The 14 Very Best Things to Do in Wolverhampton

Looking for things to do in Wolverhampton? The Bumper Crew has it covered! But before we get into the post, let’s address the elephant in the room – Wolverhampton doesn’t have the best reputation, which is a bit sad because the city has a lot to offer. It also doesn’t live up to the reputation that precedes it.

Situated in the West Midlands region, Wolverhampton has a very unique identity. The story of Wolverhampton stretches back to the 10th century when it was first established as a market town. Over the centuries that followed, it grew in size and importance, becoming a major industrial centre during the Industrial Revolution. Back in the day, it was renowned for producing iron, steel, and coal and for its thriving manufacturing industry. You won’t find much of that anymore, but you will find plenty of things to do in Wolverhampton, like heading to the theatre, watching a football match or visiting one of its museums. Read on to discover the very best things to do in Wolverhampton!

Things to Do in Wolverhampton

1 | Visit Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Explore more than 300 years of art in the Wolverhampton Art Gallery in the city centre, just a few metres from the lovely Queen Square. It’s free to enter, which is ace, and it has a little cafe to get your caffeine fix or to enjoy a spot of lunch. The Wolverhampton Art Gallery isn’t huge but has some interesting collections and friendly and helpful staff.

You’ll find all sorts in there, from photography to various artistic movements and styles, including Pre-Raphaelite, Pop Art, and contemporary art and paintings, sculptures, and ceramics dating from the 1700s to today. There are temporary exhibitions with ever-changing collections and permanent galleries featuring work by English portrait and landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough.

📍Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield St, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU

💷 Free

2 | Stroll Around West Park

West Park is a gem in Wolverhampton and a beautiful green space in the urban sprawl. It’s a beautiful and expansive park, covering over 40 acres of land, just a short walk from the city centre. There’s plenty to explore, from the tranquil lake, ornamental gardens, conservatory, bandstand and the path that loops the entire way around.

Throughout the year, West Park hosts various events, from music festivals to funfairs, and you’ll find a Park Run in West Park on Saturday mornings if you like organised runs. There’s also a cafe by the bandstand serving coffee and food, but the park is also the perfect place for a picnic in the sun.

📍West Park, 76 Park Rd W, Wolverhampton, WV1 4PH

💷 Free

3 | Watch a Show at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

If theatre is your thing, the Grand Theatre is a must. It’s an impressive Victorian-era building located in the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw away from the train station. Built in 1894, the theatre is an architectural masterpiece, with its grand façade, ornate interiors, and plush red seating. The Grand Theatre is the perfect place to catch a show, with a packed schedule of plays, musicals, and concerts throughout the year. Whether you’re a theatre buff or just looking for a fun night out, the Grand Theatre is worth visiting. Theatre is more Stacey’s thing than mine (Joel), and she loves the Grand Theatre, having seen a few shows here.

📍Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Lichfield St, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DE

💷 Varies

4 | Visit Wightwick Manor

The first thing you need to know about Wightwick Manor is its pronunciation. It’s pronounced ‘Wit-ick Manor’, not ‘White-wick Manor’ as we thought! Wightwick Manor is a beautiful Victorian manor house in the leafy suburb of Tettenhall, just a short drive from the city centre. Built in the 19th century, the house is a stunning example of Arts and Crafts architecture, with intricate details and beautiful gardens.

The manor has been lovingly preserved by the National Trust, showcasing the lives of the families who lived there and the artistic movements that inspired them. You can explore the house and gardens, admire the intricate stained glass and wallpaper, and learn about the fascinating history of the manor. You can even play a game of billiards in the games room. And interestingly, Wightwick Manor is designed to look older than it is!

📍Wickwight Manor, Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton, WV6 8EE

💷 Paid entry or free with a National Trust membership

5 | Visit Moseley Old Hall

Moseley Old Hall is a beautiful 17th-century manor house just outside Wolverhampton city centre. Now owned by the National Trust, Moseley Old Hall is famous for its connection to the English Civil War and being the hiding place of King Charles II after his defeat in the Battle of Worcester. The Hall isn’t huge, but it’s packed with interest.

Inside, you can explore the beautifully preserved interiors with the insanely wonky floorboards, see where people hid and learn about the interesting history of the house and its role in the Civil War. Although small, the gardens are also a highlight, and there’s a path leading into the orchard where you’ll find a modern version of a tree house to climb. There are also some classic National Trust things, like a cafe and gift shop.

📍Moseley Old Hall, Moseley Old Hall Ln, Featherstone, Wolverhampton, WV10 7HY

💷 Paid entry or free with a National Trust membership

6 | Visit Bantock House and Park

Built in the early 20th century, Bantock House is now open as a museum. Set within 43 acres of parkland and surrounded by delightful formal gardens with beautifully preserved interiors restored to their Edwardian glory, the house showcases the history of the house and the Bantock family who lived there. There’s also a courtyard café serving homemade food, drinks and ice creams, and there’s even free onsite parking available. The house isn’t very and won’t take you very long to get around, but it’s worth a visit. To extend your stay a little, walk around the grounds or head to the cafe; it serves lush cakes and coffee.

📍Bantock House, Finchfield Rd, Wolverhampton, WV3 9LQ

💷 Free

7 | Take a Walk Along the Canal

We love the canal network and have spent many an hour exploring it. And luckily, Wolverhampton has a few to choose from; four, to be precise. We even hired a narrowboat in the Cotswolds to get a taste of what life is like bobbing around the canal network. It was better than we imagined it would be!

The canal network in Britain is remarkable, connecting all sorts of places, including connecting Wolverhampton to Birmingham. The Staffordshire and Worcester Canal is the nicest canal to walk in Wolverhampton, and if you get on it at Compton, you can walk all the way down to Bratch Locks. Amazingly, it connects a few of the things on this list. It pretty much runs in parallel with the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, through the Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve, past the Tettenhall Transport Museum, past Wightwick Manor, to Bratch Locks.

📍Compton Canal Lock, Wolverhampton, WV6 8AA

💷 Free

8 | Walk the South Staffordshire Railway Walk

If you want to escape the city to stretch your legs or dust off the old bike, the South Staffordshire Railway Walk is the place for you. We have an in-depth post with everything you need to know about the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, but in a nutshell, it’s a beautiful walking and cycling route that runs from Wolverhampton to Brierly Hill along an old railway line.

The trail also takes you past a few other things to do in Wolverhampton, such as the Tettenhall Transport Museum, Smestow Valley Nature Reserve and Bratch Locks. There are picnic stops along the way, plus a couple of cafes. It’s a great way to get into nature amidst the urban sprawl of the Midlands.

📍South Staffordshire Railway Walk, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, WV5 9AG

💷 Free

9 | Visit Smestow Valley Nature Reserve

The Smestow Valley Nature Reserve is just a short distance from the city centre and offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Midlands urban sprawl.

The reserve is home to diverse wildlife, including birds, mammals, and insects. You can explore the trails around the reserve, pop onto the canal, or even along the railway walk, taking in the beautiful views of the valley and its inhabitants.
The Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve is the perfect place for you if you’re a nature lover or appreciate the outdoors, with plenty of opportunities for bird watching, photography, wildlife spotting, and enjoying some fresh air.

📍Smestow Valley Nature Reserve, Wolverhampton, WV3 9AY

💷 Free

10 | Watch a Canal Boat Pass Through Bratch Locks

Bratch Locks are a flight of locks on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, just south of Wolverhampton. The locks are a surprisingly popular destination for canal boaters, walkers and randomers alike. Locks tend to be people magnets along the canals because watching a boat pass through them is relatively rare and fascinating to watch. Bratch Locks consist of three consecutive locks, which takes a boat a fair amount of time to get through! You’ll usually find someone from the Canal and River Trust at Bratch Locks, too. So, if you’re interested in the canal network, they’ll have a wealth of information for you.

📍Bratch Locks, Bratch Ln, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, WV5 8DH

💷 Free

11 | Visit Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre

The Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre is a small museum dedicated to Wolverhampton’s history of transport and manufacture. The museum is housed in a beautifully restored depot and features a small but interesting collection of vintage vehicles, aircraft, cockpits (of which you can sit in some), motors and engines, and even gun turrets. It’s definitely a bit of an Alladin’s Cave in there!

The Transport Heritage Centre is free to enter, there is free parking, it’s right by the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve, South Staffordshire Railway Walk, and there’s even a cafe next door! It won’t take you long to get around it, but it’s worth popping in, speaking to the volunteers and checking out the excellent work they do to keep this part of Wolverhampton’s past alive.

📍Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre, Meadow View, Wolverhampton, WV6 8NX

💷 Free

12 | Eat at Medicine Bakery

Medicine Bakery is our favourite bakery and cafe in Wolverhampton. Not only is it located in one of the most remarkable buildings in the city, it also has excellent coffee, an unparalleled selection of fantastic bakery items, and a wicked selection of foods to cater for every appetite, taste and diet, whether you’re a vegan, meat eater or somewhere in-between.

📍Medicine Bakery, The Chubb Buildings, Wolverhampton, WV1 1HT

💷 Varies

13 | Have Bottomless Brunch at The Parisian

There aren’t many notable places to head out in Wolverhampton for cocktails, but The Parisian is one of them. Located on the edge of Queen Square, the French-themed Parisian is the home of a fabulous bottomless brunch. The Parisian is well-designed, too. The facade is a diamond in the city centre, and the interior is atmospheric. And beyond that, the food and cocktails are great. We drank our fair share of prosecco and espresso martinis!

📍The Parisian, 41 Queen Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1TX

💷 Varies

14 | Visit the Molineux Stadium & Museum

Right on the edge of the city centre is a football stadium called the Molineux, which belongs to the Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Molineux has a rich history, having been the home of the Wolves since 1889. It has undergone several renovations over the years, including a major redevelopment in the 1990s that transformed it into the modern stadium it is today, seating over 32,000 people. It’s an interesting, impressive, but not imposing structure in an unusual location, but aside from watching a football match, the Molineux stadium has a few other things on offer. You can take a stadium tour, visit the shop or museum.

📍Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Rd, Wolverhampton, WV1 4QR

💷 Paid entry

Things to Do in Wolverhampton Map

FAQs

Is Wolverhampton worth visiting?

Yes, it is. Wolverhampton is a bit under the tourist radar and doesn’t have the best reputation, but it’s worth a visit. There are plenty of things to do in Wolverhampton, from the theatre to great walks, good access to the countryside and a killer bottomless brunch!

Things to do in Wolverhampton

• Visit Wolverhampton Art Gallery
• Stroll Around West Park
• Watch a Show at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
• Visit Wightwick Manor
• Visit Moseley Old Hall
• Visit Bantock House and Park
• Take a Walk Along the Canal
• Walk the South Staffordshire Railway Walk
• Visit Smestow Valley Nature Reserve
• Watch a Canal Boat Pass Through Bratch Locks
• Visit Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre
• Eat at Medicine Bakery
• Have Bottomless Brunch at The Parisian
• Visit the Molineux Stadium & Museum

If you want to keep up with our travels, please subscribe to our mailing list. We won’t spam you; we’ll only contact you with exciting news and new stuff! Enter your email in the box below and hit subscribe!