The Craven Museum and Gallery is housed in Skipton's Victorian town hall and covers the history of the Craven district — the area encompassing Skipton and the surrounding Dales. The collection is a good regional one: Roman finds from the local area, natural history specimens, displays on the wool and cotton textile industries that shaped the local economy, and rotating art exhibitions in the gallery.
Admission is free, which makes it an easy addition to any visit. The museum is not large but it is well curated and provides useful context for exploring the castle and the Dales. The natural history section has geological specimens from the Craven Fault, which produces the characteristic limestone scenery — the white crags and pavements — that defines the southern Dales landscape around Malham. The building itself, a confident Victorian municipal pile, is worth a look from the outside even if the museum is closed.