Museums
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Immerse yourself in stories from centuries of railway history and discover unexpected objects from the world’s largest railway collection. And the entrance is FREE for anyone!
York Art Gallery’s collection of paintings spans more than 600 years and works range from 14th century Italian panels and 17th century Dutch masterpieces to Victorian narrative paintings and 20th century works by LS Lowry and David Hockney.
York Castle Museum was the first of a new kind of museum in Britain. Discover dr. Kirk’s legacy!
The Quilters’ Guild Collection is a unique collection of quilts and related artefacts from around the British Isles dating from the earliest piece in the collection, the 1718 Silk Patchwork Coverlet.
Visit one of the largest independent museums of aviation in the United Kingdom. The museum sits on the former site of RAF Elvington in North Yorkshire, a World War II airfield used extensively by Allied Bomber crew during the war.
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming was established by the Yorkshire Farm Machinery Preservation Society. The society began negotiations to build a museum on the Murton Park site in the late 1970s, and the museum opened to the public in 1982. Enjoy a day out with family and friends!
The Yorkshire Museum was one of the earliest purpose-built museums in the country. It opened in 1830 as the new home for the collections of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. Today the museum houses galleries showcasing some of Britain’s finest archaeological treasures from the city’s Roman, Viking and medieval past as well as a nationally significant natural science collection, some of which is on show in Yorkshire’s Jurassic World.
SHORT DISTANCE FROM YORK
Harewood Castle (30min drive)
Harewood sits in the heart of Yorkshire and is one of the Treasure Houses of England. The House was built in the 18th century and has art collections to rival the finest in Britain.
Castle Howard (25min drive)
Although building work began in 1699, the construction of Castle Howard took over 100 years to complete, spanning the lifetimes of three Earls.
Fountains Abbey (39min drive)
Ancient abbey ruins and an awe-inspiring water garden at this World Heritage Site
Harrogate (30min drive)
Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire, east of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Its heritage as a fashionable spa resort continues in the Montpellier Quarter with the Royal Pump Room Museum, documenting the importance of local mineral springs. Nearby is the restored, Moorish-style Turkish Baths & Health Spa.
Haworth – Bronte’ Country (1h drive)
The Pennine village where the Bronte sisters grew up was then a crowded industrial town, polluted, smelly and wretchedly unhygienic. Although perched on the edge of open country, high up on the edge of Haworth Moor, the death rate was as high as anything in London or Bradford, with 41 per cent of children failing even to reach their sixth birthday. The average age of death was just 24.
Helmsley (37min drive)
Helmsley is the only market town in the North York Moors National Park, and is the perfect base for enjoying the wider area. But there’s plenty to do right here in the town, from fascinating attractions including the National Centre for Birds of Prey, Helmsley Castle, Helmsley Arts Centre and the Walled Gardens, to award-winning eateries and the town’s very own Brewery. Enjoy shopping in interesting and unique stores, galleries and boutiques – the town is even home to the winner of Britain’s Best Small Shop 2015.
Rievaulux Abbey (40min drive)
Since its foundation in the 12th century, Rievaulx Abbey has witnessed the heights of monastic renown and the lows of decline and Reformation, only to be reborn as a subject for Romantic art. Find out more about the story of Rievaulx Abbey through the years and explore new discoveries being brought to light by the latest historical research.
Ripley Castle (30min drive)
Ripley Castle and Gardens, situated 3 miles from Harrogate in North Yorkshire on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a historic attraction open to the public all year round. A visit to the Estate makes for a fascinating and entertaining day out, in a beautiful location.
Whitby (1 hour drive)
There’s more to Whitby than meets the eye – with its connections to Captain Cook and Dracula, its quirky narrow streets and bustling harbour overlooked by the striking Gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey, Whitby is a fascinating town, unlike any other. Enjoy the quirky fishing villages of Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay, the unspoilt sandy beaches of Sandsend and Runswick Bay, the staggering views from the clifftops at Ravenscar, and the popular seaside resorts of Saltburn and Redcar. Enjoy the 800km of bridleways that weave through the peaceful and colourful countryside of the North York Moors National Park, which surrounds Whitby town.