Chester Things To Do – Attractions & Must See

Chester Things To Do

Chester is a lively city that is bustling with activity and history. There is plenty for history buffs to be excited about and several family friendly activities within the city. We have outlined just a few of the top attractions to see while visiting Chester.

Chester Cathedral

The cathedral has been in use since the 10th century. Originally, its roots go back to an Anglo Saxon minister who dedicated the building to the 7th century St. Werburgh. The cathedral has seen changes since then with the Norman takeover, but still functions as an active church today. Within the cathedral, there are several smaller chapels and private quiet space to enjoy. Recently, a falconry garden was added to the cathedral. Here, visitors have the opportunity to see and even hold birds of prey. The falconry garden provides a fresh view of greenery in such a busy city.

Roman Amphitheatre

The amphitheatre is the largest Roman construction in Chester but was only recently discovered. Unearthed by accident in 1929, the amphitheatre would have had walls that were 33 feet high and nearly 100 yards long. In its prime, the amphitheatre could hold about 7,000 people. Today, visitors are only able to see about half of the Roman structure because newer builds have been constructed on top of half of the ruins. Visitors may enter the amphitheatre for free year round, but the building is open later during the summer months.

Chester Zoo

The zoo opened its doors in 1931 to the public and today has been named as one of the top 15 zoos in the world. The Chester Zoo is one of the largest in Britain and has over 11 acres for visitors to walk through. There are over 9,000 animals and 422 different species of animals. The most popular exhibits include the Asian Elephants, the Red Apes, the Jaguars, and the Cheetah exhibit.

Chester Castle

While little remains of the castle, there are still some ruins for visitors to tour. The Normans originally began construction on the castle in 1070 and continued building throughout the years. Today, the only portion of the castle that still exists is the Agricola Tower which dates to the end of the 12th century. Much of the castle was knocked down between 1788 and 1822 to make room for Shire Hall. The castle has private and group tours which can be booked.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in Chester.