06
Nov
The Harrogate Story attracts nearly 4,000 visitors as plans for investment unveiled
A Harrogate heritage exhibition project has attracted nearly 4,000 visitors in its first year and is set for new phase of investment.
Based at the West Park Centre, the Harrogate Story breathed new life into a prominent building and created a space that celebrates the town’s spa history while bringing together history, tourism, culture, and community alongside the existing West Park United Reformed Church.
The exhibition space has now closed for the winter, but a new phase of investment with digital displays, a community art project, a panoramic viewing room and gallery space are planned for 2027.
A spokesperson for the Harrogate Story said:
Welcoming 4,000 visitors this season is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the enthusiasm of our volunteers and the public’s interest in Harrogate’s remarkable history and heritage.
We look forward to welcoming people back when we reopen in March 2027, unveiling a series of new features designed to bring the town’s fascinating history to life and create even more reasons for residents and visitors to explore its heritage as we continue to make a positive contribution to Harrogate’s cultural life, visitor economy and community.
While the exhibition closes for the winter, the tourist information service will remain open until December.
Meanwhile, a new phase of investment at the exhibition is set to enhance the centre’s offering.
It will include digital displays mapping of Harrogate’s wells, allowing visitors to discover the springs that helped establish the town’s reputation as a renowned spa destination.
An exhibition at the Harrogate Story in July 2025, which included text and image from the work of the late Malcolm Neesam.
A community art project, delivered by local ceramic artist Anna Whitehouse, will provide an opportunity for people to celebrate Harrogate’s past while helping to shape its future. Further details of this exciting initiative will be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, visitors will also be able to experience a newly created viewing room in the spire, offering panoramic 360-degree views across the town. The space will tell the story of Harrogate’s Stray, the historic open green space preserved for the benefit of the town, and its connection to the protection of Harrogate’s mineral springs.
Complementing the viewing experience, a stunning gallery space will provide further opportunities to showcase local heritage, creativity and culture, strengthening The Harrogate Story’s role as a place for discovery, learning and community engagement.
The investment programme is supported by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and received £119,000 funding from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority as part of its Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund.
Mr Skaith said:
Thousands of people have used the tourist information service and learned more about the town's special history because of the team behind the Harrogate Story. This is one of 65 projects I’m backing with our High Street Fund. Each one is helping turn our high streets into the vibrant places that we'll all want to return to again and again.
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