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The Green Howards Museum is marking half a century at home in the centre of Richmond with a special day on Saturday 22 July.

Local people get free admission in recognition of their enduring support for the museum at the heart of their town. The museum is waiving the usual entry charge (£7, under 10's free) on the day, but the team are hoping visitors will opt to buy a Grand Draw ticket instead, helping raise funds and be in with the chance of winning some fabulous prizes, including a three night UK break, courtesy of The Coaching Inn Group.

On the day: Saturday 22 July 10am to 4.30pm

Free admission for locals. Just bring proof of DL9 or DL10 residence (council tax or utility bill will do) to get free entry all day to the museum, including the current special exhibition, Great Escapes. Make sure you catch the We are Golden display in the museum entrance, showcasing objects donated when the museum opened in 1973 and well as some of the most recent items taken into its care over the last 12 months. Visit the Normanby Room, the focus of the the year's anniversary fundraising efforts.

Reminiscence and memory-banking session. Do you remember the official opening day? Were you here in Richmond when HM King Olav V of Norway did the honours and declared us ‘open’ on 25 July 1973? If you have any photos from the day, bring them along between 10am and 2pm. A record of your memories will be made for use in a new online exhibition launching later in the year. The team also want to hear from people who have memories of the building before it became a museum. If you can’t make it on the day, but want to get involved by sharing your images and memories, just email the museum instead.

"It’s fifty years since King Olav V of Norway strode through Richmond’s market place to declare the refurbished Trinity Church, starting its new life as The Green Howards Museum, officially open," says Head of Collections, Zoe Utley. "In the half century that’s past, much has changed, but the museum continues to attract visitors from far and wide, with our internationally significant collection, dazzling displays, and innovative special exhibitions – currently Great Escapes. We are using this golden anniversary to raise funds for a programme of enhancements to the Normanby Room; a much loved, and well-used event space within the museum, filled with glistening silver, art and an extensive collection of Mousey Thompson furniture."

Purchased by the Officers’ and Sergeants’ Messes during the inter-war years, and in use ever since, the various pieces, created by Robert Thompson’s craftsmen at their Kilburn, North Yorkshire workshop, will be treated to some conservation and repair as part of the enhancement project. A major Mousey exhibition is planned for 2025. Before that, the room’s glazing and masonry will be repaired, items on display will have improved labelling and better lighting will be installed to help showcase the room yet further.

Find out more about The Green Howards Museum's We Are Golden anniversary here.