Courthouse Museum

The Courthouse Museum is one of three museums run by Ripon Museum Trust in the city centre, housed in a Georgian Quarter Sessions courthouse built in 1830. The courtroom has changed little since it was built, so families can see the magistrates' bench, the dock, the witness box and the holding box where prisoners waited. Visitors can stand in the dock and imagine waiting for a sentence, and the displays tell the stories of people who appeared before the court and what happened to them afterwards. The museum is small, and a visit takes around half an hour, so it works well as a short history stop alongside the nearby Workhouse Museum and Prison and Police Museum. The museum states that its permanent display is suitable for all ages, and it welcomes school and group visits.