King Richard III Visitor Centre

What King Richard III Visitor Centre does

King Richard III Visitor Centre is a single-site heritage attraction in Leicester, United Kingdom, operated by Leicester Museums & Galleries under Leicester City Council's Arts & Museums Service. The centre presents interactive exhibitions telling the story of King Richard III's life, his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the 2012 archaeological discovery and DNA-led identification of his remains beneath a Leicester car park. Opened on 26 July 2014 within the former Alderman Newton's Grammar School building adjacent to the Greyfriars Priory burial site, the attraction features interactive displays, digital storytelling, and a glazed viewing floor over the original Scheduled Ancient Monument grave. Sub-brands include the White Boar Café (a Visit England Quality Food and Drink awardee), the King's Suite venue-hire space (accommodating 20-100 delegates), the Rex Factor: Lost In Time mobile game, and learning programs for schools and families. Since 2019 the building has also housed the Visit Leicester Tourist Information Centre.

The centre serves a diversified visitor base: leisure tourists and families, school and home-educating groups, corporate and private event clients, and remote/digital audiences through virtual talks and distance learning. Revenue is generated through admissions and Annual Plantagenet Pass subscriptions, venue hire and bespoke events, café and gift shop sales, workshops and educational programs, and lecture series. Pricing is small-ticket and accessible (e.g., £12.50 annual adult pass, £32 family pass, £4-£15 per workshop, £10 per lecture), and accommodation partnerships with St Martin's Lodge and The Gresham Aparthotel provide top-of-funnel visitor flow. The general manager is Phil Hackett, leading a team of 11-50 employees supported by a volunteer program that includes members with 10+ years of service.

The business is structured as a publicly funded cultural institution under local government ownership rather than a venture-backed enterprise. It has received over 40 industry awards since opening, including a 2025 Visit England Silver Award for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, and benefits from a structurally unique location moat: it is the only attraction built on the exact site of Richard III's discovery and burial, with the original grave preserved as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer (website booking, walk-up admissions, group bookings) supplemented by event-driven programming (seasonal activities, comedy festival, lectures, workshops) and community-led engagement (volunteering, educational visits, virtual learning).

Name

King Richard III Visitor Centre

Legal name

King Richard III Visitor Centre

Website

https://kriii.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The King Richard III Visitor Centre is a publicly owned, single-site heritage attraction in Leicester, UK that uses interactive exhibitions to tell the story of King Richard III's life, death, and 2012 rediscovery, serving leisure tourists, families, school groups, corporate event clients, and remote learners through admissions, venue hire, café, shop, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Visitor Attraction and Museum

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Heritage visitor attraction
• Interactive museum exhibits
• Venue hire services
• Educational learning programmes
• Archaeological site tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets and Annual Passes: Primary revenue from ticket sales including day tickets and Annual Plantagenet Pass offering unlimited return visits for 12 months
2. Venue Hire - King's Suite: Event venue rental including meetings, conferences, receptions, and exclusive tours. The Victorian-era King's Suite with AV equipment and catering options accommodates 20-100 delegates
3. Receptions and Networking Events: Private event hosting including drinks receptions, champagne celebrations, and bespoke catering with packages starting from £25 per person
4. White Boar Cafe: On-site award-winning cafe serving food and beverages including Yorkshire Tea and Taylors of Harrogate products
5. Gift Shop: Retail shop selling books, jewellery, Christmas decorations, and Leicester Guildhall merchandise
6. Learning Programs and Workshops: Science club sessions at £15 per child, medieval gaming crafts at £4 per session, and educational workshops for school groups

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The King Richard III Visitor Centre is a heritage museum and visitor attraction in Leicester that tells the story of King Richard III's life, death, and archaeological rediscovery through award-winning interactive displays, the original grave site under a glazed viewing floor, and on-site exhibition galleries. It supplements the core museum visit with venue hire (The King's Suite), an on-site café and gift shop, an annual Plantagenet Pass, educational learning programmes, and a companion mobile game (Rex Factor: Lost In Time).

Product overview

King Richard III Visitor Centre is a single unified visitor attraction (not a platform-plus-modules architecture) offering immersive exhibitions about King Richard III's life, death, and rediscovery. The core product is the physical visitor centre with permanent exhibition galleries and the original grave site. Supporting offerings include venue hire (The King's Suite), on-site dining (White Boar Cafe), tourist information (Visit Leicester), educational programs (Learning Visits, Science Club), a mobile app game (Rex Factor: Lost In Time), and annual membership (Plantagenet Pass). The centre opened in July 2014 and has received over 40 awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rex Factor: Lost In Time: App-based detective game available on Useum platform for iOS and Android devices, where players help a time traveller trapped in the medieval period.
• White Boar Café
• The King's Suite

Products and services

• King Richard III Visitor Centre (Exhibition Admission) Award-winning museum and visitor attraction telling the story of King Richard III's life, death, and the archaeological rediscovery of his remains, featuring interactive displays, exhibition galleries, and a glazed viewing floor over the original Scheduled Ancient Monument grave site. Aimed at tourists, families, school groups, and heritage enthusiasts.
• The King's Suite Venue Hire Hire of the Victorian King's Suite event space within the visitor centre for meetings, conferences, receptions, networking events, and bespoke private celebrations; accommodates 20–100 delegates with audio-visual equipment and in-house catering options. Aimed at corporate clients, event organisers, and private hosts.
• White Boar Café On-site café serving food, snacks and beverages (including Yorkshire Tea and Taylors of Harrogate products) to visitors and event guests; winner of a Visit England Quality Food and Drink accolade, one of only nine UK attractions to hold the award.
• Rex Factor: Lost In Time (Mobile Game) App-based educational game available via the Useum platform on iOS and Google Play that lets visitors play along during their visit, helping a time-traveller answer questions about Richard III and the medieval period. Targeted at families, children, and general visitors.
• Annual Plantagenet Pass Annual membership pass providing unlimited return visits for 12 months, including access to exhibitions, events, and activities throughout the year; available in Adult (£12.50), Child 5–15 (£6.25), Family 2A+2C (£32.00) and Blue Light discount (£11.50) tiers. Aimed at repeat leisure visitors and local families.
• Learning Visits and Educational Workshops Curriculum-aligned educational programmes including learning visits, hands-on workshops, science club sessions (£15 per child), medieval gaming crafts (£4 per session), walking trails, and virtual/distance learning sessions for schools, home-educators, and remote learners.
• Visitor Centre Gift Shop On-site retail shop selling books, jewellery, Christmas decorations and Leicester Guildhall-themed merchandise to visitors of the centre.
• Visit Leicester Tourist Information Centre Tourist information service housed within the visitor centre since 2019, providing visitors with information on Leicester and Leicestershire accommodation, attractions, shopping, festivals and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 industry awards since opening in 2014
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• St Martin's LodgeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Boutique hotel partner offering 10% discount to KRIII ticket/Annual Pass holders. Located next door to the visitor centre in a renovated Grade II Listed building.
• Visit LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Visit Leicester Tourist Information Centre incorporated into the visitor centre since 2019, making it a one-stop shop for visitors wanting to discover Leicester's history, culture, hospitality and retail.
• Leicester Museums & GalleriescoreOthersManaged by Leicester Museums & Galleries, part of Leicester City Council's Arts & Museums Service. The visitor centre is one of the museums operated under this partnership.
• Leicester City CouncilcoreOthersLeicester City Council owns the visitor centre through its Arts & Museums Service and provides ongoing operational support.
• BID LeicesterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with BID Leicester for street art projects including junction box murals by artist Wing Lo. BID Leicester also supports Leicester Monsters inflatable display initiative.
• The Gresham AparthotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury accommodation partner offering discounts to KRIII Annual Pass holders after £17 million refurbishment of a Grade II listed Victorian building.
• The Tudor Travel GuideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast partnership featuring King Richard III Trail covering key Leicester locations including the visitor centre, Leicester Cathedral, and Bosworth Battlefield.
• University of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner whose researchers (Professor Turi King) led the DNA analysis that identified Richard III's remains. The centre tells the story of this scientific discovery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces): Iconic UK heritage visitor attraction telling the story of a specific royal figure and historical events, with award-winning exhibitions, on-site retail and dining, and venue hire. Directly comparable as a monument/historic site museum with high recognition and similar visitor demographics.
• Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust: Heritage attraction dedicated to a single historical figure, comprising multiple museum sites, learning programs, retail, and venue hire in Stratford-upon-Avon. Closely comparable as a figure-centric heritage museum with strong educational programming and annual passes.
• Roman Baths and Pump Room (Bath): Major UK heritage attraction operating on an archaeological site with interactive museum exhibits, retail, and cafe. Comparable as a tourism-driven heritage/archaeological museum with on-site dining and venue-hire adjacent operations.
• The Beatles Story (Liverpool): Museum dedicated to a specific cultural/historical figure with immersive exhibits, retail, and cafe. Comparable as a figure-centric attraction combining storytelling, interactive exhibits, and family/education programming in a regional UK city.
• Warwick Castle: Large historic-site visitor attraction in the Midlands with exhibitions, events programming, venue hire, retail, and dining. Comparable as a Midlands-based heritage attraction with venue-hire and seasonal event revenue streams.
• Leicester Cathedral: Adjacent heritage site where Richard III was reburied in 2015, frequently part of the same visitor itinerary. Comparable as a free/paid heritage religious site in the immediate vicinity, often co-promoted with the visitor centre.
• JORVIK Viking Centre: York-based immersive heritage attraction built around an archaeological discovery, using interactive exhibits and storytelling. Directly comparable as an archaeological/heritage attraction with experiential exhibits and school-group focus.
• Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre: Leicestershire-based heritage site directly thematically linked to King Richard III (the battle where he died), with exhibitions, learning programs, and a gift shop. Comparable as a regional Wars-of-the-Roses heritage attraction serving overlapping visitor audiences.
• Mary King's Close (Edinburgh): Edinburgh underground heritage attraction offering guided tours of preserved historical streets with immersive storytelling. Comparable as a guided-tour, site-specific heritage experience with strong tourism positioning and award recognition.

Broad incumbents

• The British Museum: National-scale museum with permanent and temporary exhibitions, learning programs, retail, and venue hire. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same museum/heritage category, with overlapping education and venue-hire offerings but a fundamentally different scale and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KRIIICentre
• Facebookm.facebook.com/KRIIICentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/king-richard-iii-visitor-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about King Richard III Visitor Centre