List of museums in North Yorkshire facts for kids

North Yorkshire is a fantastic place to explore history, art, and science through its many museums! These special places collect and take care of interesting objects. They show us things about the past, different cultures, and amazing discoveries. Whether you love old castles, speedy trains, or ancient Vikings, there's a museum here for you.

Discovering North Yorkshire's Museums

North Yorkshire is home to many exciting museums. They cover everything from Roman times to modern art. Let's take a look at some of the cool places you can visit!

Step Back in Time: Historic Houses and Castles

Many museums in North Yorkshire are found in amazing old buildings. These places let you see how people lived long ago.

Barley Hall, York

Barley Hall, a reconstructed medieval house.

Imagine living in a house from the Middle Ages! Barley Hall in York is a medieval house that was dug up and then rebuilt. It shows what homes were like hundreds of years ago.

Beningbrough Hall, Beningbrough

Beningbrough Hall, a grand Georgian mansion.

Beningbrough Hall is a beautiful old mansion run by the National Trust. It has fancy rooms from the Georgian era and a lovely garden. You can also see over 100 portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery.

Bolton Castle, Castle Bolton

Bolton Castle, a medieval fortress.

This medieval fortress is super old! Bolton Castle was once a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots in 1569. It's a great place to learn about castle life and famous historical figures.

Castle Howard, Castle Howard

Castle Howard, a grand stately home.

Castle Howard is a huge, beautiful stately home from the early 1700s. It has massive gardens and collections of paintings, old treasures, and furniture. It's like stepping into a fairy tale!

Fairfax House, York

Fairfax House, a restored Georgian townhouse.

Fairfax House in York is a Georgian townhouse. It has been carefully restored to look just like it did in the 1700s. You can see how wealthy families lived back then.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Aldfield

The impressive ruins of Fountains Abbey.

This amazing site includes the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian monastery. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is run by the National Trust. You can explore the old abbey, a water garden, and a cornmill.

Goddards House and Garden, York

Goddards House, former home of the Terry's chocolate family.

Goddards House and Garden was once the home of the Terry's family, famous for their chocolate! It's now run by the National Trust and tells the story of the family and their sweet business.

Kiplin Hall, Scorton

Kiplin Hall, a 17th-century Jacobean house.

Kiplin Hall is a lovely 17th-century house. It has exhibits about George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, and his family. He was an important figure in American history.

Nunnington Hall, Nunnington

Nunnington Hall, a country house with beautiful rooms.

Another National Trust property, Nunnington Hall is a country house with rooms from the 1600s and 1700s. It also hosts art and photography shows.

Skipton Castle, Skipton

Skipton Castle, a medieval fortress.

Skipton Castle is a medieval fortress with six round towers. It's one of the best-preserved castles in England and a great place to imagine knights and royalty.

Treasurer's House, York

Treasurer's House, showing different historical periods.

Near York Minster, Treasurer's House is run by the National Trust. It shows how homes changed from Roman times to the Edwardian era. It's full of old furniture, pottery, and paintings.

Amazing Archaeology and Ancient History

Dig into the past with museums that explore ancient civilizations and discoveries.

Aldborough Roman Site, Aldborough

This site, run by English Heritage, shows an excavated Roman fort. You can see artifacts from the Roman town of Aldborough Roman Site.

DIG: an archaeological adventure, York

DIG: an archaeological adventure in York is a discovery center all about archaeology. You can learn how archaeologists dig up and study things from the past.

Jorvik Viking Centre, York

Coin making at the Jorvik Viking Centre.

The Jorvik Viking Centre is super popular! It's built on the actual remains of the Viking city of Jórvík. You can ride through a reconstructed 10th-century village and meet "Viking" people.

Malton Museum, Malton

Malton Museum has artifacts from the Roman era found locally. It also has a reconstructed village home and items from Wharram Percy, a deserted medieval village.

Richard III Experience at Monk Bar, York

Monk Bar, home to the Richard III Experience.

Located in the historic Monk Bar, this museum tells the story of Richard III, the last king of the Plantagenet family. It's a fascinating look at a famous king.

Yorkshire Museum, York

The Yorkshire Museum, with diverse collections.

The Yorkshire Museum has a wide range of collections. You can see natural history, geology, archaeology, and even astronomy exhibits.

Military and War Stories

Learn about brave soldiers and important battles at these museums.

Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, Malton

A V1 Bomb replica at Eden Camp.

Eden Camp is a unique museum located in a former prisoner of war camp from World War II. The old barracks now have displays about different parts of the war.

Green Howards Regimental Museum, Richmond

The Green Howards Museum.

This museum tells the history of the Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment). You can see uniforms, medals, and other items from this famous army regiment.

York Cold War Bunker, Holgate

The entrance to the York Cold War Bunker.

Ever wondered about the Cold War? The York Cold War Bunker is a secret underground bunker. It was built to monitor nuclear explosions if a nuclear war ever happened. It's a chilling look at a tense time in history.

Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington

Historic aircraft at the Yorkshire Air Museum.

The Yorkshire Air Museum is at RAF Elvington, an old air force base. It has historic aircraft, military vehicles, and exhibits about air gunners and RAF Bomber Command.

All Aboard! Transport and Industry

Explore the world of trains, cars, and how things were made.

Gayle Mill, Gayle

Gayle Mill, a restored cotton and sawmill.

Gayle Mill is a restored 18th-century cotton mill that now works as a sawmill. It's a great place to see old machinery in action.

Holgate Windmill, Holgate

Holgate Windmill, a historic tower mill.

Holgate Windmill is a late 18th-century tower windmill. It's being restored and is a cool example of old technology.

National Railway Museum, York

A locomotive at the National Railway Museum.

The National Railway Museum in York is huge! It tells the story of rail transport in Britain. You can see amazing locomotives, old train cars, and lots of railway history.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway. You can ride on old trains and see exhibits at the Pickering railway station.

Scarborough Fair Collection, Lebberston

A fairground organ at the Scarborough Fair Collection.

This fun museum has mechanical organs, steam engines, old fairground rides, vintage cars, and model railways. The Scarborough Fair Collection is like a trip to an old-fashioned fair!

Art and Creativity

Discover beautiful paintings, sculptures, and textile art.

Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate

The Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate has a collection of about 2000 fine art works. Most are from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art is a contemporary art gallery. It shows modern art from different artists.

Quilt Museum and Gallery, York

St Anthony's Hall, home to the Quilt Museum.

The Quilt Museum and Gallery in York explores the history of British quilt making and textile arts. You can see beautiful and intricate quilts.

York Art Gallery, York

The York Art Gallery.

York Art Gallery has paintings from the 14th century all the way to modern times. It also has a great collection of 20th-century ceramics.

Local Life and Everyday History

These museums show what life was like for ordinary people in different towns.

Beck Isle Museum, Pickering

Beck Isle Museum, showing local history.

The Beck Isle Museum in Pickering has displays of old shops, a Victorian-era pub, and historic costumes. It's a fun way to see how people lived in the past.

Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes

The Dales Countryside Museum tells the story of the Yorkshire Dales. It covers school days, home life, farming, and local crafts.

Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole

The Ryedale Folk Museum.

The Ryedale Folk Museum is an open-air museum. It has historic buildings from different times and shows various old trades and ways of life.

Thirsk Museum, Thirsk

Thirsk Museum explores local history and culture. It has a 19th-century cottage kitchen, a Victorian bedroom, and displays of old shops. It even has cricketing memorabilia!

World of James Herriot, Thirsk

The James Herriot Museum.

The World of James Herriot celebrates the life of the famous veterinarian and author, James Herriot. You can see a 1940s house and exhibits about veterinary science.

York Castle Museum, York

York Castle Museum, with a recreated Victorian street.

York Castle Museum is famous for its recreated Victorian street with shops. It also has period rooms, displays of everyday life, and even a section about World War II.

Images for kids

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  The Bar Convent, a secret 17th-century Catholic convent.

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  Bedale Hall, home to the Bedale Museum.

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  Captain Cook's Birthplace Museum.

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  Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby.

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  The Dorman Museum in Linthorpe.

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  Guisborough Museum.

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  Markenfield Hall, a 14th-century medieval country house.

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  The Merchant Adventurers' Hall in York.

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  Moulton Hall, a 17th-century manor house.

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  Newby Hall, a late 17th-century house.

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  Newham Grange Leisure Farm.

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  Ormesby Hall, an 18th-century mansion.

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  The Rotunda Museum, known for its geology exhibits.

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  Scampston Hall, a 1690 country house.

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  Sutton Park, an 18th-century Georgian country house.

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  The ruins of Whitby Abbey.

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  Whitby Museum.

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  Winkies Castle Folk Museum.