When it comes to museums, York is chock-a-block with fascinating options, no matter what your interests may be.
Whether you want to dive into Viking heritage, get a taste of a sweet confectionery past, or step back in time within the walls of an 11th-century castle, you’ll find it all in York. Discover rich histories and intriguing stories with a day at one of York’s many marvelous museums. We’ve rounded up some of the best for a trip that’s as entertaining as it is educational. Which one will you be visiting first?
JORVIK Viking Centre. This York museum brings the past to life in a way you’ve never experienced before. Take a ride through this must-see museum, immersing yourself in the settings of 975 AD, complete with 360-degree views and authentic animatronic characters based on archaeological evidence from excavations. Be sure to also pay a visit to the state-of-the-art gallery, where you can peruse over 40,000 unique artefacts. Tickets cost £17.50 for adults, £12 for kids, and under 5s go free. 12-month admission included with tickets.
DIG. Let the little ones get hands on with history at this one-of-a-kind York museum. Young explorers can get stuck in with their very own archaeological adventure, exploring three different zones – Learn, Uncover and Explore – that leads them through the different stages of the dig process. There’s even Dig Deeper tours that take place at the end of the day, giving adults a chance to join in the fun too. Tickets cost £10.50 for adults, £9.50 for kids, and under 5s go free. 12-month admission included with tickets.
York Castle Museum. More than 400 years of the city’s history can be found within the historic walls of York Castle Museum. Travel through the centuries as you walk through the Victorian streets, step inside the prison cell of infamous highwayman Dick Turpin, and experience the momentous shift that was the swinging sixties. With a mix of permanent and rotating exhibitions, and thousands of historic objects to marvel at, it’s not one to be missed. Tickets cost £18 for adults, £10.80 for kids, and under 5s go free. 12-month admission included with tickets.
Credit: Elenor Bentall
National Railway Museum. Step aboard for adventure at the National Railway Museum, housed in the iconic Station Hall which once served as York’s main working railway station. Here you’ll find more than 6,000 objects on display, with artefacts including the likes of the world’s fastest locomotive, Mallard. Make time for a visit to Wonderlab too – an interactive experience where you can get hands on with the science behind the railways, from learning about aerodynamics to stepping into a human wind tunnel. Admission to the museum is free, but Wonderlab tickets costs £9.90 for the day or £24 for an annual pass. Under 3s go free.
Yorkshire Museum. As one of Britain’s first purpose-built museums, the Yorkshire Museum is pretty special. It first opened back in 1830 and can be found in the grounds of St Mary’s Abbey, where it houses an impressive collection spanning science and archaeology. Browse the many treasures from the city’s Roman, Viking and medieval heritage, before you stop by the Museum Gardens to see the York Observatory – a four-inch refractor telescope built by York local, Thomas Cooke. Tickets cost £10 for adults, £6 for kids, and under 5s go free. 12-month admission included in tickets.
Yorkshire Air Museum. Boasting one of the UK’s biggest aircraft collections, the Yorkshire Air Museum is the largest independent aviation museum in the country. You can stroll around the hangars and outdoor displays, being wowed by exhibitions that include iconic Cold War fighter jets and pre-WWII aircraft. It also makes for a fantastic day out for the whole family, thanks to an on-site cafe and custom-built playground – dogs are even welcome to join too. Tickets cost from £16 for adults, £6.50 for kids, and under 4s go free. 12-month admission included with tickets.
Credit: York Chocolate Story
York’s Chocolate Story. This has got to be one of the tastiest ways to spend a day in York. York’s Chocolate Story invites you to unwrap an educational guided tour like no other, where you will take a dip into the city’s confectionery past. You’ll learn how chocolate is made, sink your teeth into York’s iconic sweet brands, and even get the chance to create your very own chocolate lolly. With chocolatiers showing off their skills and sublime samples to enjoy, you’ll want to come back time and time again. Tickets cost £21 for adults, £19 for kids, and under 4s go free. York residents get 30% off on Sundays.
York Army Museum. Discover the stories of British soldiers, spanning from 1685 all the way up to the present day. The York Army Museum offers an expertly curated history of two current serving British Army regiments – The Royal Dragoon Guards and the Prince of Wales’ Own Royal Yorkshire Regiment. From clothing and armour to equipment and medals, the exhibitions here are captivating and full of important lessons worth learning. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £4 for kids, and under 5s go free.
Murton Park. You’ll find all the ingredients to a wonderful day out in York right here at Murton Park. Across 14 acres of sprawling Yorkshire countryside, you’ll have the chance to get to grips with agricultural history, machinery and practices at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. Elsewhere, you can take a ride on the Derwent Valley Light Railway, discover living history sites, and say hello to the resident animals, which include ponies, goats, ducks and more. Tickets cost £20 for adults, £17 for kids, and under 1s go free. Train rides cost an additional £1 per person or £5 per group for unlimited rides.
Credit: World of James Herriot
The World of James Herriot. Go through the iconic red door at this York museum and wander inside the original home of All Creatures Great & Small. Set inside his fully restored original 1940s home and surgery, it celebrates the life and work of the real James Herriot, Alf Wight. Learn more about the remarkable career of the world’s most famous vet, as you walk through his office, practice and the original dispensary, with plenty of chances to get involved throughout the interactive gallery. Tickets cost £8.50 for adults, £5 for kids, and under 3s go free.
York Roman Bath Museum. Take the plunge and visit the Roman Bath Museum in York, which takes you on a five-metre descent below the bar room of an unassuming looking pub. It’s one of the oldest parts of Roman York, being originally built somewhere between 71 AD and 122 AD. It was excavated in 1930, and visitors can now make their way around a modern suspended walkway as they move through the hot steam rooms and cool off in the cold plunge room, before returning upstairs to the bar. Tickets cost £4.50 for adults, £3.50 for kids, and under 5s go free.
Treasurer’s House. Nestled behind York Minster, the Treasurer’s House is a place of intrigue. Frank Green, a grandson of a rich industrialist, purchased it back in 1897 and, in preparation for a visit from Edward VII, quickly whipped it into the decadent show home it is today. Take a tour to learn more about his life, stroll leisurely through the historic rooms, and soak in the views in the award-winning gardens. We recommend ending your visit with a stop by the cafe for a hot drink and bite to eat. Tickets cost from £12 for adults, £6 for kids, and under 5s go free.
Credit: English Heritage
York Cold War Bunker. Embark on a guided tour around this Cold War time-capsule and get a feel for what life was like under the threat of nuclear fallout. The bunker closed in 1992 but it was restored by English Heritage in the early millennium, bringing an authentic and spine-chilling experience to modern visitors. Navigate the restrictive corridors and tight spaces of this windowless, semi-subterranean bunker, taking in the control room with its original monitoring devices, the communications room, and the dormitory where up to 60 staff took it in turns to get some shut-eye. Tickets cost £10.90 for adults, £6.80 for kids, and under 5s go free.
Barley Hall. When it comes to uncovering hidden gems in York, it has to be a visit to Barley Hall. This medieval townhouse went forgotten, before being rediscovered in the 1980s and restored to its former glory. Today it proudly displays its stunning features – from exposed timber frames to high ceilings – as well as sharing stories of its former residents, including a previous Mayor of the city. Delve into the exhibitions to understand how medieval residents lived, as well as getting familiar with the Beasts of Barley Hall, from pets and livestock to bears and lions. Tickets cost £9.50 for adults, £5.50 for kids, and under 5s go free. 12-month admission included with tickets.
The Undercroft Museum. No day trip to York is complete without a visit to York Minster, and lying beneath the cathedral, you’ll find the state-of-the-art chambers of The Undercroft Museum. Here, you can peruse the historic artefacts and digital displays that invite you to unfold two millennia of the city’s history. It’s well worth checking out, with everything from Viking connections to Roman soldiers and important archaeological finds covered within the collection. Admission requires a ticket to York Minster, which costs £20 for adults, and is free for under 17s with a paying adult.
Cover image credit: Anthony Chappel Ross
