Tolson Museum

About the museum

The museum is housed in Ravensknowle Hall, a Victorian mansion built in the late 1850s for the textile manufacturer John Beaumont. After his death the house passed to a relative, Legh Tolson, who gave it to Huddersfield Corporation in 1919 as a memorial to two nephews killed in the First World War.

The Tolson Memorial Museum was formally opened on 27 May 1922, at first as a natural history museum. Over the following decades it widened its scope to cover the archaeology, industry and social history of the Huddersfield area, and in the 1980s it was reorganised around the district's industrial heritage, especially textiles and road transport.

The museum is now run by Kirklees Council and is an accredited museum. Its collections include local archaeology, weaving machinery and textiles, and natural history with many bird specimens. Displays also include a reconstructed Victorian schoolroom, a transport gallery with unusual historic vehicles and a reconstructed Roman hypocaust from the Slack Roman fort.

Highlights

• Victorian mansion in Ravensknowle Park
• Transport gallery with unusual historic vehicles and a children's play area
• Weaving machinery and textiles of the Huddersfield area
• Natural history collection with many birds
• Reconstructed Roman hypocaust from Slack fort

Permanent exhibitions

• Transport Gallery – Historic and unusual vehicles from the area, with a play area for children.
• Textiles and industry – Weaving machinery and cloth that show how textile making shaped Huddersfield.
• Natural history and archaeology – Birds and other specimens, Roman finds and a reconstructed Roman hypocaust from Slack fort.

Founded

1922

Operated by

Kirklees Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free during normal opening hours. Visits outside those hours are charged and must be booked with the museum.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The ground floor is accessible, but the first floor can only be reached by stairs and there is no lift. The main entrance has four steps with handrails and a heavy door; wheelchair users and others needing level access can ring a bell for staff to open the level entrance at the rear. An accessible toilet is on the ground floor in the Transport gallery, and staff provide a Radar key from reception. A hearing loop is available. Assistance dogs are welcome and water bowls are provided. The museum has no wheelchairs to lend. Seating is spread around the galleries. Some interactive displays and atmospheric areas make sudden sounds, and lighting levels vary. There is free parking for about 30 vehicles, including six Blue Badge bays.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

A children's play area is in the Transport Gallery. Explorer bags and sensory bags can be borrowed free of charge, and baby carriers can be borrowed from the welcome desk. Prams can only be used on the ground floor. The cafe has bottle warming facilities. Trails and treasure hunts, dressing up, reading corners and activities for under-5s. Parent and baby walks run by the organisation Parent Sanctuary start from the museum every Monday at 1pm; the museum itself is normally closed on Mondays, so this is a separate activity outside the opening hours.

Getting there & parking

Use the postcode HD5 8DJ for satnav. Three bicycle racks are outside the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Conservatory Cafe serves hot and cold drinks, confectionery and ice creams, with seating inside and on the forecourt, and has bottle warming facilities. The shop sells gemstones, natural history and transport items, local history books, traditional toys and souvenirs. Ravensknowle Park has a playground.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Visits outside normal opening hours can be booked with the museum.

Plan your visit