Wakefield Museum

Polly Checkland Harding
Wakefield Museum
Wakefield Council

The Wakefield Museum, located on the ground floor of the Wakefield One building in the city centre, is home to both local treasures and myriad stories of people’s lives through history. The main galleries showcase the history of Wakefield: here, you can better understand what life was like in the city’s jail for 19th-century prisoners, discover the area’s long rugby heritage, listen to the strange sound that forced rhubarb makes while growing and witness the hardships of war through the ages. In the museum’s Front Room, a Victorian kitchen and 1940s living room installation complete with a dressing-up box for children allow visitors to step into the past, and wear costumes inspired by the clothing on display elsewhere in the museum.

Wakefield Museum also celebrates Wakefield-born naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton – a pioneering conservationist who had a lifelong obsession with wildlife. Waterton travelled to Guyana in South America in 1812, and came across toucans, vampire bats and sloths on his trip. The Extraordinary World of Charles Waterton features several of the specimens he brought back and preserved for his museum, including exotic birds, monkeys and an anteater, as well as the bizarre composite ‘creations’ that Waterton fashioned from assorted animals. These odd assemblages, like a porcupine in a tortoiseshell, were given satirical titles such as ‘John Bull and The National Debt’; here, the common personification of the UK is so weighed down by the £800m national debt that he is overcome by six devils.

After Waterton returned to Walton Hall in Wakefield (now a hotel and spa), he dedicated his life to observing and protecting the natural habitat, building a stone wall over three miles long around the estate and creating what’s thought to be the world’s first nature reserve. Waterton developed artificial nest boxes (another first), and bought a telescope to better watch the wild birds on the land. At the Wakefield Museum, his findings and legacy are creatively displayed; the caiman crocodile he famously captured is set into the floor, daring visitors to stand on its back. Close to Wakefield Westgate station, and in the same building as Create Café, the museum also houses a Special Exhibitions Gallery with a varied programme of displays inspired by the museum’s collections and supplemented by loans.

Burton StreetWakefieldWF1 2EB View map
Telephone: 01924302104 Visit Now

Opening Hours

  • Monday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Tuesday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wednesday9:00am - 7:00pm
  • Thursday9:00am - 7:00pm
  • Friday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Saturday9:00am - 4:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on near Wakefield Museum

Where to go near Wakefield Museum

Museum
Castleford Museum

Step back in time and explore the history of Castleford from the Bronze Age to the present day.

Museum
Pontefract Museum

Step inside the beautiful Art Nouveau building to discover a world where liquorice and voting collide. Explore the captivating stories of Pontefract.

Pontefract Castle
Wakefield
Tourist Attraction
Pontefract Castle

A valuable heritage site and visitor attraction, the ruins of Pontefract Castle occupy a commanding position overlooking the historic market town of Pontefract.

Leeds
Museum
Temple Newsam

Take a trip to Temple Newsam, a country estate in the heart of Leeds. With a variety of attractions to keep the whole family entertained.

The Mental Health Museum
Wakefield
Museum
The Mental Health Museum

The Mental Health Museum in Wakefield is home to a variety of mental health–related artefacts from the 19th century to the present day.

Johnsons Of Leeds
Leeds
Shop
Johnsons Of Leeds

Johnsons of Leeds is a military surplus store with an impressive list of celebrity customers.

Taste Buds at the Station
Wakefield
Café or Coffee Shop
Taste Buds
at the Station

Serving a signature coffee roasted in Yorkshire with a blend of beans from all the world this Wakefield Kirkgate Station offers the perfect pick me up with accompanying hot and cold dishes for breakfast or lunch.

Hokkaido
Wakefield
Restaurant
Hokkaido

A family-run restaurant offering an entertaining teppanyaki dining experience – watch as your food is prepared using the finest locally sourced ingredients.

Culture Guides

Teenage Dads
Music in Manchester and the North

Fresh concert seasons, forward-thinking festivals and a revolving door of amazing gigs. Things are looking bright as spring comes into view.