Yorkshire Museum

About the museum

The Yorkshire Museum was founded by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society to house its geological and archaeological collections. After outgrowing an earlier home in Ousegate, the society received land that had belonged to St Mary's Abbey, and William Wilkins designed a Greek Revival museum building there. The museum opened in 1830, which makes it one of the longest-established museums in England. The surrounding land was laid out as botanic gardens, today's Museum Gardens, and the British Association for the Advancement of Science held its first meeting in the building in 1831.

The Tempest Anderson Hall was added as an annex in 1912 and is an early example of reinforced concrete construction. Because of financial problems, the society handed the museum and gardens over to the citizens of York in 1961, and since 2002 they have been run by the charity York Museums Trust, together with York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery. The museum closed for a major refurbishment in 2009 and reopened in August 2010.

The collections cover archaeology, geology, biology, numismatics and astronomy, and several of them hold Designated status as collections of national importance. Today the galleries include Roman York, Yorkshire's Jurassic World and the temporary exhibitions Viking North and Chariots, Treasure and Power, which presents finds from the Melsonby Hoard, the largest hoard of Iron Age metalwork found in Britain.

Highlights

• Roman York gallery with sculptures, tombstones, burial finds and a mosaic floor
• Yorkshire's Jurassic World with marine reptiles, dinosaurs and a fossil dig zone
• Viking North with finds from the Vale of York hoard and other Viking sites
• Chariots, Treasure and Power: the Iron Age Melsonby Hoard
• Greek Revival building set in the Museum Gardens

Permanent exhibitions

• Roman York – Meet the People of the Empire – Follows York before and during the Roman period, with sculptures, tombstones, pottery, skeletons and a mosaic floor.
• Yorkshire's Jurassic World – A journey through 150 million years of Yorkshire's past with dinosaurs, sea reptiles and a fossil dig zone.

Founded

1830

Operated by

York Museums Trust

Admission & discounts

Tickets are valid for 12 months from the first visit. Free entry with proof for people on means-tested benefits, Max Card holders, National Art Pass holders, Visit York Pass holders (pre-booking a free timed ticket is advised), people seeking sanctuary and several museum-sector memberships. Donations and Gift Aid are optional when booking.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The historic building has three floors with a lift by the main staircase; the lower ground and ground floors are fully accessible and the first floor is mainly accessible. The reading room and library are reached by a short flight of stairs. There is a ramp beside the main entrance. A visitor notice reports intermittent lift problems, and staff help visitors who need access to other floors. An accessible gender-neutral toilet with baby changing is on the lower ground floor. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed on request, and mobility scooters are allowed. A hearing loop is fitted in the building and in the Tempest Anderson Hall. Communication lanyards, easy read admission guides, colour overlays for dyslexic readers and two pairs of ear defenders are available on request. There is a sensory corner in the Jurassic gallery. Assistance dogs are welcome. There is no parking at the museum, but Blue Badge holders can park free next to the Marygate car park.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Activity corners in the galleries include dressing-up costumes and a castle-building area in the medieval gallery, a fossil dig zone, and a colouring table. Drop-in creative workshops run on Wednesdays and character encounters on Saturdays during school holidays, included in admission. Pushchairs are welcome in the galleries or can be left at reception, and breastfeeding is welcome throughout.

Getting there & parking

Entrances to the Museum Gardens are on Museum Street and Marygate. Cars can drop off at the front of the museum by prior arrangement.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available

There is no cafe at the museum; the cafe at York Art Gallery or a picnic in the Museum Gardens are the suggested alternatives. Luggage cannot be stored.

Events & venue rental

The Tempest Anderson Hall is an auditorium with about 280 seats used for lectures, films and special events.

Plan your visit