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Address
Prison & Police Museum, St. Marygate, Ripon HG4 1LX -
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Opening times
The Prison & Police Museum is now closed for the season and will reopen:
Saturday 10 February 2024
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Ticket prices
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Visit time
One hour -
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Accessibility
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Enter the grim prison with whitewashed cells and barred windows. On the ground floor is a history of policing in Yorkshire from the Anglo-Saxons to the formation of professional policing.
Upstairs, crime and punishment is the theme - with many hands-on activities to help imagine the horror of the Victorian prison regime.
Book your ticket
Visit all three museums
A museum pass gives admission to all three of our museums. Our museum tickets are all valid for 12 months. Ripon Museum Trust is a registered charity and our annual tickets and donations are eligible for Gift Aid.
Discover the harsh regimes of the Victorian prison system and the history of Yorkshire policing.Â
The Prison & Police Museum is housed in the former Ripon Liberty Prison, which later became Ripon Police Station. It is a fitting setting to explore the history of Yorkshire policing and the harsh realities of the Victorian prison.
Step through the gate into the prison yard, where you can “lock up” your friends and family in the pillory or experience the whipping post. Enter the museum, where our galleries are housed in the original atmospheric prison cells, with their white-washed walls and barred windows.
Downstairs you’ll discover the history of policing in Yorkshire, from the Anglo-Saxons to the formation of professional policing. Police uniform, insignia and transport are all displayed, with the chance to sit on an original police motorcycle.
Tread the stone stairs, worn by the feet of prisoners, to the first floor (or take the lift), where crime and punishment is the theme. Experience the isolation of our empty cell, turn the crank, and learn about other types of punishment, including transportation or the birching chair. Try your hand at detective work with our photo-fit challenge and learn about the science of fingerprinting.
