Secrets of Dress
Secrets of Dress
Now Open
Included in general admission
Book tickets
Our fashion gallery has been refreshed, remodelled and enhanced with new items and fresh interpretations!
Not just an exhibition about fashion, ‘Secrets of Dress’ offers an opportunity to look at dress and textiles from the perspective of social history, exploring the stories that clothes and accessories can reveal about peoples’ lives and experiences. Every object has a secret to tell and ‘Secrets of Dress’ provides insights into ways of life that are very different to today and yet very relatable.
From 400-year-old sequins to Second World War Utility shoes, and from the cottage industry of old Yorkshire to the factory-produced fashions of the industrial age, this is social history brought alive by the story of dress.
Latest News
- York Castle Museum whips up Victorian picnic recipes for summer that everyone should try.
- Amazing discounts for families at York Castle Museum in Visit York’s York Attractions Week!
- Tennis tournaments, world cup mania and retro games: York Castle Museum serves up a summer of fun.
- Victorians versus the Swinging Sixties, York Castle Museum asks who did summer better?
- Summer at York Castle Museum: Historic Victorian Galas and nostalgic 1960s fun

