Wakefield Mechanics 3. Former City Museum

"The Mechanics" on Wood Street was once the home of the Music Saloon and Mechanics Institute, but in more recent years acted as a museum, full of displays about the history of Wakefield and its people, from Stone Age hunters to shoppers in the Ridings Centre. 

By 2011, the Wakefield Express reported visitor numbers had dropped by nearly 10,000 in the last decade, and around £500,000 would be needed to make the museum fit for purpose. Instead, the new museum was built inside the Council's Westgate One offices, which have an approximate footfall of 200,000, so that more people could view the display and learn about Wakefield's fascinating history.