Wakefield Museum
Encyclopedia
Wakefield Museum is a local museum
in Wakefield
, West Yorkshire
, north England
, covering the history of the city of Wakefield and the local area from preistoric times onwards.
The museum is run by Wakefield Council and is located in Wood Street, central Wakefield. It includes an exhibition on the South America
n rainforest, featuring the early 19th century collection of the naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton
(1782–1865, born at Walton Hall
, Wakefield).
Local museum
A local museum is a museum that covers local history. Its collection normally includes objects with a local connection of some sort. Such museums are often small in nature and have a low budget for their running costs...
in Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, north England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, covering the history of the city of Wakefield and the local area from preistoric times onwards.
Overview
The museum was established in its current building in 1955, having moved from Holmfield House in Thornes Park. The building where it is located was built in 1821–23 with facilities including a music saloon, newsroom, bank, and baths. In 1855, the building became the Mechanics' Institution and in 1910 it became the Institute of Literature and Science. In 2000, the building was renovated, including new displays, a lift, and ramps for disabled access. The building is Grade II listed.The museum is run by Wakefield Council and is located in Wood Street, central Wakefield. It includes an exhibition on the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n rainforest, featuring the early 19th century collection of the naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton
Charles Waterton
Charles Waterton was an English naturalist and explorer.-Heritage and Life:"Squire" Waterton was born at Walton Hall, Wakefield, Yorkshire to Thomas Waterton and Anne Bedingfield. He was of a Roman Catholic landed gentry family descended from Reiner de Waterton...
(1782–1865, born at Walton Hall
Walton Hall, West Yorkshire
Walton Hall is a stately home in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Wakefield. It was built in the Palladian style around 1767 on an island within a 26 acre lake, on the site of a former moated medieval hall. It was the ancestral home of the naturalist and traveller Charles Waterton, who...
, Wakefield).