Mill Tours
The mill is closed for the season. Check out our 2012 dates!
Guided tours of the mill are available during the months of March through November 2012.
Yates Mill is an operable grain mill established around 1756. The equipment in the mill is original, left after the Lea family ceased milling operations in the mid 1950s. A visit to this historic treasure provides an opportunity to learn about an integral aspect of rural life in the early days of settlement in Wake County.
Tour fees directly support the nonprofit Yates Mill Associates for maintenance and operations of Historic Yates Mill. For more information how to become a member of Yates Mill Associates please visit: www.yatesmill.org
Yates Mill merchandise is for sale on the third weekend of each month from March to November. Yates Mill stone-ground cornmeal and postcards are available every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the park visitor center.
Weekend Mill Heritage & Local History Tours: Public Grist Mill tours are available during most March through November weekends. This tour expands on the history of Yates Mill and its relationship to the growing piedmont region throughout time. There is a fee associated with these tours.
Weekend Corn Grinding Demonstrations: This tour is offered the third weekend of the month March through November. The tour demonstrates how grain was processed using water-powered equipment, from the grinding process to the finished product. There is a fee associated with these tours.
Group Mill Tours are available by reservation to school, civic and community groups March through November.
Mill Heritage & Local History Tours:One-Hour
Saturday and Sunday, 2–3 p.m.
Discover Historic Yates Mill – a place of business, community and exciting local history! Explore the inner workings of the mill itself and witness the power of water as it turns the milling machinery. Reservations are encouraged.
Most appropriate for ages 7 & up. Fee:$5 for Adults
$4 for Seniors (ages 60 & over)
$3 for Children (ages 7–16)*
*Children ages 6 and under are free
Maximum: 20 participants per tour
Upcoming 2012 Mill Tour Dates:
Corn-Grinding Demonstrations:
Saturdays, 10 a.m.–noon and Saturday & Sunday, 1–4 p.m.
Step back in time with our 19th-century costumed interpreters and watch the millstones at work grinding corn into meal. Reservations are encouraged. Fee: $5/Adult, $4/Senior (ages 60+), $3/Child (ages 7–16), Children ages 6 & younger are free. Tours are not available between 12–1 p.m., and the last tour of the day begins at 3:40 p.m.
Tours are offered every 20 minutes beginning at 10 a.m.
Fee:
$5 for Adults
$4 for Seniors (ages 60 & over)
$3 for Children (ages 7–16)*
*Children ages 6 and under are free
Most appropriate for ages 7 & up
Upcoming 2012 Corn Grinding Dates:
Group Mill Tours:
Historic Yates Mill County Park is pleased to offer guided tours to groups of 10 or more. Telephone requests for group tours are made by contacting the Director of Programs, Rebeccah Cope, at 919-856-5635 or rcope@wakegov.com. Understand that tour dates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations should be made at least two weeks in advance. Please note that April and May are the busiest field trip months and dates fill up quickly (unfortunately, necessary mill repairs in May will prevent tours from taking place during the first part of that month). Groups interested in other programs in addition to a mill tour, please refer to the Field Trips section of our website.
Limited Tour Offerings:
Weekend Kids' History Detective Tour:
Saturday, March 10, 10–11 a.m.
Do you have what it takes to be a History Detective? Come to Yates Mill and find out! Solve puzzles, hunt for clues, and investigate the mystery of milling with real historical artifacts. Reservations are required.
This type of tour is available on weekdays for groups of 10 or more kids.
Fee:
$3 for Children (ages 5–16)*
*Children ages 5 and under are free
$5 for Accompanying Adults
$4 for Accompanying Seniors (ages 60 & over)
Most appropriate for ages 5–12
Weekend Tip Top to Bottom Tour:
Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m.–noon
Opportunities to explore all 4 floors of the mill don’t happen often and are different each time! Learn the history of milling in North Carolina, test your mill trivia, and learn about the dangers of working in a mill. Be prepared to climb a lot of stairs! Reservations are required. Fee: $10/Adult, $8/Senior (ages 60+) and $6/Child (ages 10–16).
Fee:
$10 for Adults
$8 for Seniors (ages 60 & over)
$6 for Children (ages 10–16)