Make a date at the Museum

Wakefield Museums have a fun, hands on approach to learning about the area’s heritage and everyone’s invited.

You’ll find all manner of exciting exhibitions and experiences on offer, whether its family fun in the school holidays, messy crafts and activities for the little ones, or artist and historian led workshops just for the grown-ups, Wakefield Museums have it all. Meet at the museums and fill your social calendar with some dates with a difference.

Play Date

Wakefield’s Museums are the perfect place to arrange a play date. With lots of fun hands-on activities and opportunities to get creative and a little bit messy, the kids will find plenty to keep them entertained. At Castleford Museum children can dress up as a Roman soldier, follow the museum trail, have a pretend tea party or try miner’s clogs on for size. At Wakefield Museum try on a 1950s dress or a Victorian Wedding dress and cook up a feast in the child sized 1950s kitchen. Pontefract Museum offers a sweet treat with a colourful display telling the story behind the town’s historic link with liquorice. Learn about the famous Pontefract cake and see some of the brightly colourful packaging from across the years, see if you can spot your favourite.

Lunch Date

If you are meeting a friend for a catch up, why not have a wander around Wakefield Museum before popping into Create café for a delicious lunch, or a cup of coffee and a cake. At the museum you can visit the extraordinary world of Charles Waterton, a Victorian explorer who created one of the world’s first nature reserves. If you’re feeling brave enough, step onto the glass floor above the giant Caiman, one of Waterton’s most fearsome finds from South America. Uncover stories about Wakefield’s history from the early days of the Vikings, through the hardship of war and the various industries that have helped the city to prosper through the ages.

 A date with history

Pontefract Museum has many stories waiting to be discovered. Explore the heritage of Pontefract and the people who have lived, worked and played there. From the turbulent history of one of the North’s most important castles and the part it played in the British Civil Wars to the industries of glass making, coal mining and, liquorice. At Castleford Museum learn all about the rich and diverse history of the town which was once thought to have been an important Roman settlement. Try your hand at an interesting craft activity or find inspiration among some of the captivating displays. See the Ferry Fryston Iron Age Chariot, the only complete chariot burial on display in England and imagine what life was like in Bronze Age Castleford and how the town changed when the Romans came to power.

Fall in love

For all you romantics, meet your true love for a date with a difference at one of the museums. Love is definitely in the air at Wakefield Museum, displays include wedding dresses through the ages and the Sandal Castle posy ring. Don’t miss the rare opportunity to see the precious ring collection on loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum until 25 June. Fall in love with the cosy atmosphere at Pontefract Museum, the beautiful art nouveau building built in 1904 retains many of its original features, from intricate door handles to a stunning tiled entrance and staircase. Discover a treasure trove of hidden gems and historic finds amid the warm welcoming atmosphere of the museum.

Find out more about some of the unique events, exhibitions and experiences on offer at Wakefield Museums visit www.expereriencewakefield.co.uk/museums or keep an eye out on this blog.