Name: Tolson Museum and Ravensknowle Park
Rating: 5.0

Tolson Museum and Ravensknowle Park

Tolson Memorial Museum, Wakefield Road, Moldgreen, Huddersfield, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Tolson Museum is a local history museum located in Ravensknowle Park, showcasing the story of Huddersfield and its people from pre-history to the present day. It features a wide range of collections including Roman finds, textiles, transport and natural history. The museum offers an engaging look into the town’s heritage, culture and development over time.

Visitors can explore permanent galleries such as the Going Places transport gallery, textile displays, Ramsden’s Town, the Story of Huddersfield, the Bird Room, First World War exhibitions and suffragist displays. Activities include trails and treasure hunts, hands-on interactives, dressing up, children’s play area, under 5 activities, explorer and sensory bags, and parent and baby walks. Facilities also include a café space, gift shop and accessible visitor amenities.

Entry to the museum is free. Overall, Tolson Museum offers an educational and interactive experience for visitors of all ages. With diverse exhibits, family-friendly activities and engaging displays, it provides a deeper understanding of Huddersfield’s history. It is a great place to explore heritage, learn and enjoy a relaxed visit in a park setting.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Kids in Museums Family Friendly Manifesto: We have signed the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Manifesto to create a more family-friendly and child-centric environment. Visit us and find out how these changes have made the museum a favourite destination for families and why they love Tolson Museum.
What families will find at Tolson

Investigate the history of Huddersfield, transport and nature through our exciting trails and treasure hunts!
Get hands-on with interactives, dressing up, and reading.
Let off some steam in our exciting children's play area in the Transport Gallery.
Enjoy time with our littlest explorers through dedicated under 5 activities.
Become an intrepid Tolson Explorer with our explorer and sensory bags - free to borrow!
Carry on discovering upstairs with baby hip carriers available to borrow from the welcome desk.
Eat together in our café area, with bottle warming facilities.
Visit without worry, with clear and accessible signage.
Take part in Parent Sanctuary's parent and baby walks, every Monday at 1pm from Tolson Museum.

Facilities

Parking: Free parking available.
Food & Drinks: Hot and cold drinks, confectionery and ice creams can be purchased in the Tolson shop and consumed in the cafe space or the new outdoor seating area in the museum forecourt.
Gift shop: Tolson shop reflects the museum collections, selling a beautiful gemstone selection together with natural history, transport and Victorian inspired ranges. You will also find local history books and memorabilia, unique art and a wide range of traditional toys and pocket money souvenirs, as well snacks, drinks and ice creams.
Toilets: We have toilets for visitors located on the ground floor. These include baby changing facilities and a fully accessible toilet.

What to see

Permanent galleries

Transport: Take a journey through the Going Places transport gallery, a collection of historic carriages, cars and bicycles that have kept Huddersfield moving through history.
Textiles: The local textile industry created wealth for mill owners such as the Beaumont's who lived in Ravensknowle Hall before it became Tolson Museum. Displays of machinery and artefacts, from processes including spinning, weaving and cropping, explanations of how the factory system changed the lives of workers and of the spirited resistance to new machinery by the Luddites.
Ramsden's Town: The Ramsdens were the founders of the Huddersfield we know today. In 1599 William Ramsden bought the Manor of Huddersfield as a small Pennine village; it developed into a major town and 'one of the principal seats of the woollen trade in the Kingdom'.
The story of Huddersfield: "The Town that bought itself". In 1800 Huddersfield was still only an oversized village. Most people worked in the domestic weaving trade or farmed small patches of land. Before the end of the century Huddersfield was a town of growth, prosperity and culture, boasting many fine buildings.
The Bird Room: The stunning Tolson Bird Room was opened in 1925 and is a splendid and rare example of historical collecting and display. Most of the birds are from even earlier; the collection was purchased as the nucleus of a museum for Huddersfield.
Huddersfield's First World War stories: A gallery commemorating the centenary of the First World War focusing on objects, photographs and stories from the period.
Our Fight for the Voting Right: Launched to mark the centenary of the 1918 Act which gave women over 30 the right to vote, 'Our Fight for the Voting Right' celebrates and explores the outstanding stories of the suffragettes and suffragists of Kirklees.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Regular opening times

Monday & Friday: Closed
Tuesday to Thursday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Kirklees school holidays

Monday & Friday: Closed
Tuesday to Thursday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Address: Tolson Memorial Museum, Wakefield Road, Moldgreen, Huddersfield, UK

Post Code: HD5 8DJ

Council: Kirklees

County: West Yorkshire

By Car: We're in Ravensknowle Park on Wakefield Road, which is a main arterial route into Huddersfield. Please use postcode HD5 8DJ for satnavs. Parking is free at the museum.
By Bus: Wakefield Road is busy bus route with the 232, 261, 83, D1 all stopping very near the museum.
Parking: Free parking available.