National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum occupies the former Shire Hall and County Gaol on High Pavement in Nottingham's Lace Market, one of the most atmospheric historic buildings in the East Midlands. The site has served as a place of justice for over five centuries, and visitors today step directly into Georgian and Victorian courtrooms, the condemned cells, the medieval caves beneath the building, and the exercise yard where public executions once took place on the steps outside.

Costumed performers lead live trials and prisoner experiences throughout the day, putting visitors in the dock or behind bars and bringing real cases from the building's archives to life. The galleries trace the development of policing, punishment and the law, from transportation and the treadwheel to modern policing and forensic science, with displays of original artefacts including handcuffs, weapons and personal effects of prisoners.

The museum is a short walk from Nottingham railway station and sits close to the Lace Market's bars and restaurants, making it easy to combine with other city attractions such as Nottingham Castle and the City of Caves. Though the entry mistakenly lists Leicestershire, the museum is firmly within the city of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire.