15 Best Things To Do In Luton, UK

1. Wardown Park Museum

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

One of the top places to visit in Luton is definitely the Wardown Park Museum. Located on the beautiful grounds of Wardown Park, this museum lets visitors experience how a typical Victorian-era family lives. What was once the home of the Scargill family and a World War I military hospital, this historical structure is now a museum that houses a wide array of historical artifacts that tell the story of the house, the people who have lived there, and the stories of Luton people in the last centuries.

Aside from history, visitors will also get to see some amazing works of art made by contemporary and past local artists. After exploring the museum and art gallery, guests can enjoy an authentic English afternoon tea at the Dining Room café.

Wardown Park Museum

Address: Old Bedford Rd, Luton LU2 7HA, United Kingdom

Website: Wardown Park Museum

Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11am - 5pm (closed on Fri & Sat)

Price: Free

2. Mossman Collection

If you’re thinking about what to do in Luton, check this out. Mossman Collection is an interesting museum at Stockwood Park in Luton that features a wide array of horse-drawn carriages. The museum is named after its founder, George Mossman, who used to be a local butcher, a businessman, a farmer, and a carriage driver for London’s Lord Mayor’s Show. He also provided some carriages and drivers for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation procession in 1953.

Initially, the museum only houses Mossman’s personal carriage collection. The collection, however, grew to more than 63 carriages when the Luton Museum Services donated more. Some of the exhibits here include carriages from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

Mossman Collection

Address: Bedfordshire, Stockwood Park, Luton LU1 4BH, United Kingdom

Opening hours: 24 Hours

3. Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

As the name suggests, Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden is a beautifully landscaped garden within the walls of Luton Hoo Estate, one of the top Luton attractions. The garden was built in the late 1760s and was designed by known landscape architect and gardener, Capability Brown. Although the walled garden has seen several changes throughout the decades when it went through different owners and management, it still features its elegant Victorian and Edwardian landscaping designs.

Today, the garden features fiv5e acres (2.02 hectares) of beautifully designed land with various plants, flowers, and trees that are surrounded by its original 18th-century octagonal walls. It is now managed by a team of conservation and restoration team of gardeners, researchers, and historians.

Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden

Address: Farm Rd, Luton LU1 3TQ, United Kingdom

Website: Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm (closed on Sat & Sun)

4. Hat Factory Arts Centre

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The Hat Factory Arts Centre is your go-to destination in Luton if ever you want to explore this beautiful town’s arts and culture scene. This popular performance arts center offers a variety of shows that highlights not just the town’s talents but performers from other parts of the country as well. Some of the programs featured here include live music performances, dramas, musicals, classical and contemporary dances, art films, and even workshops.

You can enjoy sumptuous meals and drinks at the Hat Factory Café. There’s also a small club within the premises that features smaller gigs and comedy shows while serving some tasty bites and refreshing drinks.

Hat Factory Arts Centre

Address: 65, 67 Bute St, Luton LU1 2EY, United Kingdom

Website: Hat Factory Arts Centre

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11am - 4pm (closed on Sat & Sun)

5. Cineworld Luton

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Cineworld Luton is your best option if you’re looking to watch the latest international flicks while in Luton. From blockbuster Hollywood films to local hits, Cineworld Luton offers high-quality images both in 2D and 3D formats as well as top-notch sound to ensure a great viewing experience. It’s not just about the high-end picture and audio quality, though, as the place features cozy seats and a concessionaire that offers tasty bites and refreshing drinks, for a completely wonderful cinematic experience.

Cineworld Luton

Address: The White House, Bridge St, Luton LU1 2NB, United Kingdom

Website: Cineworld Luton

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 11:30pm; Sat - Sun: 9:30am - 11:30pm

6. Barton Hills National Nature Reserve

The first on the list is Barton Hills National Nature Reserve, situated near Barton-le-Clay, approximately 5.5 miles (8.8 km) north of Luton. This natural haven provides ample hiking opportunities across its vast 291.5 acres (118 hectares)! This place has lush greenery, fauna, particularly the rare pasque flower, and great photography spots! Home to natural springs that you can drink from, and some beautiful horses, it is best to come in spring and summer, as everything is in bloom. On a clear, sunny day, you’ll be able to get stunning views across Bedfordshire! The parking can be tricky, but you should be able to find free parking close by.

Barton Hills

Address: Barton le Clay SG5 3JN

Website: Barton Hills

7. Wrest Park

A perfect place for dog walkers and families with small children, Wrest Park covers 92 acres (37 hectares) in the Bedfordshire countryside and is run by English Heritage, as the country estate encompasses the gorgeous Grade I listed building at its centre. With plenty of wildlife to interact with and photograph, the gardens are a beautifully maintained haven that you can spend the whole day exploring, with its various pathways, and burn off some energy! The house itself is beautiful, and puts on various events such as live re-enactments, crafting fairs, storytelling, food fairs, and house tours, having something for everyone!

Wrest Park

Address: Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire MK45 4HR

Prices: 10.40 GBP (13 USD) and 6.20 GBP (8 USD) for children under 15

Opening hours: Mon to Sun: 10 am to 6 pm

Website: Wrest Park

8. Wardown Park

Seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Luton’s parks, Wardown Park is a spectacular park and one of Luton’s famous places, with its lush greens, boating lake, and fountains. It also has an interesting history, with a rare combination of Victorian and Edwardian features; it has been listed as a Grade II Historic Park under the English Registry. Not only is the scenery stunning, but it has its own museum and library that you can go to, plus a wonderful cafe to relax while the kids take advantage of the well-maintained play area! Completely free to enter and open all day, you can easily spend a day out at this gorgeous and historic park!

Wardown Park

Address: Luton LU2 7HA

Opening hours: 24 hours

Website: Wardown Park

9. Stockwood Park

Once a stately home (1740- 1964), this beautiful period garden today is a fascinating park open to public use. It was once a walled vegetable garden and has been strikingly transformed into a lush green paradise. This entire space is occupied by the Victorian garden, a knot garden and also a mesmerising cottage garden. The landscape has been tastefully done by Ian Hamilton and it consists of a sculpture which makes it the main attraction in Stockwood Park. He has also designed an Improvement Garden which is a classic beauty with sculptures as its integral part.

Stockwood Park

Address: London Rd, Luton LU1 4LX

Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 7 am - 7 pm

Website: Stockwood Park

10. Shaw's Corner

The home belongs to the famous George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright, political activist, and one of the first writers to ever use satirical humour to challenge the inequalities and injustice in society. By the end of his life, he had written nearly 60 plays and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926. He was said to have been the most photographed man in the world during his lifetime from 1856-1950. Now protected under the National Trust, you can come and explore his beautiful Hertfordshire house at an affordable rate. Almost perfectly preserved, you can see what it was like to live in the early 20th century, with the added decoration of priceless artefacts!

Shaw's Corner

Address: Bibbs Hall Ln, Ayot St Lawrence, Welwyn AL6 9BX

Prices: 7.75 GBP(10 USD) for adults and 3.85 GBP(5 USD) for children

Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm

Website: Shaw’s Corner

11. Luton Library Theatre

Originally opened in 1962 as a lecture theatre, it gradually changed into a performance theatre. Known for being a small, intimate theatre, it has provided an amazing range of high-quality performances, from small amateur groups to nationally famous companies! Under-going a major refurbishment in 2009, the Luton Library Theatre now has more modern seating, improvements to the front and an entirely new cafe! Showcasing traditional plays like The Tempest by William Shakespeare, to unique performances like ‘The Wind in the Willows: A Folk Opera’, it has something for everyone and has constantly impressed visitors with its amazing shows!

Luton Library Theatre

Address: Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton LU1 2NG

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11 am - 6 pm

Website: Luton Library Theatre

12. Someries Castle

This Scheduled Ancient Monument is situated near Luton and was built in the 15th century. Apparently its creator, Sir John Wenlock, still haunts the ruins of Someries Castle to this day. What makes Someries Castle special is that it is regarded as one of the first brick houses in England! After setting up an appointment to see this ancient (and possibly haunted) castle, you can easily catch a train from Luton, as there is restricted park, and only partially wheelchair accessible as you have to walk down a farm track to reach it. The extra effort is worth it to see the inside of this spooky abode!

Someries Castle

Address: Someries, 81 Someries Cottages, Someries, Luton LU2 9PL

Opening hours: Open through appointment bookings

Website: Someries Castle

13. St. Mary's Church

Although it has been restored and refurbished many times over the centuries, St. Mary’s Church is over 850 years old and is considered one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in England! Other parts of the church have been added later, such as the bell tower being added at the beginning of the 20th century. Many visitors have praised it for its beautiful stonework and warm and friendly atmosphere. The church does not have any official opening hours, but a look on their website will show you what days it is available to enter.

St.Mary's Church

Address: Church Office, Church St, Luton LU1 3JF

Website: St.Mary’s Church

14. Woodside Animal Farm

Woodside Animal Farm is one of the best attractions for young kids in Luton. Coming here you can interact with a wide range of animals, such as owls, pigs, lizards and monkeys! If you go onto their website you can even see cute little biographies of some of their most popular furry residents! They also sport a nice cafe and a farm shop, where you can go and buy fresh eggs straight from the chicken coop, handmade jams and chutney, cakes and biscuits! An amazing day out here will only set you back. Don’t miss out on the fun play areas, the lovely gardens and best of them all, the cute animals!

Woodside Animal Farm

Address: Woodside Rd, Slip End, Luton LU1 4DG

Prices: 7 GBP (USD 9) for adults and children over 2

Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 9 am - 5:30 pm (high season), 9 am - 5:00 pm (low season)

Website: Woodside Animal Farm

15. Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

The Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is one of the more unique sites on this list. Although it may not look like it from ground level, the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral was designed in such a way as to resemble a medieval cathedral. The idea was formed by a WW1 veteran, Edmund Blythe, who wanted to commemorate the friends he lost in the war. Inspired by the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in the 1930s, Blythe said he looked at the light coming through the trees on his drive him, and the image of the Tree Cathedral formed in his mind. Although delayed by the Second World War, the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral has been beautifully maintained since the 1950s and many find it a unique experience!

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

Address: Sallowsprings, Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2LQ

Opening hours: October - January: 9 am - 4 pm, March - October: 9 am - 7pm

Website: Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

The English countryside

Luton is the perfect place for a quiet weekend away, if you’re the kind to unwind with a nice stroll through the beautiful gardens, admiring the architecture of the past, or seeing what its like to live on the other side, then Luton will hold a special place in your heart. Although many people find their fun in loud concerts, or packed cities, the astounding beauty of the natural world can also have a profound effect on your well-being. You’ll come away from this holiday feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world!