Historic Yates Mill Historic Mill Tours

Volunteer explains mill workings inside old mill to tour participants

Ready to get inside of Historic Yates Mill? The tour season runs from March through November. Learn about the different tours below or view the September 2023 schedule and the October 2023 schedule here.  

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 on how to 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 Tour Pricing

Fee: $5 for Adults; $4 for Seniors (ages 60 & over); $3 for Children (ages 7–16)*

*Children ages 6 and under are free.

Public Mill Tours

Saturdays at the Old Mill

old mill equipment inside of old wooden mill building

Want to get inside Historic Yates Mill? Join us for a tour!

Please note that starting in April 2023, one-hour Mill Heritage Tours will be offered on Saturdays, instead of Saturday at the Mill Tours; these tours will take place through November on most Saturdays, at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Click on the Mill Heritage Tour tab below for more information. 

Mill Heritage and Local History Tours

Volunteer speaks with tour participants inside of old mill

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

Costumed interpreter grinds corn inside of historic mill building

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, June September, October and November, and tours begin at 1 p.m. on the third Sundays in March, April, May, June September, October and November. 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!

Half-Hour Guided Tours: Saturdays (March 25, April 15, May 20, June 17, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, and Nov. 18), 10 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m., and Sundays (March 26, April 16, May 21, June 18, Sept. 17, Oct. 22, and Nov. 19), 1–4 p.m. 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.

Organized Group Mill Tours

NOW AVAILABLE

tour group stands inside of old historic mill building

Historic Yates Mill County Park is pleased to offer 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