There are blue badge spaces outside the Central Library too, but only for 3 hours.
Can we bring a pushchair in?
There's no buggy storage or cloakroom, so you'll be pushing it round with you or leaving it somewhere else.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
There are three flights of stairs from the main library up to the gallery, but step-free access is available via the Arundel Gate entrance with lift assistance from porters. Wheelchairs can also be borrowed if you email or call ahead.
Can we eat while we're there?
Food or drink is allowed in the gallery itself.
Also on site
Gallery Shop
Onsite shop selling art-related products.
Experiences
Lives in Focus: Photography in Sheffield's Collection
Photography exhibition at the Graves Gallery.
Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement: Queer Legacies in Sheffield's Art Collection
Exhibition exploring Queer art in Sheffield's collection.
Featured in 3 Huddlepin lists
See all Galleries & Exhibitions in Sheffield · Things to do in Sheffield
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