Families 'devastated' as Leeds tourist attraction set to be axed
Families are ‘devastated’ that a Leeds tourist attraction could be shut down for good.
Abbey House Museum, opposite Kirkstall Abbey, in Abbey Road, features a range of exhibitions, a life-size Victorian street experience and a Santa’s Grotto over the festive period.
The museum could be closed due to a cost-cutting initiative by Leeds City Council. The local authority is aiming to save £106.4million in its budget over the 2025/26 financial term in a bid to a support the rising costs of social care services. Axing Abbey House Museum would save the council £160,000 a year.
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Grandma Laura Higgott, 56, is desperate for the museum to remain open, stating how ‘devastated’ her young family are over the news of its potential closure. Laura, whose grandchildren are aged one, two, four, and eight, has explained that taking them out to Abbey House Museum is one of the highlights of the festive period.
Laura said: “There’s lots of museums in Leeds but nothing like this, there’s not a Victorian a street scene. It’s one of our favourite museums in Leeds.
“We will be absolutely devastated as we’ve been going for years and years. I’ve got my granddaughter sat next to me now crying at the thought she’s not going to go there next year.”
Laura works as a children’s nurse at Leeds General and says she often recommends it to the families at the hospital and they really enjoy it – but a comment often made is they’d never heard of it. Laura said: “Surely it makes sense to promote it more? It’s under promoted, more than anything.”
Leeds City Council explained why the museum future is uncertain. The local authority noted its diminishing attendance and negative projection for 2025.
A council spokesperson said: “As part of a series of wide-ranging proposals being explored across the authority to help us meet unprecedented budget challenges, Leeds City Council will be consulting on the potential closure of Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall.
“We absolutely recognise that this will come as disappointing news to anyone who has visited the site over the years, but unfortunately these proposals are an unavoidable consequence of what has become an increasingly unsustainable financial situation.”
The council added that since the pandemic, visitor numbers at Abbey House have been steadily declining, with “less than 40,000 visitors” attending in 2023 and 2024. The council believe the visitor number could drop by a further 20 per cent during 2025.
The council spokesperson went on: “Closing Abbey House Museum to the public will save the Council £160,000 a year. Budget pressures, combined with rising costs make any investment in the site increasingly difficult.
“In light of this and the immense challenges facing the council, we have been given little choice but to look at the long term viability of the museum as a council-run visitor attraction.”
The council has stressed that no final decision has yet been made. Leeds Live understands the topic will be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday, December 11.
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