Ready to get inside of Historic Yates Mill? The tour season runs from March through November. Learn about the different tours below.
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.
Tours are free. Donations to the nonprofit Yates Mill Associates are welcome to support the maintenance and operations of Historic Yates Mill. For more information on how to donate or become a member of Yates Mill Associates, please visit: www.yatesmill.org.
Yates Mill merchandise is for sale during corn grinding weekends in the Mill Yard. 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.
Public Mill Tours
Mill Heritage and Local History Tours
Discover Historic Yates Mill – a place of business, community and exciting local history! Watch a brief video, then explore the inner workings of the mill itself. Tickets are available inside the park's visitor center. Pre-registrations are encouraged. Most appropriate for ages 7 & up.
These one-hour guided tours are offered March through November on most Saturdays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. and on most Sundays at 2 and 3 p.m. Click on the button below for details and to register.
Corn-Grinding Demonstrations
Step back in time with our historical interpreters and watch the millstones at work grinding corn into meal. Corn grinding tours are offered every 20 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. on the third Saturdays in March, April, May, and June, and tours begin at 1 p.m. on the third Sundays in March, April, May, and June. Space is limited, and reservations are encouraged.
While corn-grinding tours are going on, the nonprofit group Yates Mill Associates is on site in the Mill Yard with stone-ground cornmeal and mill merchandise for sale, so please shop to support a good cause!
Limit: 10 people per tour. Please note that tours are not available between noon–1 p.m., and the last tour of the day begins at 3:40 p.m. Tickets are available online and in the Mill Yard on the day of the tours. Most appropriate for ages 7 & up.
Buy tickets using the button below.
Mill Open House
Mill Open House
Saturday, Oct. 12, 1-4 p.m.
Discover Historic Yates Mill during this free, drop-in program. The doors to the mill will be open, and historic interpreters will be available to talk about the history and inner workings of the mill and to answer questions. Stay for as long or as little as you like! Please note that space inside the mill is limited, allowing up to 20 visitors at a time. No registration required.
Organized Group Mill Tours
Now Available
Historic Yates Mill County Park is pleased to offer free, guided tours to organized groups on weekdays. Tour dates are available on weekdays on a first-come, first-served basis from March through November. Reservations should be made, preferably, one month in advance. Requests for group tours are made by contacting the Group Program Coordinator, Adam Prince, at adam.prince@wake.gov.
For groups that may be interested in other programs in addition to a mill tour, please refer to the Group Programs and Field Trips section of our website.
Register for a Public Tour
You may register for several of Historic Yates Mill’s upcoming tours, programs or camps online.
Register for a Public Tour