Planning a family day out in York? We’ve rounded up 10 brilliant attractions – along with a handy Park & Ride route to each one.
York is a popular day out for families, but travelling into the city centre can be stressful. Circling for parking spaces while the kids ask “are we there yet?” might conjure nightmares, but there’s an easier option. Leave your car at one of six Park & Ride sites around York and you can reach the city centre in around 15 minutes, without navigating the busy roads and backseat tantrums.
Why Park & Ride works for families
Credit: First Bus
Over the summer, selected services run as frequently as every eight minutes, so you can turn up and start your day without planning it around a complicated timetable. There’s no need to book a parking space, while the on-site team can help if it’s your first visit. Buy your ticket from the driver or use the First Bus app to plan ahead and check live departure times.
Buses have step-free entrances and designated spaces for buggies and wheelchairs, making the switch from car to bus simple for families. Children aged five to 15 also travel free throughout August, leaving more of your day-out budget for attractions, treats and the inevitable gift shop visit.
We’ve highlighted the service with the most convenient stop for each attraction below, but you can use whichever Park & Ride site best suits the direction you’re travelling from. If it’s your first time using the service, check out our handy guide to how York Park & Ride works before setting off.
Quick picks: York family days out
National Railway Museum
Credit: Eleanor Bentall
If your little ones are loco for trains, head to the National Railway Museum. You can stand beside the Flying Scotsman, see a Japanese Bullet Train up close and discover an enormous collection of railway engineering and memorabilia.
There’s even more fun during the summer holidays. Kids can collect stamps in a special holiday passport as they explore interactive activity zones, help run a railway ticket office, solve luggage mysteries and more.
Address: National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 4XJ.
Price: Free entry. Some attractions, including Wonderlab, carry an additional charge.
Get there: Park at Poppleton Bar and take service 59 directly to the National Railway Museum. The journey takes around 15 minutes.
York Castle Museum
Credit: Anthony Chappel Ross
Fancy stepping back in time and wandering along a recreated Victorian street? Kirkgate inside York Castle Museum is lined with old-fashioned shops, businesses and houses, offering a glimpse of everyday life in Victorian York.
The museum is housed in former 18th-century prison buildings, where you can learn about life inside the cells and meet one of the site’s most notorious inmates, highwayman Dick Turpin. Visit during the summer holidays for street performances, cooking demonstrations, craft workshops and a time-travelling activity trail.
Address: York Castle Museum, Eye of York, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9RY.
Price: Adults £18, children aged five to 16 £10.80 and family tickets from £52. Tickets include admission for 12 months.
Get there: Park at Askham Bar and take service 3 to Tower Street, which is within 150 metres of the Museum. The journey into York takes around 15 minutes.
JORVIK Viking Centre
Credit: Jorvik
Climb aboard JORVIK’s time capsule and journey back to bustling Viking-age York, complete with sights, sounds and some notoriously memorable smells. The ride recreates the streets and inhabitants of 10th-century Coppergate using animatronic characters based on real archaeological evidence.
Once the ride is over, you can see genuine Viking-age objects from the famous Coppergate excavations – including the enormous Lloyds Bank Coprolite, otherwise known as a fossilised Viking poo (yes, really).
Address: JORVIK Viking Centre, 19 Coppergate Walk, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9WT.
Price: Advance tickets cost £17.50 for adults and £12 for children, with family tickets from £49. Under-fives go free and booking a time slot is recommended.
Get there: Park at Designer Outlet and take service 7 into York city centre. Get off near Coppergate for JORVIK Viking Centre. The journey takes around 15 minutes.
York Art Gallery
A trip to an art gallery might not be the first thing on the family agenda, but samurai armour, colourful kimonos and interactive play spaces should change a few minds. This summer, the Making Waves exhibition brings together more than 100 Japanese woodblock prints, including world-famous works by Hokusai and Hiroshige.
There’s plenty to get involved with beyond the exhibition, too. Families can explore colours, textures and shapes using the Sensory Toolkit, host an imaginary tea party in the Ismay Kitchen or get creative with the gallery’s well-stocked Art Cart.
Address: York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7EW.
Price: Adults £9, children aged five to 16 £5.40 and family tickets from £25.94. Under-fives go free.
Get there: Park at Rawcliffe Bar and take service 2 or 2A to the Theatre Royal. York Art Gallery is a short walk away in Exhibition Square.
DIG
Credit: The JORVIK Group
Kids can get their hands dirty at DIG, an archaeological adventure designed for young explorers. Through games, objects and interactive activities, they’ll discover how archaeologists uncover evidence and use it to piece together stories from the past.
After learning the ropes, they can pick up a trowel and investigate four recreated dig pits. Once they’ve uncovered their finds, they’ll get to examine genuine archaeological objects discovered beneath the streets of York.
Address: DIG, St Saviour’s Church, St Saviourgate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 8NN.
Price: Adults £10.50, children £9.50 and family tickets from £32. Under-fives go free and admission includes return visits for 12 months.
Get there: Park at Grimston Bar and take service 8 into York city centre. Get off near Piccadilly, then walk to St Saviourgate. The journey into York takes around 15 minutes.
The York Dungeon
Credit: York Dungeons
If you’re visiting with older kids who don’t scare easily, The York Dungeon is one for your list. Ten live shows bring 2,000 years of York’s grisly history to life, introducing infamous characters including Dick Turpin and Guy Fawkes.
With dark spaces, jump scares, loud noises and flashing lights, it’s not for the faint-hearted. It isn’t all screams, though – the actors serve up plenty of laughs and gruesome facts along the way.
Address: The York Dungeon, 12 Clifford Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9RD.
Price: Standard online tickets currently start from £20.12 per adult, with summer savings applied. Pre-booking is essential. The attraction is recommended for children aged eight and over, and under-fives aren’t admitted.
Get there: Park at Askham Bar and take service 3 to Tower Street, then walk the short distance to Clifford Street. The journey into York takes around 15 minutes.
York’s Chocolate Story
Credit: York’s Chocolate Story
For something a little sweeter, discover how York became one of the world’s great chocolate-making cities at York’s Chocolate Story. The guided tour explores the stories behind famous local names including Terry’s and Rowntree’s, with tempting samples along the way.
Watch the resident chocolatiers demonstrate their skills before having a go yourself by decorating a chocolate lolly to take home – assuming it makes it that far.
Address: York’s Chocolate Story, King’s Square, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7LD.
Price: Summer tickets cost £16.50 for adults and £15 for children, with under-fours going free. These reduced prices are available until Tuesday 1st September 2026.
Get there: Park at Grimston Bar and take service 8 into York city centre. Get off near Piccadilly and walk through the city centre to King’s Square.
Clifford’s Tower
Credit: Visit York
Perched high above the city on a grassy mound, Clifford’s Tower looks like something straight from a storybook. It’s the largest surviving structure from York Castle, originally founded by William the Conqueror, and its open interior offers a striking setting in which to explore centuries of history.
The climb is short, but the real reward awaits on the rooftop walkway. From here, you’ll get incredible 360-degree views across York’s skyline. It’s a quick but memorable stop that’s easy to fit around the rest of your family itinerary.
Address: Clifford’s Tower, Tower Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9SA.
Price: Adult admission starts from around £9.26 when booked online, with lower prices for children and family tickets available. English Heritage members go free. Prices vary by visit date.
Get there: Park at Askham Bar and take service 3 to Tower Street, right beside Clifford’s Tower. The journey takes around 15 minutes.
Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens
Credit: Anthony Chappel Ross
Dinosaurs, Vikings, Romans and one of Britain’s most significant archaeological discoveries all await at the Yorkshire Museum. Families can see part of the extraordinary Melsonby Hoard, a collection of around 800 Iron Age objects discovered in North Yorkshire, including ancient weapons, chariot parts and elaborate horse harnesses.
There’s loads to get stuck into, from sensory activities to medieval dress up. Once you’ve finished inside, head into the ten-acre Museum Gardens to find wildlife, unusual plants and the medieval ruins of St Mary’s Abbey. There’s even an ice cream and coffee van when you need to refuel.
Address: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7FR.
Price: Adults £10 and children aged five to 16 £6. Under-fives go free, while admission tickets are valid for 12 months. Museum Gardens are free to explore.
Get there: Park at Rawcliffe Bar and take service 2 or 2A to the Theatre Royal. The entrance to Museum Gardens is a short walk away.
Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour
Credit: York Pullman
Give tired legs a break without putting the sightseeing on pause with a Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour around York. With 20 stops around the city and live commentary on board, it’s an easy way to explore family favourites like York Minster, Clifford’s Tower and the city’s historic walls without clocking up thousands of extra steps.
Your ticket is valid for either 24 or 48 hours, so you can hop off whenever something catches your eye before jumping back on to continue the adventure. Better still, if you’re travelling into the city using York Park & Ride, you’ll receive 10% off your bus tour when you show a valid Park & Ride ticket. You can even combine your ticket with a River Ouse cruise for a full day of sightseeing.
Address: Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour, Exhibition Square (outside the York Art Gallery), Bootham, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7EU.
Price: Tickets start from £16 for adults and £9 for children, with family tickets available from £35. Combination bus and river cruise tickets are also available.
Get there: Park at Rawcliffe Bar and catch Service 2 to Exhibition Square. The journey takes around 15 minutes, and the Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour departs from outside York Art Gallery.
