Otley Courthouse is a vibrant arts and resource centre founded and run by and for the people of Otley. Its home is a 19th Century Magistrates Court, Police Station & Superintendent’s house which was transformed over an 8 year period before it opened its doors in its current form in 2004.

Their aim is to be a welcoming Community Hub where people can experience live events, learn new skills, connect with culture, join as a volunteer or Friend of the Courthouse, meet other people and improve their social connections.

In addition to the main auditorium (the Courtroom), there are ten tenanted studios/rooms, a meeting room and a Maker Space that function on a membership basis and hosts the Wharfedale Men’s Shed.

A lot of the heritage of the building is also still visible: from the holes where prison bars used to be in the doorways, to the visitor gallery in the former Courtroom, to the heritage prison cell and corridor, that still looks exactly the same as it did during Victorian times.

Otley Courthouse hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, from f=Film screenings, Live Music, Theatre, Comedy, Art Exhibitions and Creative Workshops. There are also host a wide variety of local creatives who run weekly classes and workshops from the centre.

The Café is open 6 days a week, where friendly volunteer serves Teas, Coffee and snacks.

There a handful of staff, but are predominantly run by an amazing team of over 100 volunteers that were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2019. Come along and say hi!

On Friday 23rd January 2026, The Rod Stewart Songbook will be returning to Otley, with their spectacular Theatre Production in homage to the Music of Sir Rod Stewart as performed by the sensational Pete McCall