Local Guides World
Top Museums in Scarborough, United Kingdom
Top Rated Museums in Scarborough
Top Reviewed Museums in Scarborough
Scarborough Castle
Rotunda Museum: Museum of Coastal Heritage and Geology
Scarborough Art Gallery
Scarborough Art Gallery
Scarborough Archaeological And Historical Society
Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre
Scarborough Castle
Reviews
Absolutely enjoyed this. Booked tickets on-line & got a discount. As I am disabled, but don't have a blue badge, I called and asked if I could use their disabled parking - no problem. I also booked The Tramper - a heavy-duty mobility scooter - booked through the Tramper web-site it cost me £3 & worth every penny.
Staff were friendly & very helpful - could not fault. A special shout out to Connor who assisted with the Tramper & I think Julian, but I'm not sure.
Site is stunning & covers so much history. There are free guided tours as well. Some areas are off-limits to the Tramper, but you can see most of the site. Views are exceptional.
Totally enjoyed the visit & would recommend booking the Tramper if you are disabled. These need to be available in more places.
Staff were friendly & very helpful - could not fault. A special shout out to Connor who assisted with the Tramper & I think Julian, but I'm not sure.
Site is stunning & covers so much history. There are free guided tours as well. Some areas are off-limits to the Tramper, but you can see most of the site. Views are exceptional.
Totally enjoyed the visit & would recommend booking the Tramper if you are disabled. These need to be available in more places.
Medieval castle by the North Sea, on top of the east-coast cliffs of Yorkshire! Visited on a stormy day, saved by a cuppa hot chocolate inside. Breathtaking view from the castle walls, the main tower was inaccessible due to high winds. Not so great souvenir shop at the entrance, great conversation with the very helpful staff. Must visit if you are in Yorkshire.
Wonderful guided tour with dave. Loved it. The castle is well worth a visit, me and my dog enjoyed it and the views are breathtaking, a great place to sit with a coffee. There was even a friendly pheasant to feed.
Brilliant morning out, loads of beautiful view points around the grounds Lots to explore around the castle and in the castle itself. Good facilities - toilets and cafes all nice although a little pricey. We got 2 kids meals and at £5ish each the quality was amazing. All staff were friendly and helpful.
Another brilliant castle with plenty of history. Great staff on site who are more than happy to share there knowledge with visitors. Plenty of wide open spaces for children to run around in. The views over Scarborough from the castle are amazing. Definitely worth a visit.
Great little gallery with some lovely Atkinson Grimshaw works in the permanent collection and some quirky stuff by local artists. I liked the "stoat in a boat with a groat" (although it looked like a weasle to me!)
I stumbled across this place over the Christmas holidays and it is such a gem! They had a lovely xmas mouse trail on for children, with clipboards and pencils which gave it that extra specialness. There's a special room with crafting, drawing things and it's decorated with crafty makes around the room. It totally embodies it's manifesto - which you can find in the room which defines it as a "space to be". It honestly feels like a nurturing environment where any minds and imaginations can flourish. It's a treasure trove of artistic exploration, inviting us all to unleash their creativity. The touchy feely, sensory exhibits around the room are beautiful. It's like a sanctuary where creativity is celebrated, making art accessible and inspiring for all of us
Lovely, friendly, knowledgeable staff, wonderful expeience for all our special family, lots of interesting history, educational, fossils, and everything you can inmagine! Beautiful building, great gift shop section too! Loved it!
Lovely impromptu visit when fossil hunting near Scarborough. Only £3 admission which lasts a year and gives you access to the art gallery as well. Great little museum with friendly staff and really interesting talks with the volunteers. Special thanks go to Aeron and Richard for their passion and knowledge.
Kudos to the staff, they were all absolutely lovely.
I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised and spent nearly 2 hours wandering the castle grounds. I was also lucky enough to catch a funny, little play in the exhibition space.
Perhaps it was due to rather wet weather but it wasn't very busy for a Saturday.
The castle itself is open until 5pm, but that day the cafe van closed at 4 and the toilets at 4:30.
I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised and spent nearly 2 hours wandering the castle grounds. I was also lucky enough to catch a funny, little play in the exhibition space.
Perhaps it was due to rather wet weather but it wasn't very busy for a Saturday.
The castle itself is open until 5pm, but that day the cafe van closed at 4 and the toilets at 4:30.
A beautiful piece of national heritage and history. Great to learn about the huge number of changes the British isles have seen over the years with such huge changes in its population and cultures. A fascinating mix, and a very beautiful place to learn. My children both loved it! Aged 6 and 8, both interested in the quizzes and reading in the little museum, fascinated by the stories of the bombings, invasions,… and trying to visualize the town and castle back when it was whole. Could have more visualizations to help support deeper understanding.
A hidden gem. Great staff (volunteers) and very reasonable entry price where under 18’s and carers get in free. A surprisingly good and varied collection from the area and very informative. It isn’t huge but is full of information. There is a lift for those unable to manage the stairs inside. Activity sheets available for kids. Sensory and information back packs can be borrowed from the welcome desk if needed. We were there an hour and, not being a museum lover myself, came out really informed and happy.
Glorious Atkinson Grimshaw paintings on permanent display. A small but always interested gallery. Nice tea room next door.
We had a lovely day visiting the Castle. We have been to Scarborough loads of times but this is our fist time visiting the Castle. It's a beautiful site with some spectacular views of Scarborough. Would definitely recommend visiting if you are in Scarborough. We will definitely be visiting again.
Great castle to visit with a vast 16 acres surrounded by the walls. Owned by English Heritage. Brilliant views from the walls across Scarborough and the surrounding countryside.
Bought tickets online, in advance, as we were able to save £2 per adult on the admission price. We spent well over 2 hours here, so was value for money. Would recommend the audio guide and we joined in on a great tour with Sue, the guide on the day, she was very knowledgeable and engaging. There are great views of the coast from here, we really enjoyed our visit to the castle.
Perfect for a family day out. Even though the castle is in ruins, you can see how it’s been built up over the years if different ownership. There is a small museum on the property where you can sit inside and enjoy the cafe’s offerings. They also have a bottle warmer, microwave and baby changing facilities.
If you don’t have a parking disk, you can pay to park at the church down the road. Great views of the coast and most of the grounds are accessible if you have a pram.
Don’t forget to buy your tickets online as they’re cheaper than buying them in person. Child friendly and dog friendly.
If you don’t have a parking disk, you can pay to park at the church down the road. Great views of the coast and most of the grounds are accessible if you have a pram.
Don’t forget to buy your tickets online as they’re cheaper than buying them in person. Child friendly and dog friendly.
Great castle and views!
The castle is mostly in ruins now however there is still plenty to explore. There is a great exhibition inside about the history of the castle and some interesting artifacts that have been found on the site over the years, as well as stories about how the castle fared in WW2.
The coastal walk around the castle is lovely, the views are absolutely breathtaking.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable too.
The castle is mostly in ruins now however there is still plenty to explore. There is a great exhibition inside about the history of the castle and some interesting artifacts that have been found on the site over the years, as well as stories about how the castle fared in WW2.
The coastal walk around the castle is lovely, the views are absolutely breathtaking.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable too.
We didn't expect much - thought it would just be some runs on a hill. We were wrong! It ended up being one of our favourite days of our trip to Scarborough! We enjoyed exploring the castle and taking in the incredible views. We then watched the jester's act, which was entertaining, before getting some lunch on sight. The food was lovely and reasonably priced - we had a range of hot food and cold in our group, and all enjoyed it. We then watched the knights jousting and later returned to hear about war horse training. Probably worth checking beforehand what is on, as those events aren't permanent features. A great day out!
An absolutely fascinating museum, with plenty to interest young and old alike. The staff are very pleasant and helpful too. The annual pass is a bargain and will get you into Scarborough Art Gallery as well, and it's a good incentive to return within the year.
Enjoyed the work in the art gallery, showcasing local artists the Woodside gallery was much more challenging, could not define any rhyme reason rythym or beauty in the piece of communal Art work. But I guess that's Art! The gallery entry price include entry to the Old Post Office Opo and the rotunda. So it's good value
Visited in April 2023 and the place was really nice, if only there was more to see lol, well looked after and friendly staff
Well worth a visit. You have to buy an Annual Pass (£3 I think) which you can also use at the Rotunda - nearby natural history museum. Great collection of art showing Scarborough over the last 3 centuries.
Lovely visit to Scarborough Art Gallery this week. Thoroughly enjoyed viewing the paintings, especially by Grimshaw which were amazing, loved the moodiness and colours. Staff were warm and friendly.Great value for £3 annual ticket which included Rotunda Museum close by. Would deffo recommend visit x
Fantastic exhibitions at Scarborough Art Gallery including East Coast Open Studios and Who Am I?
Great local talent and some fascinating paintings of Scarborough's landmarks and people.
Let's not forget the Atkinson Grimshaw Collection, too.
Great staff, too.
Well worth a visit if you're in the town.
And there a new exhibits ready for Autumn 2023 are now ready to see.
Great local talent and some fascinating paintings of Scarborough's landmarks and people.
Let's not forget the Atkinson Grimshaw Collection, too.
Great staff, too.
Well worth a visit if you're in the town.
And there a new exhibits ready for Autumn 2023 are now ready to see.
If you visit one place make it this one. It's a small centre but talk to the people and you'll learn a lot about the maritime history of Scarborough. It's free.
A great place to visit with a wealth of knowledge about Scarborough’s maritime history and some surprising tales
Well worth a visit for local history. A team of great volunteers with loads of history to share
Nice little museum focused on geology of the local area as well as some collections donated by the great and the good of Scarborough's past. Only £3 entry for adults and they give you a pass that lasts all year, under 18s free.
Lovely small art gallery housed in a grand house just close to the crescent and the Woodend Art Gallery nearby. Friendly and affable chap on reception. Loos are upstairs and there are two floors. On the plus, I did enjoy the unexpected treat of seeing the exhibition of paintings by Grimshaw but the minus point, n it's a biggy to me, was the amount of ivory currently on display, trophy hunter's killing elephants for their tusks (and other game) from back in the day. Ivory belongs on elephants - live ones. Grrrr. Not so much tsk tsk but tusk tusk. There are some good little historical guides on Scarborough for sale, reasonably priced. There is a nominal entry fee of £3, which is valid for a year and also gets you in to the Rotunda Museum for return visits too.
Great place to visit and the current sand exhibition is very interesting. Created our own more eco friendly mortar, corn starch and sand in a 1:5 mix. Looks like there was something else next door as well but ran out of time. May be next time
Quite a small museum and didn’t seem to have that much on display compared to the stated number of artefacts and items. The ’explorer backpacks’ handed to the kids at the door were a good idea. Pretty fair for the entry price. The staff were enthusiastic and friendly. Beautiful building
A really interesting little museum. Well worth a visit. The volunteers who run this treasure are so knowledgeable and friendly. A thoroughly enjoyable visit.
Lovely little museum, doesn't take long to look around but it was nice to see history from around the area. Staff were very nice and helpful.
Outstanding gallery, definitely one of my favorites. A wonderful, charming, oasis, of creative calm.
These days a small entry fee is required, three pounds. Which, considering, these extremely challenging, economic times we find ourselves in, is more than fair.
Once purchased, it allows multiple visits.
On this occasion I particularly, enjoyed the exhibition of newly restored, John Atkinson Grimshaw paintings.
I really can't recommend this lovely gallery enough. If you're a local or a holidaymaker, take a little time out for a visit. Well worth it.
These days a small entry fee is required, three pounds. Which, considering, these extremely challenging, economic times we find ourselves in, is more than fair.
Once purchased, it allows multiple visits.
On this occasion I particularly, enjoyed the exhibition of newly restored, John Atkinson Grimshaw paintings.
I really can't recommend this lovely gallery enough. If you're a local or a holidaymaker, take a little time out for a visit. Well worth it.
Can't find it but looks fun
My best friends treated me to a trip for my 50th to Scarborough and what a surprise to find the Oldest Museum in United Kingdom. I love Circles and to find Rotunda Museum in A Circle Shape was a special moment for me.
I loved every minute spent here. Learning about Fossils found around Scarborough over 50-100 millions years was a mind blown experience. 5 star for a small museum but so informative. The staff were amazing and welcomed with huge smiles.
Children walking around so excited to see the remains of our ancestors million of years ago and pioneers of English History who deserved to be praise for their work so that the next generation can learn something about our history.
I got goosebumps and was so happy to have a chance to visit this beautiful museum and so special. What a beautiful surprise to find all the way in Scarborough. When you are in East Yorkshire do not miss it.
Thank you 🖤
I loved every minute spent here. Learning about Fossils found around Scarborough over 50-100 millions years was a mind blown experience. 5 star for a small museum but so informative. The staff were amazing and welcomed with huge smiles.
Children walking around so excited to see the remains of our ancestors million of years ago and pioneers of English History who deserved to be praise for their work so that the next generation can learn something about our history.
I got goosebumps and was so happy to have a chance to visit this beautiful museum and so special. What a beautiful surprise to find all the way in Scarborough. When you are in East Yorkshire do not miss it.
Thank you 🖤
Found this by accident, saw 1 tiny advert on a lamppost went up to have a look,
The lady and man in the museum were so happy and friendly and very informative and great with our small kids kept them engaged and in fun facts and showed them around , real gem of a place, thankyou for such a friendly informative time great memories and great history
The lady and man in the museum were so happy and friendly and very informative and great with our small kids kept them engaged and in fun facts and showed them around , real gem of a place, thankyou for such a friendly informative time great memories and great history
I think I was expecting a much larger place with exhibits and things and so was taken slightly aback to walk into a smallish shop.
However it soon became clear that the true treasures of the centre are the guys, the volunteers.
I used to live on an old firefighting boat in the early seventies and always wondered what had happened to her. Obviously thousands of vessels come through Scarborough and so the guys hadn't heard of her. I returned home slightly disappointed but was contacted a few days later with lots of information about the boat, including photos and I was very happy to hear that she had been rescued and renovated by a new loving owner and enjoyed a new lease of life in the States. They even supplied details of how to contact the new owner, which I did.
I couldn't quite believe the trouble they went to, especially Les, contacting retired fishermen etc.
It made me realise that boats are just objects, the real heritage is the people especially the older ones.
If you visit the centre please donate a little to keep it going. Many thanks for reading.
However it soon became clear that the true treasures of the centre are the guys, the volunteers.
I used to live on an old firefighting boat in the early seventies and always wondered what had happened to her. Obviously thousands of vessels come through Scarborough and so the guys hadn't heard of her. I returned home slightly disappointed but was contacted a few days later with lots of information about the boat, including photos and I was very happy to hear that she had been rescued and renovated by a new loving owner and enjoyed a new lease of life in the States. They even supplied details of how to contact the new owner, which I did.
I couldn't quite believe the trouble they went to, especially Les, contacting retired fishermen etc.
It made me realise that boats are just objects, the real heritage is the people especially the older ones.
If you visit the centre please donate a little to keep it going. Many thanks for reading.
This small place is everything that Scarborough museums should be but arn't ,ie all about Scarboroughs rich maritime history and all things connected,the place is small but run by knowledgeable, friendly people
With a deep interest in the subject .We called earlier this year as my wife has family connections to the Sheader family and we were shown a newspaper front page reporting the 1954 lifeboat disaster in which the skipper Jack Sheader and two others of the crew lost their lives.Scarborough council take note ,this is the sort of place you should be supporting not corporate art galleries and geology museums packed with plastic dinosaurs .
With a deep interest in the subject .We called earlier this year as my wife has family connections to the Sheader family and we were shown a newspaper front page reporting the 1954 lifeboat disaster in which the skipper Jack Sheader and two others of the crew lost their lives.Scarborough council take note ,this is the sort of place you should be supporting not corporate art galleries and geology museums packed with plastic dinosaurs .
"Don't judge a book by its cover" : it may appear a little untidy externally but there's plenty to entertain and enthral you once inside! The Rotunda focuses on the Jurassic 🦕 history of the nearby coastline and has some excellent aspects for the younger generation, while the Art Gallery would be more likely to appeal to the middle and older generations.