Falkirk Steeple is located in the pedestrianised heart of Falkirk’s traditional town centre. There are a number of public transport options and both cycle and car parking facilities throughout the town centre. The Steeple will be open for guided tours each hour between 10am and 4pm each Tuesday and Saturday between 9 May and 14 October 2023. The last entry is at 3pm. Entry and guided tours are free but booking is recommended as only 12 people can be accommodated on each tour.
Whatever direction you approach from, the town steeple dominates the Falkirk skyline. Since 1814 when it replaced its 1697 predecessor, the building has been the iconic symbol of the town. As the popular Victorian song has it “The Auld Toun wi’ Grey Spire Crooned”. Of course the handsome classical proportions of David Hamilton’s design hide a grim interior – two small, inhospitable jail cells which remain much as they were between 1815 and 1859 when the last prisoners were transferred elsewhere. The Falkirk Steeple Heritage Centre offers the people of the town and district, and our visitors, an opportunity to visit the cells and learn about Falkirks early history as well as the story of the two town steeples. The inaccessible areas like the clock room and the bell tower will be the subject of a “virtual visit” using modern audio visual equipment on the ground floor and there will always be experienced guides on hand to explain the history of the building.
The centre’s guides can additionally provide general information about heritage and cultural events and other exhibitions, displays and activities in Falkirk district. From time to time the Falkirk Steeple Heritage Centre hosts special events relating to the history of the town. The Steeple typically provides the start and end point of seasonal guided historic tours of Falkirk’s historic town centre.