Contact Details:
01977 722740
museums@wakefield.gov.uk
We love our museums and castles and we know you will too.
Keep up to date with all the news, events, activities and exhibitions by following our dedicated social media channels, signing up for our newsletter or reading our
Discover the Extraordinary blog.
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Visit Pontefract Museum
Entrance is free
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Monday
| 10am – 4.30pm
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Tuesday
| 10am – 4:30pm
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Wednesday
| 10am – 4:30pm
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Thursday
| 10am – 4:30pm
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Friday
| 10am – 4:30pm
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Saturday
| 10:30am – 4:30pm
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Sunday
| Closed
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Facilities and services
- Café nearby
- Parking nearby
- Accessible toilet
- Step free access
- Hearing loop
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Free family activities and resources
- Education visits
Covid-19 measures
Pontefract Museum has followed VisitEngland guidelines in order to ensure that it is safe to visit. From Monday 19 July we want you to visit our museum with confidence and feel safe. We are therefore keeping many of our safety measures in place. This includes:
- One way systems
- Asking visitors to sanitise their hands
- Asking staff and visitors to wear face coverings, if they can
- Limiting numbers in the museum
- Carrying out additional cleaning
Please make space and be mindful of others as you move around our displays.
You do not need to book, but may be asked to wait if the museum is busy. Our quietest visiting times are between 10am and 11am.
Under the UK Government's NHS Test and Trace scheme we will also ask every visitor over the age of 16 to provide their name and contact details, but this is not mandatory.
Address
Salter Row, Pontefract WF8 1BA Get directions with Google Maps. Entrance is free
Getting there:
The museum is located a few minutes’ walk from the town centre.
Public Transport:
Pontefract Museum is a 3 minute walk from Pontefract Bus station, 9 minute walk from Pontefract Baghill Rail Station, 12 minute walk from Pontefract Tanshelf Rail Station and 14 minute walk from Pontefract Monkhill Rail Station. For details about local buses and trains please see
Metro
By Car and Coach:
Get directions with Google Maps
Parking:
The nearest car park can be found at Aire Street car park at WF10 1JL
Alternative parking in Pontefract
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Access
Accessible parking
- The nearest Blue Badge parking is near the rear of the museum accessed via Stuart Road
Assistance
- Staff are on hand to help in any way we can and wear a purple uniform. There is always a member of staff in the museum reception
- Volunteers are often in the building and are also available to help. They wear a green uniform
Moving around our spaces
- There are three exhibition areas and a reference room. They are all on a level surface accessed from the main entrance
- The floor surfaces are polished wood, linoleum or mosaic tile
- The museum is level access throughout
- Some of our exhibition spaces have low light levels to protect delicate objects on display
- Sometimes our exhibitions include audio
- We can provide chairs if you need to sit down during your visit
Toilets and baby changing
- The museum has an accessible toilet and baby changing room on the ground floor
- We do not have changing places facilities. The nearest changing places toilet can be found at Junction 32 Outlet Shopping Village, WF10 4FR, 2.5 miles away
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Things to see and do
Step inside our beautiful art nouveau building and find out more about the rich history of Pontefract. From liquorice to glass making, we have lots to show you.
Highlights
Ackworth Hoard
The Ackworth Hoard was found buried in a garden in Wakefield, inside a pot made locally in Wrenthorpe.
This 200 year old hoard is the only one found in the Wakefield District. It’s made up of almost 600 gold and silver coins and one gold ring and can be linked to Royalist troops during the English Civil Wars.
Ballot Box
Britain’s first secret ballot was held in Pontefract in 1872 and we have the first ballot box on display in Pontefract Museum.
A comic about the first ballot has been created thanks to a collaboration between Wakefield Council and artist Jade Sarson.
Potwallopers tells the story of the town’s historic role in UK democracy. For the first time voters in a Parliamentary by-election were able to make their choice in private using an ‘X’ on a ballot paper.
The Comic has been funded by the Speaker’s Art Fund, a charitable trust which aims to spread knowledge about the UK’s system of Government.
Download the comic (60mb)
Special Exhibition: Bracing Air, Abundant Amusements: The Travel Posters of Charles Pears
24 May 2021 – 25 February 2022
© TfL from the London Transport Museum collection
Admire vibrant travel posters from Pontefract artist Charles Pears. Featuring bustling beaches, bathing belles and bold art deco design.
The exhibition will transport you back in time to the heyday of rail tourism and the British Seaside holiday, with posters and artworks filled with sun, sea and sand.
With special family friendly object labels and activity bags for you to take home, it’s perfect for those craving a fun family day out.
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What's On
We have a regular programme of exhibitions, as well as online, drop in and bookable activities across all our museum and castle sites throughout the year. Please see ourDiscover the Extraordinary blog for all the latest news
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Learning
We can help you bring excitement to learning!
For more information about our learning programmes, flexible workshop sessions, loans boxes and free downloadable teaching resources please see our
Museums Blog Pages or select the link below
Schools Learning Programmes
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Collections
Since 1923, Wakefield Museums and Castles has collected over 110,000 fascinating objects that help to tell the story of the Wakefield District from the distant past to the present day.
Visit our
Discover the Extraordinary blog to see more from our collections and explore resources created for you to enjoy at home or at school.
To donate an item to our collection or explore some of our online collections please click below
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Get involved
- Volunteer with Wakefield Museums and Castles
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Support Us
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About Us
Press and Media Enquiries
All Press and Media enquiries for Wakefield Museum should be made to the Press Office at
pressoffice@wakefield.gov.uk