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Crowne Plaza Chester

Explore Chester

Discover Chester with attractions like the award-winning Chester Zoo, exciting Chester Racecourse, and iconic Roman Amphitheatre. Enjoy shopping, gardens, and unique museums nearby

Things To Do

Things To Do

Chester Zoo

Upton by Chester, Chester, Cheshire CH2 1LH

More than 21,000 endangered and rare animals may be found at Chester Zoo, which is housed amid gorgeous, award-winning gardens. You're guaranteed to have an adventure exploring and learning about magnificent animals and gardens with 500 different animal species on 125 acres. The outstanding houses and enclosures have been created to offer both an amazing up-close experience and the finest possible animal well-being.

Chester Racecourse

Watergate Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2LY

Experience the excitement of watching professional racing while savouring exceptional cuisine and drinks in a variety of settings and enclosures. They have something for you whether you want to mark a special occasion or have a blast over the weekend. Mix and mingle with the fashionable crowd while having a memorable day with loved ones. The racecourse is within a five-minute walk from the hotel, and there are a dozen race meetings each year. Check the date & time of the race meetings.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL

The renowned Jodrell Bank site, which is home to the Lovell Telescope, is a thrilling day trip destination. The Discovery Centre's exhibitions, interactive displays, and galleries will help you understand how it works and what it is looking for. Seeing the nearly 90-meter-high radio telescope up close and in action is an amazing experience. A 35-acre garden and arboretum with picnic spaces, a playground, and a galactic garden are also available at Jodrell Bank.

Lady Lever Art Gallery

Port Sunlight Village, Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 5EQ

The Lady Lever Art Gallery, one of the best in all of Europe, is located in the charming Wirral community of Port Sunlight. Its Wedgwood jasperware collection is among the finest worldwide, and its Pre-Raphaelite painting collection, which includes pieces by Millais, Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and Holman Hunt, is well-known on a global scale. Younger visitors will adore the Activity Rooms, a hands-on area where they can get creative and have fun dressing up.

Grosvenor Shopping Centre

Suite 7 Second Floor, Pepper House, Pepper Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1DE

With the Grosvenor Shopping Centre inside the City's Roman Walls and only a 2-minute walk from the River Dee and all of Chester's tourist attractions, you can turn your shopping journey into a genuine leisure activity. There are some of the top stores in the area here to meet all of your shopping needs, whether they be for jewellery, food, health and beauty products, clothing, or home goods.

Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet

Kinsey Road, Ellesmere Port, Merseyside CH65 9JJ

Where can fashion fans in the North West satisfy their designer cravings? Cheshire Oaks is home to the largest outlet malls in the UK, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet. Enjoy 145 luxury and high-street brands, including must-have British brands such as Burberry, Superdry, and All Saints, all at discounts of up to 60% and with the option of tax-free purchasing. Every local consumer who cares about style has it in their address book.

Ness Botanic Gardens

Neston Road, Neston, South Wirral CH64 4AY

Ness is situated on the Wirral and offers stunning views of North Wales across the River Dee. Arthur Kilpin Bulley was the man behind their initial creation. He had a deep love for plants, especially the new species coming from China, Tibet, and Nepal to be grown in gardens in Europe. Regardless of the season, Ness Botanic Gardens now has something to offer visitors of all ages. They provide a family-friendly events schedule that includes activities like stargazing, hiking, and crafts.

River Dee

The river runs through Wales and Chester for 70 kilometres. The 'Groves', a paved promenade featuring a bandstand, cafés, restaurants, and public houses, is located on the bank of the river. You can either move forward by walking along the riverbank or by using a motorboat, a rowing boat, or a pedalo. As not all locations are open year-round, operating hours should be confirmed.

Roman Amphitheatre - Chester

Vicars Lane, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2BN

The largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain is utilised by the 20th Legion, which is located in the castle of "Deva" (Chester), for both entertainment and military training. Two successive stone-built amphitheatres with wooden seats were discovered during excavations in 2004–2005. One contained a tiny shrine close to its north entrance and had stairs on the back wall that led to upper tiers of seating, similar to Pompeii. The other included stairways with vaults that led to seats.

Grosvenor Museum

27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, CH1 2DD

Interesting exhibits on Chester's Roman past, in particular the military occupation. Period home featuring spaces from the 17th through the 1920s. Investigate the geology and natural history of the region. Discover the city's significant role in the history of English silver while admiring the beauty of the arts. The Grosvenor Museum offers something for everyone thanks to its constantly evolving schedule of special exhibitions and events. Open 10.30 to 5 every day except Sunday from 1 to 4.

Blue Planet Aquarium

Cheshire Oaks, Cheshire, Merseyside CH65 9LF

At the Blue Planet Aquarium, go up close to the awesome sharks and watch genuine scuba divers in the daily feed performances in the Aqua theatre. The Blue Planet Aquarium, which has one of the best collections of sharks, fish, frogs, and otters, is a must-see family outing. At their magnificent Aqua theatre window, observe the dive team feeding the fish in front of the sharks. From the 70m-long underwater tunnel, get a close-up glimpse of the black and white tip sharks in the Coral Reef.

City Sightseeing Chester City Tour

The City Sightseeing Chester Tour will expose you to Chester, one of Britain's most archaeologically prosperous cities, full of architectural treasures, including the city walls, the cathedral, the Roman amphitheatre, and other things to do in the city. The bus uses the Grosvenor and Old Dee Bridges to cross the River Dee. The Groves along the river provide an excellent opportunity to benefit from a river cruise.

Chester Cathedral

12 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2HU

For many people, Chester Cathedral is a variety of things: a thriving place of worship, an old abbey, an archaeological find, a focus on culture, a place of musical excellence, and a unique fusion of modern and medieval history. The Cathedral welcomes donations, but entry is free. Please be aware that services like tower tours and falconry will have a fee.

Go Ape! Delamere Forest

Delamere Forest Park, Linmere, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 2JD

Go Ape is the top forest adventure in the UK. Outdoor adventure activities that have won awards for the entire family. Families and friends of all ages may let their inner ape loose on the Tree Top Adventure and Tree Top Junior, or they can explore the forest floor on our amazing all-terrain Segways, both set amid lovely woodlands. It's an excursion unlike any other.

Tatton Park

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA166QN

When Maurice, the fourth and final Baron Egerton of Tatton, passed away in 1958, he gave Tatton Park to the National Trust. Tatton Park holds over 100 events each year, including the prestigious RHS Flower Show, Foodies Festival, lucrative adult education courses, classic car shows, and family-friendly seasonal activities. Stableyard offers a variety of stores, a fine restaurant specialising in local fresh goods, and the Gardener's Cottage tea room.

Local Tips

Must See

Chester Cathedral is an impressive sight, with its combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. But it's also home to owls, hawks and vultures, and you can see spectacular displays of falconry in the surrounding gardens. The centrepiece of the Eastgate, an 18th-century red-brick archway, is the grand and intricate Eastgate Clock – Chester's own answer to London's Big Ben.

What's New

Only 10 minutes drive from the hotel, the famous Chester Zoo specialises in protecting endangered species like the Black Rhinoceros and Asian Elephant. Its vast butterfly house is home to 30 exotic varieties, as well as giant moths and rare birds. It's a great place for family meals too, with onsite restaurant Manado Street Kitchen serving popular South East Asian dishes such as Pad Thai.

Tips

Walking the 2-mile circuit of Chester's city walls is a pleasant way to get your bearings. The walls date back to Roman times – like the city's ancient amphitheatre – and from their walkway you can see Chester's other historic structures, from medieval turrets to timber-framed Tudor houses. The neoclassical fortress of Chester Castle is now home to the Chester Military Museum.

Must Do

Chester's oldest traditional taverns have been serving ales for centuries in white-washed Tudor buildings. You can take your pint outside to a beer garden on a sunny summer day or enjoy the cosy atmosphere beside a roaring fireplace in winter. After a pint and hearty pub lunch, Grosvenor Park promises fresh air in tranquil surroundings. The park's Grosvenor Museum has displays of Roman artefacts.

Don't Go Home Without

Crowne Plaza® Chester hotel is less than 10 minutes' walk from the famous Chester Racecourse, a major UK horse-racing venue. Races are held between May and September, and well-dressed fans come from all over the country for major dates such as Boodles Ladies Day. Even if you're not watching the race you can get swept up in the atmosphere at one of the busy pubs nearby.