On the hunt for the best museums in Yorkshire? You’ve come to the right place!
If you’re looking for a culture injection, you’re spoilt for choice with the sheer number of museums in Yorkshire. Whether you want to live like a Viking for a day, see the world’s first colour moving picture or sit front row at a jousting tournament, there’s something for everyone here. And if you’re still craving culture when you’re done, check out our list of the best art galleries in Yorkshire!
National Railway Museum
Credit: Eleanor Bentall
All aboard! The National Railway Museum is one of the best museums in Yorkshire for locomotive lovers, with over 6,000 objects on display. Built in the 1870s, their iconic Station Hall was York’s main working railway station right up until the 1960s.
Starring artefacts include Mallard, the world’s fastest steam locomotive, and Shinkansen, a 1960s Japanese bullet train that reaches speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. You can even get a slice of the action at one of their signalling demonstrations.
Where? National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 4XJ.
How much? Museum admission is free but booking is recommended.
Find out more: railwaymuseum.org.uk
Eureka!
Credit: Jonathan Pow/[email protected]
Eureka! is the UK’s leading children’s museum – it’s entertaining, engaging and exciting. There are six zones for your kids to roam, with hundreds of interactive exhibits that make education an absolute blast.
Whether they’re scanning a pregnant mum’s stomach, discovering the different sounds and smells of the desert, or exploring their very own child-sized town square, there’s no better museum in Yorkshire for little ones to learn about themselves and the world around them. Warning – visit once and they’ll be desperate to visit again!
Where? Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Discovery Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2NE.
How much? Admission costs £17.95 for children 3+ years and adults, £7.95 for children 1-2 years, under 1s go free. Pay for your first visit and you’ll receive a free Annual Pass for 12 months of unlimited visits.
Find out more: play.eureka.org.uk
Brontë Parsonage Museum
The Brontës are one of the most famous literary families in the world, and you can step inside the house they lived in at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.
Since 1893, the museum has contained the world’s most comprehensive collection of the family’s manuscripts, letters and early editions of their poetry and novels. Pay a visit to bear witness to the dining room in which Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights were written, or take the stairs to the children’s study where they discovered their love of writing.
Where? Brontë Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD22 8DR.
How much? Standard admission costs £13, £6.50 for teens 12-16 years, and under 11s go free. (Prices correct to March 2026.)
Find out more: bronte.org.uk
Thackray Museum of Medicine
© Copyright Leeds-List 2026
The Thackray Museum of Medicine will see you now. The UK’s largest independent medical museum, it takes you on a journey through the ages, spanning disease-ridden Victorian slums to the very cutting-edge in advancements.
Having opened in 1997 and being extensively refurbished in 2021, the museum boasts 11 permanent galleries that span all areas of medicine, including Disease Street, Healthcare Heroes and the Mortuary. With new exhibitions, activities, pop-up talks and a Sparks! interactive medical-themed play space for under fives, it’s an eye-opener for visitors of all ages.
Where? Thackray Museum of Medicine, 141 Beckett Street, Harehills, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7LN.
How much? The museum offers a ‘choose your own price’ admission, with a £12 recommended price, £9 and £10 lower cost tickets, and a £16 pay-it-forward option. Under 7s go free. Entry to Sparks! is £3.50 for an adult ticket and pre-booking is recommended.
Find out more: thackraymuseum.co.uk
York Castle Museum
Credit: Jigsaw Design Publishing
Originally a Georgian prison that held some of the most dangerous thieves and murderers in the county, York Castle Museum is now one of the best museums in Yorkshire.
There’s something for everyone here, with thousands of historic artefacts bringing York’s history to life. Wander down Kirkgate, a recreated Victorian Street filled with gunsmiths, grocery stores, toy dealers and more. Or, if you’re feeling brave, take the steps down to York Castle Prison to get a taste of what life was like in the original cells.
Where? York Castle Museum, Tower Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9RY.
How much? Admission costs £18 for adults, £16.20 for young people (17-24 years) and students, £10.80 for children (5-16 years), and under 5s go free. Free admission for 12 months is included in your ticket.
Find out more: yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk
The World of James Herriot
Credit: World of James Herriot
The World of James Herriot offers up the chance to see where James Herriot, the world’s most famous vet, lived, worked and wrote his incredibly successful series of books.
Walk through the famous red door to see the fully restored site of his original 1940s home and veterinary practice, as you work your way through the office and original dispensary. There’s the chance to get hands-on in the interactive gallery, whether it be testing your skills and reflexes or putting your hand in a cow’s bottom!
Where? The World of James Herriot, 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1PL.
How much? Admission costs £8.50 for adults, £5 for children (4-16 years), and under 3s go free.
Find out more: worldofjamesherriot.com
The Scarborough Fair Collection
The Scarborough Fair Collection boasts the largest working collection of vintage fairground rides and classic vehicles in Europe. Enjoy times gone by on the Tidman Golden Galloping Horses or go head-to-head on the dodgems.
They even have fifteen mechanical organs, like the Granada Mansfield Wurlitzer, which has shared a stage with The Beatles. Don’t forget their vintage vehicle collection either, featuring the Royal Family’s vehicle of choice, a Daimler Landaulette from 1927.
Where? Scarborough Fair Collection & Vintage Transport Museum, Flower of May Holiday Park, Stone Pit Lane, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 3NU.
How much? Admission costs £9.80 for adults and £6.80 for children (6-16 years). Family bundle tickets available.
Find out more: scarboroughfaircollection.com
National Coal Mining Museum
© Copyright Leeds-List 2026
Located on the site of historic coal mine Caphouse Colliery, the National Coal Mining Museum aims to transport its visitors back to when the local industry was dominated by mining.
The conditions of the pit have been expertly preserved, and the museum offers guided underground tours where you can experience the conditions the miners worked in. The above-ground exhibits are fantastic too, so make sure you pay a visit to the pithead baths or the steam winder house.
Where? National Coal Mining Museum for England, Caphouse Colliery, New Road, Overton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4RH.
How much? Admission to the museum is free, with an additional cost for tours.
Find out more: ncm.org.uk
JORVIK Viking Centre
Travel back to 975 AD at the JORVIK Viking Centre, a must-see Yorkshire museum, where you can discover the lives of the inhabitants of 10th-century York as you take a ride around the reconstruction of the city.
Based on archeological evidence from the original excavation, there are 22 authentic animatronic characters, along with plants that once grew here, dyes that were used to make clothes and even a glimpse of a Viking toilet! When you’re done, hop off and peruse the exhibition, which boasts over 40,000 artefacts.
Where? JORVIK Viking Centre, 19 Coppergate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9WT.
How much? Admission costs £17.50 for adults, £12 for children, and under 5s go free. Free admission for 12 months is included in your ticket.
Find out more: jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk
Kelham Island Museum
Credit: Sheffield Museums Trust
Kelham Island Museum serves as a strong reminder of Sheffield’s industrial heritage – there’s a reason why it’s nicknamed the ‘Steel City’, after all.
Here, you can experience everything from life and work during the Industrial Revolution to how the industry formed the city as we know it. Wander down Little Masters Street, see the pioneering Sheffield-Simplex cars or explore the Hawley Tool Collection. Twice a day, you’ll even hear the roar and the rumble of the River Don, their huge 425 ton steam engine.
Where? Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 8SA.
How much? Admission is free, but a donation of £5 is recommended.
Find out more: sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/kelham-island-museum
Royal Armouries Museum
© Copyright Yorkshire-List 2026
Bring your history books to life at Royal Armouries, home to the national collection of arms and armour.
You’ll be let loose to explore five floors of galleries, with delights like the armour of Henry VII, the iconic pulse rifle from Aliens, tusk swords from the 16th-century Indian sub-continent and so much more. Their outdoor space, the Tiltyard, regularly plays host to jousting, archery, falconry and horse shows, attracting competitors from all over the world. Who knew you could experience medieval England right here in Leeds?
Where? Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1LT.
How much? Admission is free.
Find out more: royalarmouries.org
National Science and Media Museum
Credit: National Science and Media Museum
The National Science and Media Museum is one of the largest museums in Yorkshire, with eight floors of galleries and over three million objects.
Their permanent exhibitions explore everything from photography to television, with gallery highlights including the world’s first colour moving picture and the earliest television footage. A trip to their Wonderlab is a must – navigate your way through 20 exhibits, hear your voice through a 15-metre long tube, make art using light and much more.
Where? National Science and Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ.
How much? Admission to the museum is free, but booking is recommended.
Find out more: scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk
National Videogame Museum
One of the funnest museums in Yorkshire, the National Videogame Museum is a loving tribute to our favourite titles, consoles and arcade machines – and it’s sure to keep the whole family entertained.
This Sheffield museum spans the last five decades of the very best in polygons and pixels, with 5,000 items and over 100 playable exhibits. That’s right, you’ll get three hours of unlimited gameplay with your ticket, meaning you can get your game on with classic releases, independent creations and even some titles made right in the Steel City itself.
Where? National Videogame Museum, Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3 8LN.
How much? Admission costs £15 for adults, £12 for under-18s, and under 5s go free. Family bundle tickets available.
Find out more: thenvm.org
National Emergency Services Museum
Credit: Msc1 Photography
The National Emergency Services Museum celebrates and preserves the history of the emergency services and their communities.
Housed in a historical combined police, fire and ambulance station, this TARDIS-like museum boasts a whopping 600,000 artefacts. Check out their 47-foot lifeboat in a collection of over 150 historic vehicles, or climb aboard a real-life fire engine. Make sure you take a trip to their ‘Daring Detectives and Dastardly Deeds’ exhibition, housed in original Victorian police cells!
Where? National Emergency Services Museum, Old Police/Fire Station, West Bar, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3 8PT.
How much? Admission costs £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for children (3-15 years), and under 3s go free
Find out more: visitnesm.org.uk
Eden Camp
Credit: Eden Camp
Step through the doors of Eden Camp and you’ll find yourself transported back to 1942. Originally a prisoner of war camp during WWII, the site reopened over three decades ago, with 35 huts re-equipped to tell the story of ‘The People’s War’.
Each hut focuses on a different facet of war, from the rise of the Nazi Party and the outbreak of war to rationing and The Blitz. This is no ordinary museum – expect moving figures, alongside authentic sounds and smells that’ll transport you back to wartime Britain.
Where? Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 6RT.
How much? Admission costs from £17 for adults, £15 for children (5-16 years), and under 5s go free.
Find out more: edencamp.co.uk
Yorkshire Air Museum
Credit: Yorkshire Air Museum
The Yorkshire Air Museum is one of the UK’s largest independent aviation museums, on the former site of a WWII bomber base. It boasts over 30,000 artefacts, including maps, books and uniforms specialising in wartime aircraft history.
Aside from an impressive array of aircrafts – ranging from the Hawker Hurricane I to an English Electric Lighting F.6 – the museum is home to various emergency service vehicles. Onsite, you’ll find the airfield’s original Control Tower, which has a fully functioning radio room.
Where? Yorkshire Air Museum, Halifax Way, Elvington, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 4AU.
How much? Admission costs from £16 for adults, £6.50 for children (4-17 years), and under 4s go free. Free admission for 12 months is included in your ticket.
Find out more: yorkshireairmuseum.org
