Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Old Fire Station

Creative Tourist

Visit now

Old Fire Station

Peter Street, Carlisle, CA3 8QP
01228 938110
Website Facebook X
  • Monday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Tuesday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wednesday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thursday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Friday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Sunday12:00pm - 4:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Visit now
Old Fire Station
Book now

A converted fire station in the City of Carlisle, this venue offers a variety of spaces for live performances, workshops, exhibitions and more, encourage local art and artists and attract international acts.

The building originated in 1901, and was used to house horse-drawn fire engines and equipment. Over time, the station evolved to accommodate modern fire engines and technology, until it was finally decommissioned in 1982. Despite its new role as an arts centre, the venue retains much of its original character and charm, making it a beloved landmark in the heart of Carlisle.

Featured in

Literary places in Cumbria
Literary places in Cumbria

It was good enough for Wordsworth and Wainwright… From Kendal in the south to Carlisle in the north, we sniff out the best bookish shenanigans in Cumbria.

What's on near Old Fire Station

A large mechanical puppet controlled by multiple people. Encounter Festival in Preston
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Expect a jam-packed day of outdoor performance, live music, family fun – plus Preston’s iconic Torchlight Procession and fireworks finale.

Free entry
–
MusicBlackburn
Confessional Festival

Blackburn’s Confessional Festival turns ten, celebrating with two days of live music set beneath the stained glass and vaulted stonework of Holy Trinity Church.

From £20
See all events

Where to go near Old Fire Station

Cumbria
Gallery
Carlisle Contemporary Arts

An eclectic display of Carlisle’s talent, this gallery not only platforms its community but hosts regular events and constantly changing exhibitions.

Carlisle and Keswick
Music venue
The Brickyard

Opened in 2002, The Brickyard is Carlisle’s longest-running independent music venue, offering live performances in an intimate church hall.

Shop stock image
Cumbria
Gallery
Weft Studio

This gallery is a hidden gem, just outside Carlisle town centre. Beautiful hand-crafted textile artworks and creations, with delicate things in the shop to take home.

Cumbria
Museum
A World in Miniature Museum

Considered one of the best collections in the world, whether you are already a miniaturist fan, or a fresh face, you won’t leave this Museum without an appreciation.

Upfront Puppet Theatre
Cumbria
Theatre
Upfront Puppet Theatre

Upfront Puppet Theatre is located near Penrith, Cumbria and is one of only four authentic working puppet theatres in England.

Cumbria
Tourist Attraction
Hutton-in-the-Forest

A few miles north of Penrith, Hutton-in-the-Forest is an exquisite country house, described by Simon Jenkins as “one of Britain’s top 100”.
Café or Coffee Shop
The Village Bakery Melmerby

The Village Bakery is there to fortify those in need – with fresh breads and good food – and you don’t have to cycle there to try it.

Cumbria
Event venue
Quirky Workshops

A unique creative venue offering an inspiring range of art, craft and heritage ‘Quirky Workshops’ and courses.

See all places

Cumbria District Guides

Carlisle and Keswick, Cumbria

Our guide to things to do in Carlisle, a city framed by its famous castle, and the ‘honeypot’ town of Keswick in Cumbria.

Cockermouth and West Cumbria

Our guide to West Cumbria, with its independent, industrial streak, and Wordsworth’s birthplace, Cockermouth.
Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
South Lakes, Cumbria

No trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to the South Lakes, Coniston and Grizedale among them. Here’s our guide.
Things to do in Penrith
Things to do in Penrith and the Surrounding Area

With the picturesque Lake District to the west and the sweeping ridge of the Pennines to the east, Penrith is a stunning cultural destination.
York Castle Museum
Things to do in Kendal

Kendal is a key destination in the Lake District, packed with fantastic places to visit as well as a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs.
Things to do in Eden Valley, Cumbria

Our guide to the best things to do in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, which stretches from Sedbergh to Penrith.
Kendal and Sedbergh, Cumbria

Packed with fantastic places to visit and a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs, there’s loads to do in Kendal and Sedbergh.

Culture Guides

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Sprints
Music in the North

10 fresh shows across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, threading together noise, ritual, euphoria and release in all their messy, beautiful forms.

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.