Things to Do in Harrogate: Prices and Time to Allow
The best things to do in Harrogate, from Valley Gardens and the Stray to the Turkish Baths, the Royal Pump Room Museum and RHS Garden Harlow Carr, with prices, opening times and how long to allow, plus picks for kids, adults and rainy days.
In short: the best things to do in Harrogate are a walk through Valley Gardens and across The Stray, the spa story at the Royal Pump Room Museum (£4.40), a session at the Turkish Baths Harrogate (from £29) and a day at RHS Garden Harlow Carr (from £13.60 online). The Mercer Art Gallery is free, and Valley Gardens, The Stray and Pinewoods are open spaces with no ticket. Both council venues close on Mondays.
Things to do in Harrogate, from free gardens to a Victorian spa, with prices and opening times checked on each official page on 23 October 2026. The times to allow are our own guide, except for the Turkish Baths and the Ghost Walk, which give theirs. Day trips out of town, such as Knaresborough or Fountains Abbey, are left out.
| Attraction | Area | Price | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Gardens | Low Harrogate | Open park, no ticket | 1 hour or more |
| The Stray | Town Centre | Open park, no ticket | 30 minutes or more |
| Royal Pump Room Museum | Montpellier Quarter | £4.40, child £2.50 | About 1 hour |
| The Mercer Art Gallery | Montpellier Quarter | Free | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Turkish Baths Harrogate | Town Centre | £29 to £39 | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| RHS Garden Harlow Carr | Cold Bath Road | £13.60 to £18.40, child £6 | Half a day |
| Pinewoods | Cold Bath Road | Open woodland | 1 hour |
| Leisure and Wellbeing Hub | Jennyfields | Swim £6, child £4.50 | 1 to 2 hours |
| Harrogate Ghost Walk | Montpellier Quarter | £8, child £5 | 1.5 to 1.75 hours |
What are the best things to do in Harrogate?
Start with the gardens and the spa. Harrogate grew up around its mineral springs, and its best sights are a short walk apart.
Valley Gardens
The town's main park, 17 acres of themed gardens, mineral wells and the Sun Colonnade. It scores 8.5 in our directory.
- ⏰ Open all year, 24 hours a day
- 🛝 Play area, paddling pool, crazy golf, boating pond
- ☕ Ripley Ice-cream & Café
- 📍 Valley Drive, Low Harrogate
The Stray
About 200 acres of open grass that wrap round the centre, protected by its own Act of Parliament. Nothing to book: cross it on foot between the station and Montpellier.
- ⏰ Open 24 hours
- 🎆 Stray Bonfire, Saturday 7 November 2026
- 📍 West Park, Town Centre
Royal Pump Room Museum
The spa town's story, told above what the museum calls the strongest sulphur wells in Europe, with a reimagined Victorian street and the restored 1842 Pump Room.
- 💷 Adults £4.40, children £2.50, family £13
- ⏰ Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 4.30pm
- ♿ Level access throughout
- 📍 Crown Place, Montpellier Quarter
The Mercer Art Gallery
A council gallery with changing exhibitions of historic, modern and contemporary art. It pairs well with the Pump Room nearby.
- 💷 Free; £5 donation suggested
- ⏰ Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 4.30pm
- 📍 31 Swan Road, Montpellier Quarter
What can adults do in Harrogate?
Take the waters the Victorian way, then eat. These are the picks for a grown-up afternoon or evening.
Turkish Baths Harrogate
Three heated rooms, a steam room and a cold plunge pool in Victorian tiled rooms. The best spa afternoon in town, and it scores 8.2 in our directory.
- 💷 Mixed sessions £29 Monday to Thursday, £39 Friday to Sunday
- ⏰ 1.5 to 2 hours per session
- 🔞 16 and over, swimwear compulsory
- 📍 Parliament Street, Town Centre
Good to know: the baths strongly recommend booking ahead. Ladies' sessions run on Tuesday evenings and gentlemen's on Wednesday evenings, both £29. A 45-minute history tour runs on Wednesdays at 8.30am for £4.
Bettys Café Tea Rooms
The tea room where Bettys began. For a proper afternoon tea, book the Imperial Room; more choices are in afternoon tea in Harrogate.
- 🫖 Bookable afternoon tea from £49.95
- ⏰ Sunday to Wednesday 9am to 5pm, Thursday to Saturday 9am to 8.30pm
- 📍 1 Parliament Street, Town Centre
Harrogate Ghost Walk
An evening walk on one of three routes past the theatre, the hotels and the baths. It scores 8.5 in our directory.
- 💷 £8, children under 12 £5
- 📅 Usually the first and last Friday of the month
- ⏰ Meet 8.15pm, start 8.30pm
- 📍 Crown Place, Montpellier Quarter
Good to know: dates vary, so check them on the walk's website. For a show instead, the Royal Hall, Frank Matcham's 1903 theatre, lists its events through the Convention Centre.
What is there to do in Harrogate with kids?
Valley Gardens' play area is the free start. For a full day, go to Harlow Carr; for a wet one, swim.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr
The Royal Horticultural Society's Yorkshire garden: woodland, glasshouses, a kitchen garden, play areas and a Bettys café. It scores 8.4 in our directory.
- 💷 Adults £13.60 to £17.20 online, £18.40 on the day
- 🧒 Children 5 to 16 £6, under 5s free
- ⏰ From 25 October 9.30am to 4pm, last entry 3pm
- 📍 Crag Lane, Cold Bath Road
Good to know: the cheapest adult ticket, £13.60, is for weekdays from October to March booked online, except 26 to 30 October. RHS members go free.
Harrogate Leisure and Wellbeing Hub
The council pool, with a 25-metre pool and diving sessions. Our rainy-day pick for children too young for the baths.
- 💷 Adults £6, juniors £4.50, family swim £17
- 🎈 Inflatable sessions, the only ones to book
- 📍 Jenny Field Drive, Jennyfields
Where are the best woodland walks in Harrogate?
Pinewoods is the one to know: you can walk up to it from Valley Gardens.
Pinewoods
A 96-acre wood above the springs, cared for by a volunteer group since 2002. Many paths are fairly flat, but the low parts get wet in winter.
- 🥾 Walk up from Valley Gardens
- 🧭 Permanent orienteering course
- 🚗 Parking off Crag Lane
- 📍 Nursery Lane, Cold Bath Road
Killinghall Moor Country Park
Twenty-five acres of woodland, heath and grass on the north side of town, popular with wildlife enthusiasts.
- ⏰ Open all year
- 🚗 Free parking, locked each evening
- 📍 Jenny Field Drive, Jennyfields
What can you do in Harrogate this weekend?
Almost everything in this guide opens at weekends, but weekend prices are higher at the baths and Harlow Carr.
- ♨️ Turkish Baths: £39 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- 🌳 Harlow Carr: £15.70 online at weekends, October to March
- 🏛️ Pump Room and Mercer: open Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday
- 👻 Ghost Walk: Friday nights
Good to know: the Stray Bonfire is on Saturday 7 November 2026, and the council's Christmas Fayre is not running this year; see Christmas in Harrogate for what is on instead.
Things to do in Harrogate: questions
What is free to do in Harrogate?
The Mercer Art Gallery has free entry, with an optional £5 donation. Valley Gardens, The Stray and Pinewoods are open public spaces with no ticket.
What can you do in Harrogate when it rains?
The Royal Pump Room Museum (£4.40), the Mercer Art Gallery (free) and the Turkish Baths (from £29, over 16s) are all indoors. With children, swim at the Leisure and Wellbeing Hub for £4.50 a junior.
How much are the Turkish Baths in Harrogate?
Mixed sessions are £29 Monday to Thursday and £39 Friday to Sunday, for 1.5 to 2 hours. Entry is for over 16s and booking is strongly recommended.
How much does it cost to get into Harlow Carr?
Adults pay £13.60 to £17.20 online depending on the date, or £18.40 on the day. Children aged 5 to 16 pay £6 and under 5s go free.