Wakefield Museum

Wakefield Museum Discover the extraordinary and learn all about Wakefield, its history and its people! http://wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/

Bring friends and family to Wakefield Museum and discover the extraordinary, the oldest, the first, and the one and only!

It's back to school for many this week, but did you know that we run monthly Home Education workshops here and at Pontef...
02/09/2026

It's back to school for many this week, but did you know that we run monthly Home Education workshops here and at Pontefract Castle?

Sessions book up quickly, but we still have a few spaces on the following workshops to the end of this year:

🛁 Hygiene through history (5+) | WM | Fri 18 Sep, 10:30am & 1:30pm
📜 Making treasure maps (5+) | PC | Tues 24 Nov, 1:30pm
🔍 History myth busters (5+) | PC | Tues 15 Dec, 10:30am & 1:30pm

Booking required: £6.80 per child, accompanying adults free
Book online: www.ticketsource.com/wakefield-museums-castles

Keep up to date on all the latest news and session availability by signing up to our Home Education newsletter: https://wmandc.co/newsletter

Please note: we are closed tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday 31 August.Looking for a free family day out? Pop over to Pontefr...
30/08/2026

Please note: we are closed tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday 31 August.

Looking for a free family day out? Pop over to Pontefract Castle (official), it's open over the bank holiday weekend!

Wakefield Museum will reopen as normal on Tuesday 1 September.

Heritage Open Days are back from 11 to 20 September! We've got loads of free special events happening across our sites.📦...
27/08/2026

Heritage Open Days are back from 11 to 20 September! We've got loads of free special events happening across our sites.

📦 Heritage Open Days: Museum Store tours
📅 Fri 18 and Sat 19 Sept, various times
🎟 Free for Heritage Open Days, booking required

Go behind the scenes and discover some of the wonders of Wakefield Museums and Castles Collections.

Led by experts in the collections team, delve into a treasure trove of objects from Wakefield’s past. Find out how our team keep them safe.

Finish with a quick look at some highlights from the collections. These include treasures from our social history, archaeology and costume collections. Be amazed by medieval stonework, world-leading sports equipment, and fantastic plastics!

Book your free tickets at https://www.ticketsource.com/wakefield-museums-castles/e-xmqdzj

Allergy notice: unfortunately our Museum Store Tours are not suitable for people with a nut allergy.

Access: Please let us know any access requirements you have when booking.

Browse our full guide at https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/discover/news-and-blog/heritage-open-days/

Heritage Open Days Wakefield Civic Society Wakefield Historical Society

Join us today for the final drop-in session of the summer: Builders and bottle caps!🍼 Turn plastic bottle caps into mini...
27/08/2026

Join us today for the final drop-in session of the summer: Builders and bottle caps!

🍼 Turn plastic bottle caps into mini monsters or game pieces
🧱 Try your hand at remaking museum objects from LEGO bricks!

Can you fix it and remix it? (Yes you can!)

📅 Thursday 27 August, 10:30am to 3pm, free and no booking required

26/08/2026

Our new exhibition Plastic Fantastic? explores the history of plastics throughout the 1900s and our changing relationship with them.

Artist Ruth Fones Art created 3D-printed mini handling replicas of some of the key objects on display. She worked with her nephew Harry and his 3D printer. This tactile interpretation is designed to support blind and partially sighted visitors to get more out of a very visual exhibition.

The objects printed here are now part of the exhibition at Wakefield Museum, alongside an audio description tour. The objects are made from a bioplastic called PLA (polylactic acid). This is biodegradable and compostable in the right conditions.

(Please note: there is no voiceover in this video, just ambient music)

More info about Ruth's tactile interpretation project in her guest blog: https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/discover/news-and-blog/ruth-tactile-interpretation/

Heritage Open Days is back 11 to 20 September! We've got loads of free special events happening across our sites, includ...
24/08/2026

Heritage Open Days is back 11 to 20 September! We've got loads of free special events happening across our sites, including:

🏰 Heritage Open Days: Sandal Castle tour
📅 Sat 12 Sept, 11am and 1:30pm
📍Sandal Castle

🔒Dungeon Tours (free for Heritage Open Days)
📅 Sat 12 and 19 Sept, various times
📍Pontefract Castle (official)

⏳Talk: Pontefract Castle - this is your life!
📅 Thu 17 Sept, 2pm
📍Pontefract Castle
Join us for a whistlestop tour through Pontefract Castle’s fascinating history!

📦 Heritage Open Days: Museum Store tours
📅 Fri 18 and Sat 19 Sept, various times
Go behind the scenes and discover some of the wonders of our collections!

📖 Heritage Open Days: Pontefract tales storytelling (6+)
📅 Sat 19 Sept, various times
📍Pontefract Castle
Join Beccy from StoryTrails for an interactive storytelling session. Discover stories about everyday people from Pontefract’s past, doing extraordinary things!

🎟 All Heritage Open Days events are free, but booking is required. More info and book at https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/discover/news-and-blog/heritage-open-days/

Heritage Open Days Wakefield Council Experience Wakefield Wakefield Civic Society Wakefield Historical Society

Find last minute, free and low-cost fun across our sites in the final week of the summer holidays!🍊 Time travellers at C...
24/08/2026

Find last minute, free and low-cost fun across our sites in the final week of the summer holidays!

🍊 Time travellers at Castleford Museum, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
🏰 Medieval warfare and silly science at Pontefract Castle, Tues - Fri
🖼 Magic pictures at Pontefract Museum, Weds
🎨 Builders and bottle caps and Scrapbook journals (ages 12 to 16) here at Wakefield Museum, Thurs

📝 Plus, we have a fantastic Lotta and Lola trail running until September 12 at Castleford, Pontefract, and Wakefield Museums in partnership with Kids in Museums

Find out more about all of our activities at: https://wmandc.co/whats-on

Tag anyone looking for late notice fun to end summer with!

Be part of history! Can you help us bring a rare Roman brooch into Wakefield's collection? This ornate, silver-gilt anci...
20/08/2026

Be part of history! Can you help us bring a rare Roman brooch into Wakefield's collection?

This ornate, silver-gilt ancient brooch was found in Hemsworth. It dates from around AD 75 to 175. It is a rare and high‑quality example of Roman craftsmanship. Museum specialists have described it as a "highly ornate and a find of note".

So, we've launched our first ever Crowdfunder! We're asking for your support to help us bring this incredible object into Wakefield's collection.

Your donations will also support its display, interpretation and community engagement.

Relatively little Roman finds have been found in the Hemsworth area. This makes this brooch particularly significant and special.
The brooch spent almost 2,000 years beneath the fields of Hemsworth. We want future generations to be able to see it close to the place where its story began.

We are raising funds to bring the Hemsworth Roman brooch into Wakefield's museum collection. This ensures it can be preserved, researched and shared with the public for generations to come.
You have the opportunity to be part of an important moment in Hemsworth's heritage.

More info about the brooch and donate today at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hemsworth-roman-brooch

The importance of this brooch has been recognised by the Arts Council England / V&A Purchase Grant who have generously contributed to the purchase for the museum.

20/08/2026

We've loved working with Ruth Fones Art on tactile interpretation for our new Plastic Fantastic? exhibition!

Give single-use plastic a second lease of life today in our Scraptastic crafts session!🐟 Make shiny CD fishies to hang i...
20/08/2026

Give single-use plastic a second lease of life today in our Scraptastic crafts session!

🐟 Make shiny CD fishies to hang in your window
💿 Decorate your recycled plastic object with bright colours

Be inspired by our fabulous fish sculpture created by Wakefield artist Andy Singleton which is part of our Plastic Fantastic? exhibition. Can you spot what its scales are made out of?

📅 Thursday 20 August, 10:30am to 3pm, free and no booking required

Address

Burton Street
Wakefield
WF12DD

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

01924 302104

Website

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