Heritage Open Days Guided Tours
Step into a world where history and ground-breaking discovery collide! On September 13th and 14th, the University of Sheffield throws open its doors for an exclusive journey through our most iconic buildings and captivating museums.
Prepare to be inspired as you explore architectural marvels like Firth Court and the Mappin Building, and delve into the wonders held within the Alfred Denny Museum and the Turner Glass Museum. This is your chance to:
Walk in the footsteps of pioneers: Discover the fascinating stories and unique history that shaped our university.
Witness the past and future of research: From ground-breaking discoveries of yesteryear to the cutting-edge innovations of today.
The tours will be free but you will need to book using the links below.
This year the theme is architecture and we want to open up some of our most architecturally significant buildings with tours that will include:
- Firth Court and the Rotunda
Firth Court is a stunning Edwardian Grade II listed University of Sheffield administrative building and houses the equally impressive Firth Hall.
Tour Dates: 13 and 14 September
Tour Times: 10am, 12pm and 2pm- Mappin Building
The main entrance of the Sir Frederick Mappin Building The Sir Frederick Mappin Building, is a grade II-listed building fronting onto Mappin Street, Sheffield. The building and street are named after Sir Frederick Mappin (1821–1910) who was a Sheffield factory owner and politician who supported the formation of the University of Sheffield and subsequently became the first Pro-Chancellor in 1905.
Tour Dates: 13 and 14 September
Tour Times: 10am, 1pm and 2:30pm- Alfred Denny Museum
Named after the department's first professor of biology, Alfred Denny, the museum was established in 1905 and has been used for undergraduate teaching for more than 100 years. Many of the specimens have been in the museum since the early 1900s when collecting was at its peak.
Tour Dates: 13 and 14 September
Tour Times: 10am, 11am and 12pm- The Turner Glass Museum
Interior of the Turner Museum of Glass William Earnest Stephen Turner was a British chemist and pioneer of scientific glass technology. He established the Department of Glass Manufacture at University College Sheffield in 1915, and founded the Turner Museum of Glass in 1943.
Opening Times: 10am - 4pm (Monday - Friday)
Family Tour Dates: 13 and 14 September
Family Tour Times: 13 September (11am, 2pm and 3:30pm) | 14 September (2pm and 3:30pm)
(Suitable for children aged 10 and above)
Book hereCurator Talk and Tour Dates: 16 and 18 September
Curator Talk and Tour Times: 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Book here(The Turner Museum will be open to the general public for drop-ins Monday to Friday during the festival except for the bookable events mentioned above.)
- Western Bank Library
Western Bank Library is currently hosting the following exhibition: Peter Blundell Jones: Architecture, Landscape and the City.
Peter Blundell Jones (1949-2016) was an architectural historian, who joined the School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield in 1994.
Although predominantly an academic, he also practised as an architect. This exhibition features his life, the buildings he designed, and his research and teaching, including the Sheffield 1900 model: a remarkable 3D scale reconstruction showing the buildings and landscape of the city of Sheffield as it was 125 years ago.
The exhibition is open to the general public for drop-ins throughout the entire summer, no need to book.
Opening Times: 9am - 5pm (Monday - Friday) and 10am - 6pm (Saturday - Sunday)
Curator Talk and Tour: 13 September 10:30am- Sheffield Jewish Heritage Walking Trail
If you are participating in Heritage Open Days in Sheffield this year why not enjoy the Sheffield Jewish Heritage Walking Trail.
The history of the Jewish community in Sheffield goes back to the beginning of the 18th century. It produced a rich and vibrant heritage and culture which had a determining impact on the social, economic and cultural life of the city.
The Sheffield Jewish Heritage Walking Trail, created by Dr Carmen Levick in collaboration with the Sheffield Jewish Community and the Sheffield City Archives, explores locations associated with the community, using stories, images and soundscapes to offer an immersive experience of creative walking.
The app contains information and stories connected with particular locations around central Sheffield. Content is triggered automatically using GPS when you are in the relevant location.
Access the app by searching for 'Jewish Heritage Walking Trail' in the app stores.
You can access the stories separately on the project website https://jewishheritagesheffield.co.uk/.
We have set the times of the tours to enable visitors to attend a building tour and museum tour/talk consecutively at each site if they wish to do so. If you would like to do this, you will still need need to book a ticket for each event as we do not have any combined tickets
To book your place, click here. Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis and will be limited, so please book early.
UPDATE 18 August 2025: Regarding tours of Firth Court and the Rotunda and the Alfred Denny Museum – 13&14 September
Due to unforeseen circumstances some urgent infrastructure work must be carried out to University of Sheffield buildings around Western Bank on the weekend of 13th & 14th September, which will involve shutting off the water supply. This will affect Firth Court and the Alfred Denny Museum but, after liaising with the University’s Estates and Health & Safety staff, we can confirm the tours can still go ahead during that weekend. However, the tours must now be limited to groups of 15 people and will be ticket only.
As there will be no toilet facilities or drinking water in Firth Court or Alfred Denny, we have moved the meeting point for the tours to the ground floor of Western Bank Library, where toilet facilities will be available. Please ensure that you arrive 15 minutes before the planned start of your tour.
Wheelchair users and people with other access requirements: If you have booked/are planning to book a ticket for one of these tours can you please email engage@sheffield.ac.uk to confirm that you are a wheelchair user or have other access requirements so that we can provide additional support staff if necessary.
Please note: The tours of Mappin Building, the Heartspace and the Turner Museum are not affected by this work and we have the facility to accept some walk-ins for these tours and museum talks. The meeting point remains at the Heartspace, please be there 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour.
If you have any issues with booking, please email engage@sheffield.ac.uk for assistance.