Explore our permanent collection and temporary exhibitions set among the stunning architecture of our unique gallery spaces. The Museum is housed in a contemporary conversion of the former Hawes railway station. The displays share the stories of the people and places of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Life Gallery
Discover the elements of the landscape used by people to survive in the Yorkshire Dales. These elements include water, stone, wood, metal and earth. Over the centuries, people have exploited and adapted these elements in their struggle to survive.
Hartley and Ingilby Gallery
Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby created the collection and founded the Museum in 1979. The original Museum was housed in the former goods warehouse of Hawes station. Hartley and Ingilby aimed to capture life in the Yorkshire Dales before it disappeared.
Spirit Gallery
Since the earliest times, people have needed a spiritual element in their lives. Over thousands of years, people have used their creativity to make distinctive and beautiful objects that satisfy far more than their basic needs. See our Bronze Age spearhead found at Lake Semerwater and the stunning Viking ring found near Sedbergh.
Railway Carriages
On the railway carriages you can find out more about everyday life in the Dales. Displays explore the community, social and spiritual life of people who lived in the Yorkshire Dales.