Family Fun: Discovering the York Yorkshire Museum with Kids

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Planning a fun day out with the kids? Look no further than the York Yorkshire Museum! From ancient Roman artifacts to fascinating dinosaur fossils, the museum is packed with cool exhibits that kept the little ones entertained and curious.

Address

Museum Gardens,
Museum Street,
York,
YO1 7FR

Wesbite: https://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk

Admission prices

Tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of your visit.
Visit York Pass holders can book free tickets
For a list of free concessions, please visit the website.

Opening times

Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm

The Yorkshire Museum: What to expect!

Set in the stunning York Museum Gardens, this museum is a must-do for families in York. There’s a bit of everything here from social history, learning about the advancement of science and a variety of periods in time. Learning is made fun with the interactive activities for children of all ages.There’s quite a lot to see at this fantastic museum and we spent longer than we thought here. I think you need at least 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the museum at a nice pace with children. You can easily stay longer, especially if you want to explore the grounds of York’s gardens afterwards! 

Mary Anning Rocks!

One of Erin’s favourite areas at the museum was ‘Mary Anning Rocks’, which celebrates the inspiring story of the renowned palaeontologist. Find out who Mary Anning was and why she was so important to women in science and how she helped to change the way we view the natural world!

Best known for discovering Jurassic marine fossils in Lyme Regis on the south-western coast of England, this family friendly display will introduce Mary Anning (1799-1847) and explain how this pioneering woman of science changed the way we view the natural world. Learn about Mary Anning’s Jurassic discoveries, and then view the Giant Ichthyosaur. At over 180 million years old the incredible specimen was found near Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast. This specific Ichthyosaur is particularly large, measuring around eight metres, making it one of the biggest ever discovered in Britain.

There are plenty of interactive areas for children in this area including taking part in an archaelogical dig and drawing your own fossils. 

York’s Jurassic World

In with the vast array of subjects at the Yorkshire Museum, you can learn about dinosaurs and underwater creatures from the past. From Deep Oceans to Coral sees, you can see remains from coral, fish, starfish and other sea life as well as ammonites and belemnites. Many of the items are enclosed in glass tanks with illustrations and settings to make you realise where each thing would have lived. This is a great way for children to understand where things came from, what they lived with and what might have happened to them. 

There’s a small play area for younger children in this part of the Museum, along with interactive activities such as taking rubbings of fossils. 

Medieval York

Kids are going to love the Medieval York section of the museum. You can see the amazing York Helmet, Gilling Sword, and Ormside Bowl up close. Plus, there are cool  artifacts that have never been shown before, giving you a peek into York’s past as the capital of the North during the Anglian, Viking, and Medieval times.

Find out how York grew into England’s second city, with its ups and downs tied to the Crown and the Church. Dive into York’s rich history as a center of religion, royal power, commerce, art, conflict, and wealth from the Anglian and Viking eras through the Norman, Medieval, and Tudor periods.

With support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and the Headley Trust, this exhibition is a fantastic educational adventure for all ages. There’s loads for kids to enjoy, including pretending to be at a medieval feast or creating their own castle.

Roman York

Maybe the most impressive area of the museum is the Roman York exhibit. A huge floor map showcases the vast Roman Empire, vibrant images of mosaics and frescoes decorate the walls, and a mighty statue of Mars, the God of War, stands tall. Many of these treasures were collected by historians in the 1800s, captivated by the Classical Roman and Greek worlds. The museum’s Central Hall, with its classical-style columns, sets the perfect scene. 

Before diving into Roman York, journey back to the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages. Compare ancient Yorkshire pottery, tools, and weapons with those from the Continent. Discover the cosmopolitan nature of Roman York with outstanding artifacts, including the tombstone of Lucius Duccius Rufinus, a French standard bearer for the famous Ninth Legion. See the bones and belongings of six individuals from across the Empire, providing fascinating insights into their lives.

Explore life in Eboracum through archaeological evidence that brings ancient buildings and routines to life. Check out pieces of a map of York to see what might have been discovered on your favorite street. Round the corner, step across a massive mosaic floor and wall fresco, slip on a pair of sandals, and immerse yourself in the bustling, wealthy city that was Eboracum. Create your own mosaic with replica tiles and admire the wealth of domestic pottery on display. This exhibition offers a fantastic, hands-on adventure for families to experience the vibrant history of Roman York.

Star Carr: Life After the Ice

Star Carr: Life After the Ice is the Yorkshire Museums newest exhibit, opened in 2024. Here, you can discover what human life was like 11,000 years ago, which is just a few hundred years after the ice age. This exhibit is home to so many artefacts from one the most famous Mesolithic sites in the world. Explore what life would have been like on the settlement at Star Carr in  North Yorkshire and delve into how people settled, created, cooked and worshipped during the Mesolithic period (Middle Stone Age). Some items include an iconic antler headdresses, a unique, decorated stone pendant, the world’s oldest complete hunting bow and the earliest evidence of carpentry from Europe.

Children can take part in plenty of interactive things in this area, including dressing up, getting creative with a drawing and planning a family meal. 

How long should you spend at the York Yorkshire Museum?

There’s quite a lot to see at this fantastic museum and we spent longer than we thought here. I think you need at least 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the museum at a nice pace with children. You can easily stay longer, especially if you want to explore the grounds of York’s gardens afterwards! Don’t forget to visit the gift shop before you leave too.

Other great things to do with kids in York: