Yorkshire Museum of Farming

About the museum

The Yorkshire Museum of Farming opened in 1982 at Murton, east of York. It was first set up to house farm machinery that farms across North and East Yorkshire had donated to a preservation society, which until then had kept the collection at another site. The museum lies on the trackbed of the former Derwent Valley Light Railway, and part of the line was brought back into use with a station building moved from a nearby village.

It stands on a site of about 14 acres that it shares with Murton Park, which also contains a living-history village with Roman, Viking and other reconstructed buildings, so a single admission covers the museum, the animals and the play areas. The museum was awarded full accreditation in 2010.

The core of the collection shows how farming became mechanised in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with historic vehicles, ploughs and hand tools displayed in a barn, and a livestock gallery. An exhibition on the Women’s Land Army, which was created with lottery funding, is on the upper floor, and restored tractors from several makers are shown in a separate building. An archive and library can be seen by appointment.

Highlights

• Historic farm vehicles, ploughs and hand tools in the Four Seasons gallery
• Women’s Land Army exhibition with period scenes and original objects
• Restored Ferguson, Farmall and Nuffield tractors
• Farm animals, playground and train rides on the same site
• Archive and library by appointment

Permanent exhibitions

• Four Seasons Gallery – A farming display in a barn, with historic vehicles, ploughs and hand tools.
• Women’s Land Army exhibition – Period scenes and original objects on the upper floor about the women who worked on farms in wartime.
• Tractor collection – Restored Ferguson, Farmall and Nuffield tractors in the John Sawkill Building.

Founded

1982

Admission & discounts

Standard admission is sold as a 12-month pass with unlimited visits, and the museum is included, so no separate booking is needed. The prices shown are for that pass; single-day prices are not published. Train rides are charged extra.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The site is about 14 acres of mostly flat ground linked by paths of varying surface. Some main tracks have loose gravel and parts of the Viking village can be slippery when wet, so some outdoor areas may be hard with certain wheelchairs or mobility aids; parts of the nature trail are inaccessible in bad weather. The Four Seasons building has a wheelchair lift to its upper mezzanine, the Livestock Gallery has ramp access and the John Sawkill Building is on one level. Facilities listed include a hearing loop and assistance dog access, and the site is Makaton friendly. Explorer backpacks are available for visitors with special educational needs and disabilities. Both toilet blocks have an accessible cubicle.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Admission covers the farm animals, play areas and many family activities. There is a playground and toy pedal tractors for under-8s; the indoor play barn is currently closed for maintenance, with toys available in the John Sawkill Building instead. Baby changing is in reception.

Getting there & parking

Murton Park is just off the A64 east of York; follow the brown Yorkshire Museum of Farming signs.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Yorkshire Barn Café is open daily. Reception houses the admissions desk, shop and café. There is a large picnic area, and picnics can be eaten in the atrium in bad weather. Toilets are in the reception building and in a block towards the back of the site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit