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Yorkshire Museum

Yorkshire Museum

Yorkshire Museum
4
Natural History MuseumsScience MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover thousands of years of York's history in one place, from prehistory to the city's medieval splendour. Walk on a genuine Roman mosaic floor, kneel at St William's shrine, see the monsters of the deep that swam when Yorkshire was beneath the sea and much more in our fantastic galleries in the heart of the city.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Don F
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely museum just needs a few more "must see" pieces to be truly excellent
    Lovely mix of Viking, Roman and Medieval history with some dinosaurs thrown in for good measure! Very clean, well presented museum that is very child friendly. There's lots to read and do. Only criticism is the wooden dinosaur and some unruly kids who were overly enjoying themselves and causing havoc with the toys. The lady doing crafting/weaving is an asset to the team!
    Hi there! Thank you very much for your review, we are so grateful for your kind words. We do hope that you will come back to visit us again with your 12 month ticket as we are opening Star Carr exhibition very soon!
    Written February 25, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written February 16, 2024
  • Hollieeee
    Ramsgate, United Kingdom309 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredibly fascinating!
    I visited the museum on Tuesday 20th. I found the reception staff were ever so polite and kind, explaining the museum layout to me in great detail, and then pointed me in the direction of the first exhibit, which was about the Roman history of York. I loved the rooms enormously, and enjoyed the placards explaining each item as well as the items themselves. On to the next room, which was about the medieval history of York, and again, this area was intriguing and a kind gallery attendee was eager and ready to ask any questions I may have had, which was a really highlight as all staff members seemed to be very passionate about their work (and the joy on their faces when talking about the museum was heart-warming). The final room was about the Jurassic times, dinosaurs and fossils, and as with the previous rooms, there was plenty of explanation about each item and it's importance to York. One thing I loved was the idea that your entry to the museum (which is cheaper to book online) is valid for a year, so you pay once and can go all year. This is a really good draw for the museum, but I'd pay to go again.
    Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this lovely review! We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit to us and that your experience was so enjoyable. We are also glad that our staff made your visit that extra bit special. We do hope you will use your ticket and come again another time in the future!
    Written April 7, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written February 25, 2024
  • nibblers2016
    Bridlington, United Kingdom122 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really interesting museum but tricky to read some of the information cards
    We visited the museum to see the Star Carr exhibition. It's been years since we last visited so it was nice to have a good look around. The ocean section was really cool but we found, and in several other sections too, as the lighting is quite dark it was really difficult to read the information cards. I appreciate the lighting may have to be dimmed to preserve the exhibits but small black writing on brown card isn't really a great mix, hence we missed lots of information. I'm also never a fan of stuffed animals in a museum. The staff were all really friendly and it's good being able to visit again for free with the ticket being upgraded, free of charge, to an annual pass.
    Hi there, thank you for your review and feedback on the exhibition information cards, we will ensure this is passed on. We are pleased you enjoyed a visit again after not visiting for a while, we do hope the annual pass means you will come back again soon!
    Written June 22, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written May 5, 2024
  • Megannnnnnnnn
    13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant museum packed with history!
    A wonderful visit - there’s always something more to see here! This beautiful building is packed with history and complements York Museum Gardens and St Mary’s Abbey wonderfully for a lovely day out. We particularly enjoyed the Tudor/medieval items on display but also loved the new exhibition on prehistoric people. Staff on the desk were lovely and friendly (unfortunately we didn’t get the lady’s name but she had a smiley face and a lanyard with lots of badges) which always makes a difference! Would throughly recommend a visit, well worth the money and the ticket lasts a full year too.
    Hello! Thank you so much for leaving us this great review! We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed the range of history and that our staff made your visit extra special. We do hope you will make the most of your tickets and come back again another time soon!
    Written June 22, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written May 7, 2024
  • StonesFanLincoln
    173 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting couple of hours
    We called in here while in York. There's some really good stuff including: Star Carr (Life after the Ice); Mary Anning Rocks; Yorkshire's Jurassic World; Medieval York; Roman York; etc. Well worth a visit and your ticket is valid for a year!
    Thank you for this review, we are pleased to hear you enjoyed the range of galleries we have for you to explore. do come back and see us again soon!
    Written June 22, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 7, 2024
  • Lori A
    27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great local museum with exhibits for all ages
    I always visit this museum on every visit - it’s that engaging. They changed some exhibits since my last visit which intrigued. They’ve added information about the very first inhabitants, as well as flora and fauna. They also now have information about a couple unsung (female) archaeologists, which is quite refreshing. These exhibits are part of the York Trailblazers initative, which involves spots all around this lovely compact town. Permanent exhibits include ones focused on Roman history, as well as religious and trade history. Experiential exhibits geared toward children are throughout the museum, leading to an engaging time for all ages. The museum gardens are a great place to have a chill, picnic, or merely engage in people watching.
    Hi there, Thank you for your kind review, it's so lovely to read about your enjoyable and engaging visit! We are so pleased you enjoyed the range we have on display. We hope you will want to come back and visit us again another time soon using your annual tickets.
    Written September 1, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written August 15, 2024
  • pinkvoid
    Leeds, United Kingdom227 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great museum in the heart of York
    Great museum, another one free with an art fund pass so visited with my children on a rainy school holiday weekday and it did not disappoint. Children loved the dinosaurs and fossil hunting and I loved the medieval section on the ground floor. Spent around an hour here.
    Thank you for your kind review, we are so pleased you enjoyed your visit. We do hope you will visit us again soon!
    Written September 1, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written August 16, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,162 reviews
Excellent
451
Very good
395
Average
205
Poor
74
Terrible
37

leedsEastyorkshire
eastyorkshire49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
i was born and raised in York but left in 1969 i had never visited the musuem until today.I must say i was amazed at it found out things about my city i never knew.I would recommend this to anyone spent a good two hours looking round.It just goes to show you never what is on your own door step.
Written October 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write your review
Written April 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kate W
36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
This museum is very child friendly We were really impressed with all the hands on activities for young children. Our children loved digging for fossils. They loved the fossil hunting section the dinosaur exhibit. They spent a long time playing with the castle and figures. They also loved running around the gardens and getting an ice cream Can highly recommend if you have young children.
Written April 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review , please come and see us again soon
Written April 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Darkness7148
Ferrybridge, UK105 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019
Great museum. You can definitely tell a lot of money has gone into the museum and it's really well-presented. I liked the dinosaur section and there's a lot of information about the Romans. There's a small gift shop at the end too. It's not a free museum but I think the price is worth it.
Written May 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robyn H
Leeds, UK25 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
As the weather forecast was rain all day myself and my friend were looking for indoor activities for us and our 3 little boys age 7, 7 and 5.
We decided on park and ride to York followed by the Yorkshire museum.
The dinosaur exhibit looked like it would be really interesting for them from the website.
We had brought coffee and packed lunches but there is no food or drink in the museum including no picnic area. Not a big problem although I had to down my coffee before going in. On a nice day we would have had a picnic in the beautiful gardens.
The boys loved dressing up as Vikings and the older ones found the skeletons really interesting. My youngest was a bit freaked out by them.
There are various interactive parts including a puzzle and a sensory tent.
The boys had a lot of energy built up as we'd had a long drive and they really could have done with a good run around- difficult in a museum. We did our best to keep them entertained. They found the facts about the Groom of the Stool hilarious.

The mosaic floor was beautiful and the boys tried on the Roman sandals and walked on the floor with their socks.
After they put their shoes back on my eldest forgot and accidentally walked on the floor in his boots. I had a word with him and he felt really bad and had forgotten he had his shoes on.
A woman gave me the most disgusting look at this point as I was apologising! Most people we spoke to during the visit were in the same boat with children who they were trying to keep busy and out of the rain, we had lots of lovely conversations with campers trying to keep out of the rain. It's a shame not everyone is so friendly and kind.

After the visit we went to the gift shop where I emptied the box of rings onto the counter so that we could find the smallest one for my son. Sadly the ring broke shortly afterwards so it was lucky I had bought 2.
My other little boy was playing with a soft sword and then opted to buy a dinosaur tail which he has worn proudly all week. The prices in the gift shop were reasonable so we were all happy with the purchases and had a lovely visit all in all.
Written August 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, Thank you for your comments, we are pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit to the museum. We are glad you found the exhibits varied and interactive! Do make the most of your annual tickets and come back to visit us again as many times as you'd like for the next 12 months!
Written August 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Neil K
Liverpool, UK828,711 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
The Yorkshire Museum is a great museum in Museum Gardens that's always well worth visiting.
On my recent weeks I
holiday in York I never ventured in ,not sure wether it was open but I have been before on a couple of occasions ,it's a fascinating museum with five permanent collections ranging from biology,geology,archaeology ,numismatics and astronomy .
Founded by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and housed in a magnificent museum building constructed from designs from architect William Wilkins ,a Grade I listed building, I love the look of this building,Greek Revival style architecture is so pleasing on the eye ,opened in 1830 ,it's the longest established museum in England ,I love walking around Museum Gardens and buildings such as Yorkshire Museum add to the joy of walking around this pretty park area ,on my next trip to York I certainly will be visiting Yorkshire Museum ,it's most definitely well worth checking out if you're planning on visiting Museum Gardens.
Written March 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thankyou for your lovely and detailed review of the Yorkshire Museum. The Museum reopens on 8th April. There will be the Jurassic, Medieval and Roman exhibitions as well as some rare Roman bronzes and ancient headdresses from a Mesolithic site in North Yorkshire. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Written March 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

pippa t
Durham, UK145 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Took my 9 year old boy on a weekday and we both loved it. Had a good explore of the surrounding gardens and the stunning ruined abbey. The museum itself was clean and spacious with a variety of interesting exhibitions which were very informative and interesting. We learned a lot about the history of York. Plenty of "hands on" activities for my son to engage in including "feeding" a dinosaur using a VR headset. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours there. Well worth the £11 entry fee (cost for both of us.) Much better value than the Jorvik Centre.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leonie T
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Great exhitiations - particular the Jurassic World exhibition. We want to draw particular attention towards a volunter who made our time there exceptional. Ben Sutton (we think his name was), took his time to talk to us and we learnt so much! Extremely impressed that someone who took this time to talk to us and showed so much enthusiasm was just a volunter!

Would definitely recommend! And definitely look our for Ben if you go!
Written February 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mrs D
Wilsden, UK420 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Family
I was really impressed with all the hands on activities for little people in each of the exhibits. Both my under 5’s had a ‘Dinosaur Back Pack’ from the front desk, which came with cuddly dinosaur toy which they both enjoyed ‘showing around the museum’. They loved the fossil hunting section the Jurassic exhibit. They spent a long time playing with the dress up and castle with figures in the Richard III exhibit. All theses extras were well thought out with books and other activities. Can highly recommend.
Written October 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thankyou for your lovely review. We are glad your children had fun with the activities! We look forward to welcoming you back.
Written December 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cate G
York, UK50 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
I find this museum great and so does my 3 year old. His favourite part is the Jurassic exhibit but he enjoys most of it as in every area there is always a small part to cater to children. The staff are polite and helpful.
We usually stay about an hour but you could stay longer if you didn’t have an energetic child with you.
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so glad you and your child enjoy the museum! We will pass on the comments about our staff, they'll be so pleased. We hope to see you again soon!
Written August 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jennifer N
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK31 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
we went here yesterday after being drawn in by the posters for jurassic world. the admission price was £8.95 for adults. the male on the ticket desk was very nice and welcoming he explained the museum to us.
however we were disappointed overall with the museum its very basic and jurassic world exhibit was no more than a few bones. we won't be going back ive been to better museum in the north east that have been free of charge
Written August 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thank you for your feedback! I'm sorry you were disappointed by our Jurassic World exhibition. The admission charge allows us to maintain our excellent collection (second only to the British Museum) and our facilities. Your tickets are good for a full year, so you can come back as many times as you like during that time. We think it is quite good value!
Written September 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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YORKSHIRE MUSEUM - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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