Museums

There are stories of kings, smugglers and soldiers waiting to be heard.

Index
Museums

North Yorkshire has a rich heritage that spans British history from the Romans through the medieval period to the expansive Industrial Revolution. Go back even further to the time when dinosaurs roamed these lands. In fact, the Yorkshire coast is known as the ‘Dinosaur Coast’ thanks to the abundance of fossils that can be found across our beautiful beaches.

One of the most iconic places to visit to uncover the stories of the dinosaurs is The Rotunda Museum - the Museum of Coastal Heritage and Geology in Scarborough. Known for its fascinating collection of fossils, you’ll be able to come face to face with some of the many creatures that once roamed the Yorkshire coast.

The museums in North Yorkshire tell the tales of many significant periods of British history, focusing on the great historic events and the people who lived through those times from powerful kings to ordinary people.

The Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate tells the story of the medicinal waters of the town that were highly valued by British and European royalty as well as everyday people who would drink the waters and take the unusual treatments on offer to heal body and mind.

The Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge and the Craven Museum in Skipton tell the stories of the local area with countless artefacts collected over the years that build up a picture of the people whose lives were linked to these parts of North Yorkshire.

On the site of Knaresborough Castle’s medieval ruins, you can discover the history of some of Knaresborough’s most remarkable residents in the Courthouse Museum which is home to one of the last remaining Tudor courtrooms in the UK.

The theme of Law and Order runs through several of our museums, whether you stand in the Dock in the Courthouse Museum in Knaresborough or do time at the Workhouse Museum in Ripon which is also home to a working Kitchen Garden Museum, a treat for gardening enthusiasts.