From the age of the dinosaur to Roman’s and Vikings, all the way up to York's modern history. York's exciting and eventful past makes it an amazing place to explore. Discover its stories and adventure into the past in one of the many museums in York.
Visit the world famous JORVIK Viking Centre to discover York’s fascinating Viking legacy. You travel around 10th-century York, with the sights, sounds and smells of the Viking city brought vividly back to life.
The York Museums trust cares for three of the city’s museums. Social history comes to life at the York Castle Museum, where you can walk down a Victorian street and see the prison cells which held Dick Turpin. At the Yorkshire Museum, you can travel back thousands of years to get a look at the county’s Jurassic past, as well as York’s Roman roots and medieval history. York Art Gallery is home to new commissions, old masters, and more that 2000 ceramic works.
The National Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the world. Get up close to iconic locomotives and legends of the railway, including Queen Victoria’s luxurious personal carriages and the fastest steam locomotive ever produced.
You can see the sweeter side of the city’s history at York’s Chocolate Story, and discover the stories behind the greatest names in chocolate, including York’s own Terry and Rowntree, and even learn the secrets of chocolate making.
For a different experience, head to York Dungeon to have 2000 years of York’s darkest history brought to life with horrible characters, fully immersive sets and thrilling special effects.
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