Abbey House Museum
Based in the heart of the Kirkstall community, Abbey House was once the gatehouse for Kirkstall Abbey. Displays in the museum enable you to steep yourself in the romantic history of the abbey. The museum also explores life in Victorian Leeds. With enchanting streets which reconstruct life in the late 19th century, and social history collections, you can immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the time. Abbey House also has a new interactive childhood gallery, Abbot Tea Rooms, and a wide range of activities for schools, small groups and families.
Venue Type:
Museum, Historic house or home
Additional info
The Abbey House Museum hosts The Wednesday Club for adults. This is a social group which often presents talks and tours. The group meet monthly on a Wednesday at the museum at 10:30am. £5 per person which includes a set lunch in the Abbot Tea Rooms.
For children the Monkey Club regularly meets on Wednesdays from 10:15am-12noon. This offers a drop in morning to take part in craft activities and play games. The Messy Monkeys regularly meet on Fridays for fun with paints and art materials. Both are available for the under 5s and their carers.
Please see our event details for regular activities for families, children and adults. You can also find details of our half term activites, exhibitions and education workshops for schools.
The museum is also available for children's birthday parties, and wedding photography. Please call for prices and availability.
Open to the public is our Gatehouse Cafe (no museum admission necessary) serving drinks, hot and cold meals and snacks.
The museum holds large and important social history collections. This includes an archive relating to the Suffragette campaigns of Mrs Leonora Cohen (b.1873) who was one of the first women in Leeds to start campaigning for votes for women.
Leeds Museums have been collecting toys, dolls and games since at least the 1920s and now hold one of the major collections in the country. Abbey House Museum displays many acquistions from this collection along with Armley Mills Industrial Museum.
Abbey House Museum also houses a collection of period costume.
Collection details
Archaeology, Archives, Costume and Textiles, Social History, Toys and Hobbies
Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- 21 January — 31 December 2017 *on now
Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there was a beautiful museum where children and adults alike could get lost in the wonder of fairy tales.
The Abbey House Museum draws on its fabulous collection of children's books and illustrations to bring you this showcase of some of the best known fairy tales. You'll have the opportunity to go face to face with a big bad wolf, take a look at a miniature version of Cinderella's carriage and see an oil lamp that just might hold a genie!
Learn all about the history of fantasy writing and understand where some of your best loved characters came from at this exciting exhibition.
Suitable for
- Any age
Primary School Workshops
Classes will be split into 2 groups for each workshop, each group spending 45 minutes in the workshop and 45 minutes exploring the museum's galleries with their responsible adult. The following workshops are led by a member of the museum's freelance education staff and provide the opportunity to handle and explore objects from the museum's collections: Toys and Games £45 per class, Houses and Homes £45 per class, Shops and Shopping £45 per class, Going to the Seaside with craft activity £50 per class, Victorian Christmas with craft activity £50, Meet the Victorians FREE.
The Monkey Club
A drop-in morning for children aged 0-5 years and their carers. Enjoy craft activities, games and make friends together at Abbey House Museum. 10.15-12.00, normal admission applies (children are free) with no extra charge.
Dates for 2009 are as follows: 24th February, 25th March, 22nd April, 20th May, 17th June, 15th July, 12th August, 16th September, 14th October, 11th November, 9th December. No booking necessary. Call for more details.
How to obtain
The Monkey Club activities are free - just drop in.
Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Abbey Rd
Kirkstall
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS5 3EH
England
Website
Telephone
0113 230 5492
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