If you have ever wondered how a Victorian spa town got its start, the Harrogate Story is a good place to find out. The exhibition sits inside West Park United Reformed Church, a Grade II listed building at the corner of Victoria Avenue and West Park Stray, now known as the West Park Centre. Its 18 displays combine text, photographs and archive material to trace the town's development. The story begins with volcanic activity millions of years ago and moves on to 1571, when the first curative spring was found. Admission is free.
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The content draws heavily on the books of the late Malcolm Neesam, one of the town's best-known historians. The spa history was researched and designed by Simon Kent and Catherine Wright, and local historian Dr Paul Jennings covers the social life of the town in the 1800s and early 1900s. Archive films of old Harrogate are narrated by Edward Fox OBE, whose family has been connected to the town for more than a century, and there is a display dedicated to the Royal Hall. According to The Stray Ferret, the exhibition attracted nearly 4,000 visitors in its first year, after opening to the public in July 2025.
The whole project is run by volunteers, and the team has grown to 30 since the project started in 2024. It received £119,215 from the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund Phase Three, administered by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. The money is earmarked for an immersive viewing room inside the church spire, an upgraded event space for public and corporate hire, a refurbished café, community art projects and digital heritage displays. The Visitor Information Centre is staffed by local volunteers too. The exhibition is closed for the winter and is due to reopen in spring 2027, but the centre is open today, Saturday, from 10:30 to 15:00, and the visitor information desk runs until 14:00. The centre also opens on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the desk open on Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 to 14:00.
The building has a ramp at the side on Victoria Avenue, accessible toilets, a pushchair-friendly layout and a limited number of non-designated accessible parking spaces at the front. Registered assistance dogs are welcome. If you'd like to find out more or get involved, the team can be reached on 07460 470003 or at enquiries@westparkcentre.org.uk. Volunteers are needed to help at events, in the café and at the visitor desk, and donations go towards the upkeep of the building.
Published Date
7 November 2026
