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.  

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.

Public Mill Tours

Mill Open House

Picture of inside of the gristmill showing the front of the corn grinding millstone

Mill Open House
Fridays and Saturdays, 1-4 p.m., March-May
Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m., June-November
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.

Mill Heritage and Local History Tours

Volunteer speaks with tour participants inside of old mill

Mill Heritage Tours
These hour-long guided tours will resume on selected Fridays in the fall.

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. Free tickets are available inside the park's visitor center. Most appropriate for ages 7 & up.

There is no pre-registration; tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to arrive inside the visitor center 20 to 30 minutes before the tour to sign up. Maximum of 20 people per tour.

Click on the button below for details.

Visita guiada al molino histórico

View of historic gristmill showing the south side of the building along with the mill dam and waterwheel

Visita guiada al molino histórico
Domingo, 29 de junio, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
¡Nuestra visita guiada al molino ya está disponible en español! Un intérprete se unirá a nuestro personal angloparlante para traducir la visita al español. Descubra el molino Historic Yates Mill: ¡un lugar de negocios, comunidad y una emocionante historia local! GRATIS. No es necesario registrarse previamente; la entrada se realiza por orden de llegada. Le recomendamos llegar al centro de visitantes 20 minutos antes de la visita para registrarse. Límite: 20 personas.

Historic Mill Tour
Sunday, June 29, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Our guided mill tour is now available in Spanish! A Spanish language interpreter will join our English-speaking staff to translate the tour into Spanish. Discover Historic Yates Mill - a place of business, community, and exciting local history! FREE. There is no pre-registration; this is first-come, first-served. We encourage you to arrive inside the visitor center 20 minutes before the tour to sign up. Limit: 20 people.

Corn-Grinding Demonstrations

Costumed interpreter grinds corn inside of historic mill building

Please note that corn-grinding demonstrations are on hold for 2025. The waterwheel and forebay have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. The park and its nonprofit partner Yates Mill Associates are working with a millwright to replace these features, a process that will take most of 2025.

Organized Group Mill Tours

Now Available

tour group stands inside of old historic mill building

Historic Yates Mill County Park is pleased to offer free, guided tours to organized groups of 10 or more people 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.

Upcoming Tours and Programs

Learn more about upcoming tours and other programs below. 

Upcoming Programs