4 Best Sights in Leeds, Yorkshire

A 45-minute drive south from Leeds to Rotherham brings Yorkshire's industrial past into focus at this widely respected science museum housed in a former steelworks. Smoke, flames, and sparking electricity bring one of the original six arc furnaces roaring to life in a sound-and-light show. Four pavilions—one each devoted to fire, earth, air, and water—use interactive exhibits to illustrate the role of elements in science and technology. In summer, there's an outdoor adventure playground and an outdoor water park (both science-themed).

Occupying a redeveloped 13-acre dockland site 15 minutes from the city center, this state-of-the-art museum houses armaments in a collection that was begun during the reign of Elizabeth I, when select objects were displayed at the Tower of London. Four themed galleries (War, Tournament, Self-Defense, and Asian and African) trace the history of weaponry from around the world through some 4,500 objects. See Indian elephant battle armor (said to be the largest animal armor on display in the world), models of warriors on horseback, Henry VIII's suit of armor, and floor-to-ceiling tents. See daily spirited demonstrations of hand-to-hand combat, shoot a crossbow (extra charge), direct operations on a battlefield, or experience an Elizabethan joust (around Easter and the end of August).

A grand country estate in the middle of a city, this huge Elizabethan and Jacobean building—built around 1500 and remodeled in the 16th and 17th centuries––was at one point the family home and birthplace of Lord Darnley (1545–67), the notorious husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. It contains one of Britain's most important collections of fine and decorative arts, including furniture, paintings, and ceramics. Surrounding the house are 1,500 acres of parkland, lakes, gardens, miles of woodland walks, as well as a working rare breeds farm, where kids can enjoy a petting zoo. The park and gardens were created by noted 18th-century landscape designer, Capability Brown. Temple Newsam is 4 miles east of Leeds on A63; Bus 10 runs directly from Leeds Central Bus station from Easter to mid-September.

Even the squeamish won't balk at the exhibits in this museum devoted to presenting social and medical history in a kid-friendly way. Educational but entertaining interactive displays take you back to the disease-ridden Leeds slums of the 1840s, reveal the realities of surgery without anesthetics, and explore the history of childbirth. The museum is popular with school groups on field trips. It's a mile east of the city center and accessible by Buses 16, 42, 49, and 50.