The museum opened in July 1927.[4] The ground floor is set out as an area of Victorian streets, illustrating a range of shops and services and including original shop fittings etc. The first street, Abbey Fold, opened in July 1954. Harewood Square opened in 1955 and Stephen Harding Gate in 1958. The museum was refurbished between 1998 and 2001 funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Upstairs, the galleries feature childhood collections, community-curated displays and temporary exhibitions.[4]
The paranormal TV programme Most Haunted visited the Abbey House Museum in the first episode of Series 19.[5] The crew experienced apparent paranormal incidents which included knocking and a piano playing by itself.
