Explore 60,000 treasured objects spanning millions of years of Craven history in this award-winning, family-friendly museum with free entry for all ages.

Craven Museum, housed within Skipton Town Hall, is an award-winning cultural hub showcasing a remarkable collection of around 60,000 objects representing the rich heritage of the Craven region. The museum offers visitors an engaging journey through local history, with interactive displays and collection stories that bring characters and landscapes from the past to life. The venue is designed with families in mind, featuring fully accessible facilities and a welcoming environment for young visitors. Children of all ages can handle museum objects under supervision, participate in educational activities, and enjoy learning opportunities tailored to different abilities. The museum's commitment to accessibility ensures pushchairs are accommodated and the space is navigable for all visitors. Beyond the museum galleries, Skipton Town Hall operates as a comprehensive cultural destination. Visitors can explore the Exhibition Gallery, which features changing programmes of exhibitions from local and national artists, browse the curated gift shop for inspired treats and local crafts, and access the Visitor Centre for local tourism information. The venue regularly hosts performances, theatre, music, and family-friendly events throughout the year, making it a vibrant hub for culture, heritage and community engagement in North Yorkshire.

Venue Details

What this place offers

Toilets

Public transport nearby

Accessible toilets

Free WiFi

Baby changing facilities

Food available

On-site parking

🐕Dog-friendly

Parking nearby

Pushchair friendly

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Rob Neill

a month ago

Excellent museum inside town hall. We'll laid out, good information boards and variety of objects and displays to tell the local story. Friendly staff. Amazing to see a Shakespeare first folio.

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Stas Saint

2 months ago

Entry is free, but you can make a donation if you wish. There are interactive 3D games in the museum, which I enjoyed.

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Donna W

a year ago

Lovely free (donations accepted) museum in Skipton. It looks really modern now to how it looked years ago when I last went. My nieces enjoyed the interactive displays and the free quiz sheets as you enter (different ones for different ages). There's an exhibit upstairs that changes every so often. There's some old boundary type stones outside the museum, and a museum phone box out front of the town hall that's worth a look. There's also a gift shop too. Go visit and have a wander round if you're in Skipton!

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lasica696

a year ago

very interesting museum very close to the castle. more interesting than the castle itself 😅 free entry. my children did not want to leave it so much they liked it there. many interesting exhibits.

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K. Peake

4 years ago

This was a very enjoyable museum to visit, which is thankfully free of cost! Face masks are not needed anymore luckily and styluses are provided at the entrance, making usage of interactive boards a lot easier. The exhibitions are intriguing throughout, including ones for caving, farming and communities, showcasing historical heritage in parts. Having the gallery upstairs is a smart move since it is separated from the museum area properly, with experimental artwork really capturing the eye there too!

Reviews last updated: 29 September 2026