Bristol Business Guide

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Museums
Bristol has six museums and historic
houses for you to enjoy free of charge.
Amazing art, dinosaurs, ancient
Egyptians and Alfred the Gorilla are
some of the star highlights at Bristol’s
City Museum & Art Gallery, where we
tell the story of our world in every
display, from the beginning of time to
the present day.
If you prefer you can take a trip back
in time and imagine what it must have
been like to live in one of our historic
houses in times gone by – Blaise Castle
House Museum, Red Lodge, The
Georgian House or Kings Weston
Roman Villa are all open to the public.
Look at the city council website to
find out more about how to visit these
amazing places. You will also be able to
find out more about the new Museum
of Bristol, “M Shed”.
Opened in June 2011, on the site of
the former Bristol Industrial Museum,
this flagship museum provides the
city with a world-class museum
dedicated to the history of Bristol
and the people who have lived and
worked here.
See amazing film and photographs,
listen to moving personal stories,
encounter rare and quirky objects
and add your own memories of Bristol
through the interactive displays. From
prehistoric times to the present day,
M Shed tells the story of the city and
its unique place in the world.
For more information see
Sport and Fitness
Bristol City Council is committed to
providing quality leisure and sporting
facilities for the local community. Our
two stand-alone pools, four leisure
centres and one sports centre are now
managed by two independent leisure
management companies.
The city council provides a number
of leisure facilities across Bristol in
addition to the pools, sport and leisure
centres above including a specialist
gymnastic facility, a rugby
development centre, and a number of
accessible sports facilities based on
secondary school sites. Facilities on
offer include exercise classes, gym
facilities, dance studios, and sports
halls available for hire. The council also
provides football, rugby, cricket, tennis
and bowls facilities in many of the local
parks and open spaces, which are
available for seasonal or casual hire.
We also work in partnership with a
wide range of different agencies from
schools, clubs, sports trusts and
facilities to improve access to sport
and physical activities for all people in
the community. The aim is to increase
participation in sport within Bristol
and help promote an active lifestyle
and good health. Within the heart of
Ashton Court Estate lie two 18-hole par
3 golf courses, managed by the council,
where members of the public are able
to "pay and play" on the Plateau
Course or the Lodge Course.
You can book a variety of outdoor
facilities in Bristol’s parks and green
spaces including bowling greens,
football, rugby and cricket pitches,
and golf courses. There are also tennis
courts available in parks across the city.
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