Things to do in  Coventry

Celebrating local and international aviation history, Coventry’s Midland Air Museum is located in a hangar beside the small Coventry Airport. Visitors can see dozens of historic aircraft, from jets to helicopters. Families and anyone interested in aviation or military history will enjoy visiting.

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre is a performing arts venue and charitable trust that produces a range of musical theater, drama, and community workshops. Much of Coventry was destroyed during World War II, and the theatre was built in the 1950s, during the city’s reconstruction. It’s a Grade II Listed Building, so it’s worth passing even if you can’t catch a show.

The 227-acre (92-hectare) Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve is a natural wetland with a number of bird and animal-watching hides, as well as hiking trails. You can spot kingfishers, foxes, otters, and muntjac deer here, among other wildlife. The reserve’s visitor center also offers fun activities for kids, such as education and sensory gardens and drawing sheets.

This sprawling park is home to gardens, lakeside paths, playgrounds, and bird-watching sites, and is especially popular for kid-friendly activities, hosted year-round, along with markets and other seasonal events. The 12th-century Coombe Abbey at the heart of the park is now a 5-star hotel.

While much of Coventry was destroyed by Nazi bombings in World War II, historic Spon Street remains as a reminder of the city’s centuries of history. Here you’ll find a concentration of timber-framed medieval and Tudor buildings that house a variety of independent shops, restaurants, pubs, historic workshops, and niche museums.

One of the few old buildings in central Coventry to have survived the Nazi air raids of 1940, St. Mary’s Guildhall is a 14th-century heritage-listed building that contains some important artifacts. Visitors can admire the stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, 16th-century Coventry Tapestry, 19th-century Lady Godiva statue, and a collection of historic royal portraits.

Among Coventry's best-known landmarks, Coventry Cathedral is a fine mix of old and new architecture. While much of the original medieval cathedral was destroyed by Nazi bombs during World War II, parts of it remain, along with a New Cathedral that operates as a house of worship to this day.

This volunteer-run music museum focuses largely, but not exclusively, on 2-Tone music, a subgenre of ska that’s associated with Coventry. It's a great place to learn about Coventry's music scene, and about the history of the ska, reggae, and rocksteady genres.

Cars, bikes, and motorcycles are the stars at the Coventry Transport Museum, a central Coventry institution that houses an enormous collection of vintage vehicles. While the museum attracts visitors of all ages, it’s especially engaging for younger guests, with plenty of educational and interactive exhibits for children.

Coventry's Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is an expansive art and history museum that features a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits, interactive workshops, and educational talks. It's a fantastic place to learn about the history of Coventry from the Middle Ages to the modern day.

Towering over Broadgate Square in the heart of Coventry, Self Sacrifice—known more commonly as the Lady Godiva Statue—depicts Lady Godiva on horseback. According to legend, this Anglo-Saxon noblewoman rode naked through the streets of Coventry to persuade her husband, the Earl of Mercia, to reduce heavy taxes on the townsfolk.