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National Science and Media Museum
Attractions in Thornton

Places to visit around Thornton, from National Science and Media Museum

Of the 6 places to visit in and around Thornton, 5 are museums or galleries. None of them is inside Thornton itself. National Science and Media Museum welcomed 442K visitors in 2015. Further afield, Bradford Cathedral is 6.7 km from the centre.

Photo: National Science and Media Museum, Chemical Engineer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Thornton
0
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
6
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Best known

The names to know near Thornton

After National Science and Media Museum come 2 art galleries, 2 museums and an attraction.

MuseumNational Science and Media Museum4.6 km outside town, to the east · 442K visitors a year (2015)Art galleryCartwright Hall Art Gallery4.2 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumBD1 Gallery4.6 km outside town, to the eastArt galleryArt galleryImpressions Gallery4.6 km outside town, to the eastMuseumBradford Police Museum4.8 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionSpeakers' Corner4.8 km outside town, to the east

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Mapped

Look to the east for most of the 6 just outside.

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The dashed line is Thornton’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What there is to see

5 of the 6 are museums or galleries, more than any other kind.

Museums & galleries 3 museums · 2 art galleries0 in town · 5 nearby
Other attractions 1 attraction0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Thornton. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

Every place

Place after place

These 6 are all within 5 km of its edge.

Close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

79 listed buildings are on Thornton’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Thornton →

Big names nearby

Names further out

Head 6.7 km out for Bradford Cathedral, the best known of 12.

CathedralBradford Cathedral6.7 km eastAbbey or priory · English HeritageFountains Abbey40 km northeastHistoric houseHarewood House24 km northeastMuseumBronte Parsonage Museum8.4 km northwestMuseumYorkshire Sculpture Park27 km southeast · 300K visitors a yearCastleCliffe Castle10 km northwest · 65K visitors a yearAbbey or prioryKirkstall Abbey (Ruins)16 km eastCathedralLeeds Cathedral20 km eastCastleSkipton Castle22 km northwestCastleSandal Castle28 km southeastCathedralWakefield Cathedral26 km southeastArt galleryLeeds Art Gallery20 km east

Places well known beyond Thornton (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Thornton: questions and answers

What is there to see near Thornton?

No attraction is mapped inside Thornton itself. Within 5 km of it are National Science and Media Museum, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, BD1 Gallery and Impressions Gallery.

Does Thornton have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Thornton: National Science and Media Museum, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, BD1 Gallery and Impressions Gallery.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Thornton?

None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Fountains Abbey (English Heritage), 40 km northeast.

What are the best-known days out near Thornton?

Within 40 km: Bradford Cathedral (6.7 km), Fountains Abbey (40 km), Harewood House (24 km), Bronte Parsonage Museum (8.4 km).

Where are Thornton’s historic buildings listed?

Thornton has 79 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Thornton when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (15)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.