Things to do in York with kids

Top picks in York for families

• National Railway Museum: free entry, giant engines including Mallard, and step-free access throughout. Wonderlab costs extra.
• JORVIK Viking Centre: an underground ride through a recreated Viking street. JORVIK recommends it for ages 5 and over, and pre-booking a time slot is essential.
• York Minster: free explorer backpacks and a dragon trail. Up to four children aged 17 and under go free with each paying adult.
• York Castle Museum: Kirkgate, the Sixties gallery and old prison cells. Allow 2 to 3 hours. Pushchairs stay in the buggy park.
• DIG: An Archaeological Adventure: a guided tour with digging for replica Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian finds. DIG recommends it for ages 5 to 12.
• Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens: dinosaurs, Romans and Vikings indoors, set in free gardens. The galleries close on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• York’s Chocolate Story: a guided tour with tastings and a chocolate lolly to decorate. It is recommended for ages 4 and up.
• Homestead Park: a free park in Clifton with a large playground and woods.
• Beningbrough: a National Trust hall and garden near York, with a wilderness play area for toddlers to teens. Until 20 December 2026 it opens Friday to Sunday only.
• Murton Park: a farm and history park with animals, play areas and pedal tractors. It closes to the public from 18 December 2026 and reopens on 4 January 2027.

Free days out in York

• National Railway Museum: free entry with a timed ticket. Booking online is recommended, especially for weekends and school holidays.
• Homestead Park: free entry and a small free car park, open every day from 8.30am to 7.30pm.
• West Bank Park: a free council park in Holgate with two play areas, both locked at night.
• York City Walls Walk: free, but pushchairs are not allowed. Some edges are unguarded, so children must be closely supervised.
• York Museum Gardens: free for everyone, with the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey.

At Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, children 16 and under go free with a full paying adult. See our full guide to free things to do in York with kids.

Rainy day ideas in York

• York Art Gallery: family play spaces, a pretend kitchen and an Art Cart. It is closed every Monday and Tuesday.
• Barley Hall: a medieval townhouse where visitors may sit on the chairs and handle many objects. It has steep stairs and no lift.
• York Army Museum: Morse code, trails and the TANKS game. It is closed on Sundays.
• Yorkshire Museum: dressing up in the Medieval York gallery and a castle-building corner for toddlers.
• The York Dungeon: a 75-minute live actor tour that is dark, loud and has jump scares. Under 5s are not allowed in, and it recommends ages 8 and over. Under 16s must be with someone over 18.

See our full guide to rainy day things to do in York with kids.

York with toddlers and under 5s

• National Railway Museum: step-free throughout, with baby changing. Wonderlab is free for 2s and under.
• York Art Gallery: the Ismay Kitchen for pretend tea parties, and pre-booked Gallery Babies sessions for pre-walking babies on term-time Thursdays.
• Homestead Park: a separate under 7s play area and a baby change table in the accessible toilet.
• Murton Park: pedal tractors for under 8s, sand play and animals. Its indoor play barn is closed for maintenance until the New Year.

Plan around two limits: the City Walls do not allow pushchairs, and the York Dungeon does not admit under 5s. See our guide to things to do in York with toddlers.

Additional needs friendly days out

See our guide to SEN and autism-friendly days out in York.

Every York place in one list

Our York search lists every venue.

More York guides: parks and playgrounds in York and Christmas days out in York with kids.

Getting around York with children

• Park and Ride: the council says you park free in a secure car park and take the bus into the city centre.
• Useful routes: the 59 from Poppleton Bar has a National Railway Museum stop. The 8 from Grimston Bar stops outside Merchant Adventurers’ Hall. York Minster’s page names a Park and Ride stop in Museum Street.
• From York Station: the Bar Convent and York Minster are each about ten minutes’ walk. JORVIK and DIG are each about 20 minutes.
• Step-free to the railway museum: leave the front of the station, take Station Rise and the Marble Arch tunnel, then follow Hudson Boulevard. The footbridge route has stairs.
• Castle car park: it is near York Castle Museum, Fairfax House, York Army Museum and JORVIK. Charges apply 8am to midnight, and Blue Badge holders park free in any bay.
• Christmas Market: the council says event parking charges apply from 12 November to 21 December 2026.
• Pushchairs: York Castle Museum keeps pushchairs out of its galleries, and Fairfax House stores them at reception. JORVIK buggies cannot go on the ride.
• Changing Places: the council runs Changing Places toilets at Silver Street and Union Terrace, and there is one at York railway station.

Frequently asked questions

What is free for kids in York?

The National Railway Museum, Homestead Park, West Bank Park, the City Walls and York Museum Gardens are all free. At York Minster, up to four children aged 17 and under go free with each paying adult.

What can we do in York with kids on a rainy day?

Try JORVIK, DIG, York Castle Museum, the Yorkshire Museum or York Art Gallery. All are indoors. Check closing days first.

Which York attractions close on certain days?

The Yorkshire Museum galleries and York Art Gallery close on Mondays and Tuesdays. York Army Museum closes on Sundays. Merchant Adventurers’ Hall closes on Saturdays and sometimes for private events. York Minster can close to sightseeing for services, so check its calendar.

Do we need to book York attractions ahead?

Pre-booking is essential at JORVIK and the York Dungeon. Sunday sightseeing tickets at York Minster must be booked in advance. The National Railway Museum recommends booking free tickets online.

Is anything closed for winter near York?

Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park is closed for winter. Its home page gives 2 November 2026 to 8 February 2027, but its prices page says November to January. Murton Park closes to the public from 18 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, apart from Christmas ticket holders on 19 to 22 December.

Can we visit York with kids without a car?

Yes. Many central venues are a walk from York Station, and Park and Ride buses run into the city centre. Murton Park and Beningbrough need a bus plus a walk. Murton Park’s bus routes involve walking on roads with no pavement.

Last updated: 12 November 2026.

Checked on 12 November 2026 against the official websites, through our York venue pages. Prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.

Main photo: York Minster seen from the city walls. Photo: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.