What's on at the Museum
We are currently open Saturday to Thursday, from 10am until 5pm (closed on Fridays). As well as a six-acre site and over 20 heritage buildings to explore, we have a varied and creative programme of events and activities throughout the year.
Believe it or not?
Saturday 23 March until Sunday 17 November (closed on Fridays)
Prepare to be bewitched by this season’s exhibition for all the family, telling the story of magic and beliefs from the North York Moors and beyond.
Celebrating 60 Years
Monday 11 March until Sunday 17 November (closed on Fridays)
To mark the Museum’s 60th birthday this year, we’ve put together a special exhibition, on display in the Art Gallery.
Explore stories from the Museum’s past, discover the volunteers who worked tirelessly to found this special place, and find out how you can be a part of its future.
From moving the Museum’s very first building through to our more recent activities creating and caring for a cornfield, discover the work that has gone into this special site in the heart of the North York Moors National Park
This exhibition is free to visit. (It is not in the paid part of the Museum.)
Summer of Magic - Hobtastic Trail
From 25 May until 30 September
The hobs are taking over the Museum! These mischievous elves live in moorland farms and houses and if you’re very lucky may do your chores each night – but make sure you treat them nicely, because a naughty hob is definitely not what you need! Hobs are secretive creatures and not always easy to spot…
Join us for a hobtastic new trail to discover their hiding places! Perfect for all the family. Count the hobs, collect a little prize from reception and enter our prize draw for the season.
The hobs will be coming and going throughout the summer, so there’ll be a new count each week and another opportunity to enter! Check out our Facebook page or Instagram page for the answers every Friday.
Hutton-To-Do
Available now
There’s a bit of a To Do around Hutton-le-Hole. We’ve created an exciting family-friendly game for you to play around the village. Pick up your free ‘Bingo’ cards from the Museum, then have fun exploring. Just as a member of our friendly museum team at reception for ‘Hutton-to-do’.
Can you hug a walnut tree, find a house with a date or say ‘Now then!’ to a shopkeeper?
Who will get the first row? Or all four corners?
Although you can take part around our site if you’d like to, there’s no requirement to visit the Museum as you can complete this free activity around the village too. (Please note, the Museum is closed on Fridays.)
Summer of Magic - Storytelling Tuesdays
We’ve got three magical story-based days this summer, suitable for all the family. Join us as we celebrate the folklore of the region.
30 July – Join us from 11 am – 1.30pm to uncover the story of the Farndale Hob with our friendly farmer’s wife. Then from 2pm – 4pm, we’ll be discovering more about the folklore of witches on the North York Moors
13 August – we’ll be delving into the local folklore of dragons, with storytelling at 11.15am, 1pm and 3pm
20 August – Join us from 11 am – 1.30pm to uncover the story of the Farndale Hob with our friendly farmer’s wife. Then from 2pm – 4pm, we’ll be discovering more about the folklore of witches on the North York Moors
These family-friendly activities are free, included in your museum entry ticket or valid annual pass.
Summer of Magic - Wonder Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, 11am – 12.30pm and 1pm – 3pm FREE drop-in activities
Ever wondered how the people of the past thought about everyday life? As part of our Summer of Magic, we’ll be exploring the incredible ways that magical thinking was a normal part of daily life. From folk healing to magical objects, join us every Wednesday from 11am – 3pm to find out more with hands-on historic activities across the Museum, suitable for children aged 5+.
17 July – Spectacular spells in the schoolroom, plus discover the magical thinking behind simple knitting
24 July – Spectacular spells in the schoolroom, and learn skipping with rhymes and folklore (weather permitting – in the event of adverse weather, an alternative activity will be provided)
31 July – Learn about the work of moorland wise woman Betty Strother and her beautiful spell tokens to bring luck, love and peace
7 August – Discover the ‘magical’ ingredients that went into medicines, and make your own sleeping charm
14 August – Explore the magic of the harvest as you grind corn up at the roundhouse (weather permitting – in the event of adverse weather, an alternative activity will be provided)
21 August – Join us in the washhouse and dairy to discover the jobs you wish you had a hob to do – and what the fairies did to workers who didn’t work hard enough
28 August – Discover the ‘magical’ ingredients that went into medicines, and make your own sleeping charm
These family-friendly activities are free, included in your museum entry ticket or valid annual pass.
Summer of Magic - Artful Thursdays
Thursdays during the summer holidays, 11am – 3.30pm, FREE drop-in activities
Join us to embark on a magical summer at Ryedale Folk Museum. In keeping with our theme for the year, we’ve an array of activities to keep the whole family busy this summer.
Join out artist-led workshops every Thursday of the summer, taking inspiration from folklore and magical thinking from the North York Moors.
25 July – join artist Karen Thompson to explore the world of witches’ familiars with a fun family-friendly printmaking activity
1 August – join artist Karen Thompson to explore the world of witches’ familiars with a fun family-friendly printmaking activity
8 August – join textile artist Serena Partridge. We’ll be taking inspiration from spell tokens to design our own badges.
15 August -join textile artist Serena Partridge. We’ll be taking inspiration from spell tokens to design our own badges.
22 August – join artist Karen Thompson to explore what makes a magical face, taking inspiration from the faces on witch bottles.
29 August – join artist Karen Thompson to explore what makes a magical face, taking inspiration from the faces on witch bottles.
These family-friendly activities are free, included in your museum entry ticket or valid annual pass.
History Walk About - Explore the Reenactment Encampment
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August, 10am – 4pm FREE
We’re delighted to welcome back the reenactors to Ryedale Folk Museum.
Visit the Museum, take a walk about the encampment and explore the sights and smells of life in yesteryear.
Access is included within your entry ticket to the Museum or on presentation of a valid annual pass
Magical House Protection - the Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft
Saturday 7 September, 2 – 3.30pm. Tickets: £5
Join writer Brian Hoggard of Apotropaios as he uncovers the concealed world of counter-witchcraft.
Across the British Isles, old homes and houses bear witness to the beliefs of our ancestors. Brian will be exploring the special signs and secret objects that have often lain hidden for centuries. From written charms to marks and carvings, the evidence mounts. But of particular fascination are the many objects, long-concealed. Welcome to a world of magical thinking, where everyday people buried witch bottles, horses’ skulls, so-called ‘mummified’ cats and an array of other curious finds…
After writing an undergraduate dissertation on witchcraft and folk magic, Brian’s research quickly escalated into an incredible project to map and plot evidence of magical house protection. The results of this work – which started in 1999 – formed the basis of the publication Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft.
(Please note, if you would also like to visit the Museum, an entry ticket must also be purchased or a valid annual pass shown.)
Minster Strays Morris Dancing in the Manor House
Saturday 14 September at 2pm and 3.30pm
Join us for Morris Dancing at the Museum, with the wonderfully talented Minster Strays. This year, we’ve been celebrating the folklore of the region and are delighted to welcome the Minster Strays back for two performances.
Join us at 2pm or 3.30pm in the Manor House.
Free entry – included in our normal admission prices or upon presentation of a valid annual pass.
Hobnobbing with the Hobs, with Bob Fischer
Saturday 14 September, 2 – 3pm. Tickets: £5
Join writer and broadcaster Bob Fischer to discover a wonderful world of folklore from the North York Moors.
This landscape is riddled with tales of ‘hobs’, the mystical little beasties once believed to have helped out on local farms, or, indeed, to have caused havoc on them!
Did Elphi, the mischievous Farndale hob, really cause the Oughtred family to leave their moorland home forever? And did the cave-dwelling Runswick Bay hob actually have the power to cure whooping cough? In this lively talk, Bob looks at the origin and history of these endearing local folk tales.
Bob Fischer is a North-eastern writer, broadcaster and walker whose own ‘hobsession’ started when he discovered the intriguing ‘Hob On The Hill’ moorland marker stone near Commondale. He is a regular writer about folklore and other weirdness for Fortean Times magazine and his popular Haunted Generation website chronicles the stranger corners of 20th century pop culture.
(Please note, if you would also like to visit the Museum, an entry ticket must also be purchased or a valid annual pass shown.)
Wedding Open Day
Sunday 15 September
Join us for a wedding open day at Ryedale Folk Museum, visit our ceremony locations and chat to our friendly team about having your wedding, elopement or vow renewal in the Museum’s unique setting.
Our Wedding Coordinator, Kirsty, will take small groups (pre-booked only) to visit the some of the spaces you can hold your ceremony in, beginning with the majestic Manor House and the atmospheric Iron Age roundhouse, before moving on to some of our smaller, more intimate settings.
We will also be joined by Angela Waites – a trusted local photographer, who has photographed numerous weddings at the Museum since ceremonies began in 2021. Angela will chat to couples on an informal basis about what makes Ryedale Folk Museum the perfect place to get married and to get a memorable photo!
You can find out more about having your wedding or renewal at Ryedale Folk Museum by visiting our dedicated web pages. Our venues can accommodate 2 to 58 guests and prices start at just £395. You can even hire the whole Museum with one of our Exclusive Use packages.
You must pre-book to take part in our open day. There is complimentary admission to the Museum for those booked on a tour, along with a glass of prosecco on arrival.
Book your open day tour here:
The Countryside in 100 Objects, with Sally Coulthard
Saturday 26 October, 2.00pm – 3.30pm. Tickets: £5 (reimbursed if you buy one of Sally’s books on the day)
Join local author Sally Coulthard for a light-hearted talk and in discussion event with Museum Director Jen Smith.
