'Exciting new restoration' is planned for Harrogate's oldest museum

The site of the Royal Pump Room Museum was built by Isaac Shutt in 1842 to provide shelter for the town’s affluent visitors as they took the famous waters.

Located at Crown Place, the sulphur and iron waters were dispensed from the wells beneath the building from an ornately decorated octagonal wooden counter by spa assistants.

The slow decline of Harrogate’s as a spa destination saw the building converted into the town’s museum in 1953.

A £20,000 refurbishment programme at The Royal Pump Room Museum took place in 2023, bringing a more modern feel to the space and to highlight the building’s original purpose.

North Yorkshire Council is now planning an exciting restoration project and new exhibition.

To gauge how people feel about the experience of visiting the museum at the moment, the council has launched an online survey in conjunction with The Audience Agency.

A spokesperson said: "We’re carrying out this survey to help us learn more about our current and potential visitors, in order to understand how we can give you the best possible experience.

"Even if you have never visited us before or haven't been for a long, we'd like to hear from you."

The deadline for completing the survey is Monday, May 5, 2025.

Anyone who fills it in will have the chance to enter a prize draw to win a £50 Love2Shop voucher.

Harrogate Pump Room Survey link: https://research.audiencesurveys.org/s/ix1qef