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Wakefield Museums and Castles
Information for families visiting Wakefield Museum
Wakefield Museum has lots of fun for families of all shapes and sizes! Here you can find information about visiting the museum for families. This will help you to plan your visit.
We’re really proud to have been shortlisted for Best Accessible Museum in the 2024 Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Awards.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Contact us
You can contact us in advance of your visit with any questions. You can email us at museums@wakefield.gov.uk and we will get back to you during office hours. These are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
You can also ring Wakefield Museum on 01924 302104. We will usually pick up the phone during our normal opening hours.
If we cannot pick up the phone, please leave a message with your name and contact number as we will ring you back.
Visual stories and floor plans
You can view our visual story for Wakefield Museum before you visit.
You can view a floor plan of Wakefield Museum.
You can download a sensory map of the main galleries. This will help you know what to expect on your visit.
You can also download a separate sensory map of the Cynthia Kenny: a city framed exhibition.
Copies of the floor plans and sensory maps will be available at the Pick and Mix station in the Welcome Space.
How to get to Wakefield Museum
Find out how to get to Wakefield Museum by car or public transport on our Plan your visit page.
The nearest car park can be found at Merchant Gate next to Wakefield Westgate train station. Use WF1 2QN in your sat nav. It is 90p per hour, up to a maximum of 5 hours. There are 45 disabled bays at Merchant Gate.
Arriving at Wakefield Museum
Wakefield Museum is free entry for all. You do not need to book a ticket.
Wakefield Museum is on the lower ground floor of the Wakefield One building. There is level access into the museum and throughout via the Cliffe Lane entrance.
You can also enter Wakefield One from the Burton Lane entrance (used for the Library). You can then either use the stairs or lifts to reach Wakefield Museum on the lower ground floor.
All areas of Wakefield Museum and the Wakefield One building are accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Toilets and baby changing
Wakefield Museum is on the lower ground floor of the Wakefield One building. Public toilets, including accessible toilets, can be found on the floor above the Museum. They can be accessed via a lift or stairs. The accessible toilets do not need a radar key.
Baby changing facilities are available in the gender-neutral accessible toilets.
There are also toilets and accessible toilets for customers of Create Café, which is opposite Wakefield Museum in the Wakefield One building.
We also have spare nappies, wipes and sanitary products if you are caught short! Our friendly staff will be happy to help you.
Wakefield Museum is a breastfeeding-friendly location. You are welcome to breastfeed your baby here.
We unfortunately do not have Changing Places facilities. The nearest changing place facility is in Trinity Walk shopping centre, Market Walk, WF1 1QR, which is 0.6 miles away.
Assistance
Our staff are happy to help you with anything you might need. Our staff wear a black uniform. They are called Visitor Experience Assistants. There will always be a Visitor Experience Assistant near the Welcome Space. This is the first area you enter when arriving at Wakefield Museum.
We sometimes have volunteers on site. Our volunteers wear a green uniform. You can also ask them for help or with any questions.
Family activities
We have lots of fun hands-on elements throughout the museum. You can dress-up, play in our toy 1950s kitchen, clock-in to work and get creative!
We have free trails to guide you around the museum, looking for our star objects.
Every Saturday, from 11am to 3pm, we have free Family Fun craft activities. Try something new each week linked to our wonderful displays.
In term-time, we have weekly Museum Minis sessions for ages 2 to 5 and their families. These are at 10:30am to 11:30am on Thursdays. These sessions are free and you don’t need to book.
(Please note: the fire alarms in Wakefield One are tested at 11am on Thursdays. We have ear defenders that you and / or your children can borrow)
We have an exciting range of events and workshops for ages 2 to 16 throughout the year.
We also have a popular term-time Home Education workshop offer.
Head to our What's On page for all upcoming events.
Access information
Browse our full access information for Wakefield Museum including Relaxed Openings and on-site resources.
50 things to do
Have you heard of 50 things to do before you're 5 and 50 things ages five to eleven? They're collections of no-cost or low-cost activities for families in Wakefield.
The 50 Things app explains each of the recommended activities. It provides a guide to events and opportunities available locally. It is available to download for free on the Play Store and Apple Store.
We've got handy guides on how to tick off your 50 things at Wakefield Museum (on Experience Wakefield):
Food and drink
There is no café within Wakefield Museum.
The nearest café is opposite the museum entrance inside the Wakefield One building. Create Café serves fresh and locally sourced food and drink. Create Café is usually open 8:45am - 3pm, Monday to Friday. Please call 01924 223330 to check opening hours. Create Café 2025 Menu
Wakefield has a vibrant café and restaurant scene. There are lots of options for when Create Café is shut on Saturdays. Our friends at Experience Wakefield have lots of suggestions for places to go.
There is no dedicated lunchroom or space on site. Families with packed lunches are welcome to sit outside the Wakefield One building. There are concrete blocks for people to sit on. You may wish to bring a sun hat and sunglasses when the weather is hot as this place has minimal shade during the middle of the day and afternoon.
Contact information
Wakefield Museum, Wakefield One, Burton Street, Wakefield WF1 2EB