Runcorn has numerous attractions although they are not always immediately obvious. The main attractions the town offers are Norton Priory and the ruins of the civil war scarred Halton Castle.
Norton Priory has a visitor centre based around the ruined priory, and a Victorian walled garden.
Alternative attractions also include Halton Lea shopping centre, the first American-style mall to open anywhere in the UK; the many buildings and locations used in popular TV series such as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Merseybeat. For those interested in town planning, the whole town is a treasure trove of Radburn design, 1960's architecture and social mis-construction.
The Runcorn-Widnes Bridge, which is the largest steel arch bridge in Europe, is also an attraction although it is not currently possible for tourists to walk across its top arch as you can on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, which was designed by the same architect and looks very similar.
The town also plays host to the largest free fireworks show in the North West, and boasts a successful arts centre, the Brindley, in the middle of the Old Town opposite the bus station.
