This summer, Ripon Museums are bursting with hands-on history and creative fun for all the family! Across our three sites – the Workhouse Museum, Prison & Police Museum and Courthouse Museum – we’re inviting visitors of all ages to step into the past and get involved. From baking Victorian treats and learning to sew, to crafting magistrate wigs and building your own treadmill automaton, there’s something happening every day to spark imaginations. With special storytelling sessions, summer-long trails and weekly craft challenges, it’s the perfect time to discover Ripon’s rich heritage in a fun, interactive way.
Workhouse Museum
- Baking (weekly drop in, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays). Join our resident cooks to make your own freshly-baked Victorian goods.
- Family Craft Workshops (weekly drop in, every Wednesday from 30th July). Try your hand at a new craft each Wednesday! Can you compete our summer challenge and create all five crafts?
- Sensory Storytelling (Saturday 16th August) – Early years storytelling followed by sensory free play, exploring the sights, sounds and textures of different jobs in the workhouse.
- Threading (daily drop in) – Learn to sew just like the women of the workhouse with our threading kits. With chunky needles and wool, threading is perfect for first time sewers.
Prison and Police Museum
- Treadmill Automaton (Saturday 23rd August) – Make your own treadmill and make sure our Victorian prisoners complete their punishment!
- Police Box Paper Craft (daily drop in) – Colour and construct your very own police box.
Courthouse Museum
- Magistrate Wigs (Saturday 9th August, drop-in) – No magistrate is complete without their wig! Create your own paper wig and prepare to deliver justice in the courthouse.
- Barrister Battle Boardgame (daily drop in) – Innocent or guilty? Become barristers and win the case for your client.
