While not every visitor to The Createry is a self-proclaimed geek, there are many who are!
If you’re making a special or one-off trip to the space, here are some things you could pair it with for a fun day, evening or weekend – or to entertain your partner or family while you’re getting stuff done.
Escapologic (City Centre, Standford St)
There’s no shortage of great escape rooms in Nottingham, but we’ve picked out Escapologic for this list. There are several room options of different difficulty levels (and scariness!). There’s also a Warhammer themed escape room made in partnership with Games Workshop (even down to the official paint colours they use). Plus you’re allowed to take your phone in (a must if you’re on-call like we are!).
4 min drive / 12 min walk from The Createry
Page 45 (City Centre, Market Street)
A very friendly comic book and graphic novel shop with lovely staff who are always happy to recommend something to suit you. The Createry’s own library has several books bought from them, including a graphic novel version of To Kill A Mockingbird and an illustrated history of gaming.
10 min drive / 15 min walk from The Createry
The Bath Inn (Sneinton)
A Dr Who themed pub run by the son of Tom Baker himself. It’s great for fun photos thanks to the Art Deco theme, complete with lifesize Tardis, Tutankhamun sarcophagus, golden octopus, and giant diver over the bar.
10 min drive / 27 min walk from The Createry
Handmade Nottingham (City Centre, King’s Walk)
Full of all kinds of quirky gifts and treasures from talented indie makers, Handmade Nottingham is the ultimate place to support local artisans and businesses. They also run a range of craft workshops if you feel like trying something new.
5 min drive / 17 min walk from The Createry
Warhammer World & Bugman’s Bar (Lenton)
Games Workshop fans will love visiting Warhammer HQ, which is where the magic happens. There’s a GW shop, Forgeworld, painting area, gaming tables and exhibitions.
Non-fans can hang out for hours at Bugman’s Bar, which has a cosy atmosphere and plenty of decent food and drink on offer.
Check before you go to make sure there isn’t a private or ticketed event on. In the city centre itself, Element Games and the regular Games Workshop are also good options.
10 min drive (free parking) / 25 min walk (or get the Skylink from outside the Createry to Abbey Bridge Road, or get the tram from Nottingham Railway Station to Gregory Street).
Pit & Pendulum (City Centre, Victoria St)
Best known for its range of 7 Deadly Sins Cocktails and the secret bookcases concealing the toilets, the Pit has a gothic theme and is also a good quiet option for pub grub during the day.
10 min drive / 18 min walk from The Createry
Miniso (City Centre, top floor of the Victoria Centre)
An Asian-style shop with all kinds of goodies, from plushies to homeware to stationery to Hello Kitty merch. We recommend visiting in every season of the year to take advantage of all the short-term seasonal products.
(It’s located in a retail dream triangle with Tiger/Flying Tiger and Sostrene Grene, both of which are also highly recommended!)
24 min walk / 10 min drive from The Createry
Ludorati (City Centre, Maid Marian Way)
A board game cafe that also specialises in great food and hot drinks. We recommend the cake (all of it). If you’re a casual gamer you can play standard family games in the cafe section; otherwise pay to access the collection of heavier games. You can also buy games and rent the side room to run tabletop games.
2 min drive / 10 min walk from The Createry
Little Plant Guys (City Centre, Derby Road & Beeston)
Plant geek? You’ll love the Little Plant Guys, who have cosy shops in two locations. They also run fun workshops onsite and have a bunch of artisan goods for sale as well as a range of unusual plants.
5 min drive / 20 min walk from The Createry
Forbidden Planet (City Centre, Friar Lane)
A branch of the chain selling everything from Funko Pops to Magic cards. This one has a lot of fun merch from various pop culture shows.
3 min drive / 12 min walk from The Createry
Underworld Games (City Centre, Crocus St)
A newer, little-known gem of a card gaming shop that also hosts Magic: The Gathering nights. Enjoy a tabletop game in a side room, or play card games in the main room. Snacks and drinks are available.
5 min drive / 20 min walk from The Createry
Ye Old Salutation Inn (City Centre, Hounds Gate)
A popular drinking hole with the rock/alternative crowd, which is also well-known for live music.
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem (locally just called “the Trip”) is close by and also popular with visitors and locals alike, although it’s often hard to get a table.
5 min drive / 10 min walk from The Createry
Meetspace VR (City Centre, in the Victoria Centre)
Like a cross between laser quest and an escape room but with a focus on virtual reality, this is a fun place to try out newer tech.
24 min walk / 10 min drive from The Createry
Galleries of Justice (City Centre, Hockley)
Often cited as the best tourist attraction in Nottingham, the Galleries of Justice features exhibitions, live performances, and plenty of events. Keep an eye out around Christmas for their themed dinner party murder mystery events.
If you’re a fan of art, the Nottingham Contemporary is just down the street (and also has a great cafe).
10 min drive / 17 min walk from The Createry
Nottingham Caves (City Centre)
History geeks and wannabe dwarves alike will love the cave tours. The whole city is built on human-made caves, and there are lots of stories that go with them. There’s even a cave-themed escape room.
10 min drive / 15 min walk from The Createry
Broadway Cinema (City Centre, Hockley)
There are plenty of good local cinema options, but one of our favourites is Broadway. It has a great cafe/bar with lots of vegan food options. Top tip: you can book out their smaller screen room to play your choice of BluRay film, or bring your favourite video game console and play multiplayer on a big screen.
10 min drive / 20 min walk from The Createry
Meaples and Mulligans
Slightly further out from the city centre in the small town of Kimberley, you will find Meaples and Mulligans. They describe themselves as a friendly local gaming store, with a range of table top games for experienced players and newbies alike. They run tournaments and run organised game sessions.
24 min drive / 60 min via bus from The Createry
Which places in the list have you visited? Let us know in the comments!