Explore one of the original National Trust properties at York’s Treasurer’s House, an opulent and eclectic 2-story mansion set amid landscaped gardens that has a fascinating history spanning 2,000 years. Highlights include the period rooms replete with historical artifacts, including a Queen Anne bedspread and a blown-glass chandelier, as well as the allegedly haunted cellars.
With one of the country’s most important regimental collections, York Army Museum offers visitors an immersive insight into 300+ years of Yorkshire military history. Learn about the Royal Dragoon Guards and Yorkshire Regiment through interactive exhibits, centuries-old artifacts, and audiovisual displays.
Fans of the Yorkshire author and vet of All Creatures Great and Small fame won’t want to miss the World of James Herriot. Now an award-winning, interactive museum, Herriot’s former veterinary office—a fully restored 1940s home—displays a huge collection of Herriot memorabilia.
Castle Howard is one of Britain’s grandest stately homes. Built over the course of 100 years and still home to the Howard family, the castle was famously used as a filming location for Brideshead Revisited. Its 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of elegant grounds are located in the Howardian Hills—an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
With an atmospheric setting in Monk Bar, one of the four main medieval gateways to York, the Richard III Experience looks back at the turbulent 2-year reign of the last Plantagenet king. Exhibits document his rise to power, including the mysterious disappearance of his two preteen nephews, as well as his role in the Wars of the Roses.
Step inside the only bullet train outside of Japan, peer into royal carriages, and watch model trains chug around a small-scale landscape at the National Railway Museum. With over one million pieces of railway memorabilia—including steam locomotives and vintage posters—the museum provides an immersive insight into the British rail industry.
Once built to protect the medieval city of York, the well-preserved York City Walls have since become an emblematic landmark of the region and an easy-to-access point of introduction for historical York. While only three main sections of these 13th- and 14th-century walls are still connected, following the footpaths and scrambling up the ramparts remains a popular pastime.
This 18th-century townhouse offers a glimpse into the tastes, fashions, and daily life of Georgian-era nobility. It began as the home of Viscount Charles Gregory Fairfax and then enjoyed brief stints as a gentlemen’s club, cinema, and dancehall before being restored to its Georgian-era glory.
Clifford’s Tower, a semi-ruined 13th-century remnant of York Castle, is also one of the few Norman relics in a city dominated by Viking influence. Nowadays, Clifford’s Tower is one of the most popular and emblematic sights in York, and the panoramic views from the tower’s ramparts make it an excellent starting point for first-time visitors to historic York.
Having never been widened to accommodate cars, The Shambles has retained its picturesque medieval form. Timber-framed Tudor buildings host tea rooms, taverns, and souvenir shops, and project out at the upper levels—a medieval building technique used to create extra living space.
Aided by spooky special effects and eerie sets, the costumed actors at York Dungeon recount terrifying tales of torture, terror, and murder. Expect laughs, scares, and shrieks as you learn about Viking invasions, witch hunts, and lawbreakers from centuries past.
Step back in time with York Castle Museum, an informative, interactive destination that will charm history-buffs and families alike. Unique in its depictions of everyday life, both past and present, York Castle Museum is best-known for period reconstructions of historic streets—like the Victorian Kirkgate—and costumed actors who help bring the past to life.
This cavernous medieval cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece. Focal points include the 16th-century stained glass Rose Window, which was painstakingly pieced back together following a fire in 1984, and the soaring central tower, the top of which offers panoramic views of York.
The Yorkshire Museum chronicles millions of years of Yorkshire history, from the Jurassic period through to Viking and medieval times. Highlights of the eclectic collection include a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite that came crashing to Earth in 1881, the hair bun of a Roman teenager, and a Viking sword.
A giant outdoor maze made from more than one million maize plants is the star attraction at this family-friendly adventure park. As well as smaller themed mazes, York Maze is home to slides, a climbing zone, inflatables, tractor rides, crazy golf, and remote-controlled boats.
Family fun comes thick and fast at the Lightwater Valley Family Adventure near Ripon in Yorkshire. Home to more than 40 rides and attractions, this landscaped park is ideal for younger children—while still great for families with older kids—and serves up everything from coasters and carousels to live shows, a boating lake, and more.
