A Very Special Visit

Just to quickly share some photos of yesterday's event that were posted on Twitter.  If you took any photos/videos, we would love to see them!

The council's Chief Executive, Joanne Roney, was filmed talking to Sir David Attenborough over lunch.  You can see the film here.

Sir David Attenborough was shown around the museum by our curator, John Whitaker

Sir David Attenborough officially opens the museum

Sir David talked about eccentricity of Charles Waterton

We were delighted that Sir David took the time to sign so many autographs

Sir David with Councillor David Dagger

Sir David met a friendly crocodile!

Sir David was interviewed for BBC Look North

Dancing caimans mingled with the crowds!

Wakefield Museum - The Official Opening

We are all getting ready for our official opening on Saturday. It’s going to be a day to remember.

The public events kick off at 12:30. There will be music and dancing, fun craft activities and… oh yeah… National Treasure and Charles Waterton Enthusiast Sir David Attenborough will be helping us celebrate by drawing the curtain at 1:20pm! We are privileged to have him attend and it is a fitting way to crown a new museum that we are very proud of.

Sir David will also attend a short book signing after the opening ceremony.

Sir David Attenborough will be officially opening Wakefield Museum this Saturday

We hope you can come along!

The Museum Team

Sorting the liquorice collection

The museum collections contain many hundreds of objects associated with the liquorice industry in Pontefract. 

Liquorice has been grown there since the Middle Ages by monks for medicinal reasons. Later factories such as Bassetts and Dunhills flourished, using imported liquorice to make sweets.  Find out more about the history of liquorice by clicking here.

Work experience placement, Sarah, surrounded by liquorice objects

Sarah is spending her work experience placement with Museums to sort and photograph the collection. The results will be used to improve the museum database in preparation for putting the images on the web in the future, so liquorice fanatics the world over can explore our collections!

Once upon a time Pomfret cakes were only made in Pontefract. Although this is no longer the case some are still nonetheless manufactured in the town itself and visitors can still catch that sweet smell on the air.

To mark the importance of liquorice to the town there is an annual Liquorice Festival with all sorts of events taking place and a rare opportunity to buy a liquorice plant of your own.  

Half Term Fun!

We have been delivering some fun holiday sessions to children aged 2 – 12 this half term.  

Dressing up in hats and wigs - who will you be?

Children have asked questions, thought about, crafted and been creative on themes such as the weather, medieval life and Waterton's wonderful animals.  Session have been delivered at both Sandal and Pontefract Castles, Pontefract Museum and the new Wakefield Museum in Wakefield One.

Waterton's eye-view of the Caiman Crocodile!

Sessions for the Easter holidays are already being developed by the team.  If you would like to be added to our e-mailing list for future notification of activities and events let the team know.

Creative fun!

Concentrating hard!

Imagining life in the past

It's never too early to visit a museum...

It’s never too early to visit a museum…        This is part of Kids in Museums manifesto, a charity dedicated to making museums open and welcoming to all families and is exactly what we are aiming to achieve ourselves. Our learning team run free activities throughout the year and are especially busy coming up to school holidays with themed craft activities for ages 2- 5s and 6-12s.  These sessions are great fun but you don’t have to be booked into a workshop to enjoy the museum with your younger children.

Hector in The Front Room - time to get creative!

The new galleries have been designed for everyone to find something that interests them – whether that’s a table full of colouring pencils or an opportunity to get close up to boa constrictor! 

Up close to a boa constrictor

The display cases, full of new and exciting things, are at just the right height for little to people to explore and there is a mixture of objects especially meant for touching and feeling within easy reach.   There’s also plenty of opportunity for creative play with our newly installed kitchen and two different areas for dressing up with mirrors.  Activity sheets and trails are available in the Front Room - and ask our Visitor Hosts for information on our new digitrails.

Hector has found the caiman!

Why not combine your visit with a trip to the new Children’s library located on the first floor and then finish it off with a well-deserved treat in Create Cafe, who have a lovely children's menu and new lunch box offer.

On a practical level Wakefield One is fully accessible to buggies with lifts located at each entrance and baby change facilities on the ground floor. Why not give it a go?!

The new Experience Wakefield website has now been launched - check here for special event listings.  

The new Experience Wakefield website is live!



Be our Valentine!

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we thought we would share some historical Valentines from our collection.  We hope you have a lovely day!

Cupid himself features on this Valentine's cards dating to 1880-1910

Valentine card decorated with leaf design (1850-1900)

A fringed and padded Valentines (1850 - 1900)

This unusual sampler bears the motto 'Beware of Modern Love'!  (1850-1860)

Crafty Crocs

Today has seen our Crafty Crocs meet for the first time in 2013. Keeping in sync with the current weather our focus was on snow!  Children created snowless snowmen, hand print robins and star shaped foxes.

Today's Crafty Crocs  proudly showing their star-shaped foxes

Having creative fun!

Being creative can get messy!

Future sessions will be held on Tuesdays 5^th March, 7^th May, 4^th June and 2^nd July.  

Booking is essential on 01924 302700 (Booking line open Monday- Tuesday 9:30am – 4:45pm and Wednesday 9:30am – 1:30pm) or contact the team by e-mail.

Henry made a robin from his hand print

During February half term there will be a 2-5 years workshop on Thursday 21^st February.  

Rain, Rain Go Away will see our younger visitors create weather themed crafts in the warmth of the Learning Zone along with a visit to the Museum – Booking is essential.