Ripon Town Hall Open Day and Hidden Tours
Ripon Town Hall, Market Place South, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1DD
For more than 200 years, Ripon Town Hall has stood at the heart of the city. Now, as this remarkable building approaches an exciting new chapter, you are invited to step inside and see it afresh.
Discover grand civic rooms, forgotten corners and the traces left by generations of change. Interpretation displays will reveal the Town Hall’s origins, Elizabeth Allanson’s extraordinary legacy, Ripon’s surprising connection to the South Sea Bubble and the later subdivision of its elegant rooms into council offices.
Explore the vision for bringing the Town Hall into local stewardship - and help shape how it might serve Ripon for the next 200 years.
Free guided tours will venture into spaces rarely seen, including former offices, the caretaker’s accommodation and atmospheric cellars. Each tour will end with Ripon’s City Bellman bringing the historic Ripon Collection to life.
The Town Hall is open from 10.30am to 3pm. Tours begin at 11am, 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm. Each tour is limited to 15 people and must be booked on the day using the sign-up sheet inside the Town Hall.
The entire event is free. Some tour areas involve stairs, uneven floors and restricted spaces and may not be suitable for visitors with limited mobility.
Timings
- Saturday 12 September:
- Open 1030-1500, Tours 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400.
Location & directions
Ripon Town Hall, Market Place South, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1DD
- Contact on day:
- Mark Williamson
- Telephone number:
- +441765604097
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Book on day
- Booking conditions:
- Sign up lists for each tour can be found in the Chamber.
- Booking email:
- [email protected]
- Booking opens:
- 12 Sep 2026 10:30 AM
- Booking closes:
- 12 Sep 2026 03:00 PM
Accessibility details
Main opening of the Town Hall is physically accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs. The tours cover uneven surfaces, uneven steps, cellars and high balconies.
Additional information
- Max number of people:
- 15
- Estimated duration:
- 1 hour(s) 0 minute(s)
