Museums, York

At JORVIK Viking Centre you are standing on the site which revealed some of the most astounding discoveries in modern archaeology. Your first experience at JORVIK is an exploration of the Coppergate Dig, with a fully immersive display taking you back to the 1970s. Travel around 10th century York, experiencing what it was like living in the city. The sights, sounds and even the smells of the Viking Age are brought vividly back to life as you journey back 1,000 years. Get up-close with some of the most beautiful and rare Viking artefacts in the world, from delicate earrings and socks to frying pans and padlocks and even a fossilised Viking poo! Dig deeper into the Viking story of York using the latest in cutting-edge technology located throughout the centre and the opportunity to handle real artefacts whilst talking to our friendly Viking hosts. https://www.visityork.org/explore/jorvik-viking-centre-p793271

Spot the L.S. Lowry’s, Turner or Hockney and surround yourself with some of the best ceramic art in the world at one of the UK’s best regional galleries. Seascapes rose in popularity as a subject for artists around 1790 and can include anything from oceans and beaches to coastlines and nautical scenes. Over the centuries artists have been fascinated with telling the story of our relationship with the sea and, as an island nation, with a rich maritime history, this is especially important to our past stories. The gallery is also currently hosting some other amazing exhibitions The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, Sounds Like Her, Michael Lyons: Ancient and Modern & Lucy Rie: Ceramics and Buttons. See The Triumph of Pan by Nicholas Poussin as part of the National Gallery’s Masterpiece Tour 2019. Alongside this striking canvas, we will be showcasing a wide range of works from York Art Gallery’s collections which explore the themes in Poussin’s work. https://www.visityork.org/explore/york-art-gallery-p793421

Welcome to the award-winning York Castle Museum - come and immerse yourself in over 400 years of York's past. Come and see hundreds of years of York’s history in one place – from recreated Jacobean dining rooms to infamous Victorian criminals and all the way to the Space Age and the swinging Sixties. Just as Britain is set to break up with the European Union, York Castle Museum brings a collection of stories and symbolic possessions to the city which relate to the ways we fall out of love. Always heartfelt, sometimes humorous and often deeply moving, the collections from the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia, will be enriched with objects from York’s collections which illustrate a key moment in a relationship breaking down. Step onto the cobbles of our Victorian street to meet the local characters, visit the authentic shops and discover the weird and wonderful collections from this bygone era - from luxurious costumes to tasty traditional sweets and the pharmacist's unlikely 'cures'. From the luxury of the rich to a darker world of poverty and disease, see how York's 19th Century residents lived, learned and entertained themselves. https://www.visityork.org/explore/york-castle-museum-p793441

Take a trip to York and enjoy free entry at the award-winning National Railway Museum. Home to iconic locomotives and an unrivalled collection of engineering firsts, the museum celebrates the past, present and future of innovation on the railways. Get up close to icons of the rails including Mallard, the world’s fastest steam locomotive. Climb onboard the Japanese bullet train, discover how high-speed rail travel began and journey back in time to experience the working life of a station. You can visit Queen Victoria’s favourite saloon, explore over 200 years of history and find out how railways shaped our world. Watch turntable demonstrations, climb on board historic carriages and find out fascinating facts from our experts in daily talks and tours. Ride on the miniature railway and try our explosive science shows and hands-on family fun activities throughout the school holidays. https://www.visityork.org/explore/national-railway-museum-p793321

Nestled behind York Minster, all is not as it first appears. At one time divided into three houses, in the late 1800s wealthy Yorkshireman Frank Green created his version of a historic house to showcase his important collection. Find out about both sides of the story as he demolished parts of the house not to his liking, yet transformed a house of declining fortunes into a handsome property, with lavish interiors grand enough to entertain the future King, Edward VII. Treasurer's House is the first house to be donated to the National Trust complete with its contents. The remarkable collection includes antique furniture, ceramics, textiles and paintings from a 300-year period, collected by Frank Green as he travelled the world. At Christmas time see every room decorated with floral and fruit garlands, twinkling glittery remnants of a 1920s party alongside gifts and garlands. The award winning Christmas pudding scone is a popular addition to the festive menu. Little ones can book to don a hard hat and head out over the roof to see the man in red in his attic grotto. https://www.visityork.org/explore/treasurers-house-p793401

On the edge of the racecourse, just a stone’s throw away from the centre of York, sits Goddards, the home of the Terry family (think chocolate orange.) Noel Goddard Terry was the owner of the famous chocolate-making company Terry’s of York. His family house was designed by architect Walter Brierly in the Arts and Crafts style, with four acres of gardens designed by George Dillistone. Relax in Terry family home, recreated with a warm atmosphere where you can sit down and pour yourself a sherry in the Drawing Room, or take a leisurely stroll around the garden rooms. At Christmas time the house is dressed as the Terry family might have once enjoyed it and you're invited to make yourself at home. There's a special pre-bookable lunch on the menu in the Dining Room for seasonal get together with friends and family. The house has selected rooms displayed to give glimpses into the family home and working chocolate factory. The garden includes yew-hedged garden rooms, bowling green, wilderness gardens and plants for every season and is an oasis for wildlife. New additions include an orchard and fragrant garden, following the original planting styles from archive plans. Families can enjoy the games and play as the Terry family once did. https://www.visityork.org/explore/goddards-house-and-garden-p799441