11 Things to do in York with kids

York is a fantastic family-friendly city to visit. It’s really compact but packed with attractions the whole family will love. In this post, I’m going to share with you the best things to do in York with kids. I’ll be covering free things to do in York as well as attractions that you’ll have to pay for (but I do have a tip for making your money go further). All these York attractions are great for children so read on to find out why you should consider weekend breaks in York with your family. Find more fantastic UK family days out and holidays.

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Free things to do with kids in York

The National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum is a fantastic free museum, especially for kids. It’s a huge museum that you could easily spend most of the day at. There are over 100 trains on display from 19th-century trains to the present day. Some you can even go onboard like a Japanese bullet train. For others, you can only look through the windows. There’s also a great train-themed play area that my two loved as well as steam train rides and miniature train rides outside. Head to their website to find their opening times and any extra events.  

Walk the walls

Central York is surrounded by medieval walls that you can walk around. They are no longer complete but over 2 miles still exist that you can walk around and get an elevated view of the city. The walls are open from 8 am to dusk daily but may be closed if the weather is bad. Not all the sections of the walls are suitable for young children. I wouldn’t attempt any of it with a pushchair as there are plenty of steps and some narrow sections too. Some areas don’t have railings on one side and there can be quite a drop in some areas. However, the section between Bootham bar and Monk bar has a railing or wall on both sides of the path so is the best section for taking kids along. It goes behind the back of York Minster so is quite an interesting section too. I love these metal plaques on the walls where children can do a rubbing on some paper. Each plaque shows a different section of the walls so that if you walk around the walls and use the same piece of paper and line it up each time a full map of the walls will build up.  

York Museum gardens

As you know we love spending time outside so it’s nice that there is a lovely outdoor area in the heart of the city. York museum gardens are beautiful gardens even in the winter when we visited. I can only imagine how stunning they are when the flowers are in bloom. The gardens include the stunning ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey as well as Yorkshire’s oldest working observatory and a few other historical buildings. The gardens are also home to the Yorkshire Museum which I will talk about below. As well as being lovely to walk around and let your children run around a little, they’re also a great place for a picnic. If you’re still looking for more outdoor time you could also walk along the river Ouse which is a nice flat walk through the city centre.  

The Shambles

The Shambles is York’s oldest street, it’s at least 900 years old. It’s a narrow cobbled street with overhanging buildings. It was once a street of butcher’s shops but now it’s very touristy now with a mix of interesting shops and tiny cafes. Shops include a Harry Potter shop as The Shambles is said to be the inspirations for Diagon’s Alley. Head here early as it does get very busy.  

Other things to do in York with Kids

These attractions aren’t free but you can save money with a York pass. A York pass gives you access to 42 different attractions, including all the ones mentioned in this post and some that are outside the city too. You can purchase an adult or child pass and there is a choice of the duration too (1, 2, 3 or 6 days). You also get a mini guidebook and discounts on evening tours (like ghost walks) and restaurants and cafes across the city. Buy your York pass here.  

Yorkshire Museum

The Yorkshire Museum is fantastic for kids of all ages. There are so many play spaces for kids scattered throughout. My two loved the Dinosaur area where they put on these cute little dinosaur backpacks which had a few bits in like magnifying glasses. They loved hunting for fossils in the fake soil, dressing up as knights, walking on the original medieval mosaic floor and playing with the wooden knight’s castle. There are loads of informative exhibitions for older children and adults too. Find out more on their website.  

York Minster

This was a surprise hit with our 5 year old. We knew York Minster was a must-see attraction but I was a little concerned about how child-friendly it would be. We needn’t have worried though as my eldest had a great time (our youngest was asleep in her pushchair, & most of York Minster is buggy friendly). We started by borrowing an explorer backpack for her which is full of things to keep kids entertained whilst you explore this gorgeous cathedral. She loved sitting and drawing the stained glass windows and using the torch and magnifying glass from the explorer pack. We loved our visit and the minster is every bit as spectacular as we imagined. Find out more from their website.  

York’s Chocolate Story

York’s Chocolate Story is a great family attraction in the centre of York. Here you’ll learn all about the history of chocolate and in particular York’s chocolate history. The attraction is really interactive and there are plenty of chocolate samples to try. After learning all about how chocolate was discovered and how it is made the tour moves on to watching chocolates being made and finishing with a hands-on session. At the end of the tour, you get to make and decorate chocolate lollies that you can take away to eat.  

  We enjoyed York’s chocolate story and would recommend it to all families. I feel it is more suited to children who are around 4 and up but our 2 years old was made very welcome and did enjoy some of it. Find my full review here – York’s chocolate story review or head to their website to find out up to date prices and even book your tour online. I suspect booking online is a good idea at a busy time as entry is in set tours.  

Jorvik Viking Centre

Nearly 1000 years ago York was known as Jorvik. The Jorvik Viking centre is built on the site of the Coppergate dig (1976-1981) which revealed 1000 year old houses, workshops and backyards from the Viking age. The exhibit starts with a glass floor over the Coppergate dig so you can see what is left of the site for yourself. After this, you can go on a ride through a replica Viking village made using the information they found from the Coppergate dig site. Each car has a series of touch screens and voice narration in a choice of languages including an English one specifically aimed at children. The village includes 22 lifelike animatronic characters and it even smells like they believe a Viking village would. My kids enjoyed the ride element of the Jorvik Viking centre but were a little young to appreciate the Coppergate dig site and also the final section where a lot of the artifacts are on show (including 1000 year old poo).  Find out more on their website.  

Jorvik Dig

Part of the Jorvik group, this attraction is an introduction to archaeology for kids. It’s suitable for all ages. My toddler enjoyed the under 5’s play area on the second floor whilst my 5 year old did some stained glass painting. Both girls enjoyed the main part of the tour which is where they get 25 minutes to dig in a replica archaeological site. Using brightly coloured plastic trowels, they move the fake dirt to discover archaeological finds from the Roman, Viking, Medieval and Victorian periods in four distinct areas. A tour guide is always on hand to engage with the children to discuss their finds. After this there is also a short session looking, touching and discussing real things that have been discovered in archaeological digs in York. Find out more on their website.

Castle Museum

York Castle Museum is another great museum for families. I didn’t feel this one captured the interest of my two young children as much as some of the other attractions mentioned but I think older children would get more out of it. Neither the less there were bits that my two enjoyed. One area was the play area but I felt this area could be improved compared to the quality of play areas in the other museums. The recreated Victorian street was a high light for all of us. There were traditional shops, school, and jail that you can walk around. You can also purchase chocolate and sugar mice in a traditional sweet shop. To get between exhibits at one point you have to go outside through a courtyard. The museum has made a nice feature of this by putting in a traditional set of stocks and some more modern day outdoor toys like a giant connect 4 that we enjoyed playing. For full details head to their website.  

City Cruises York

Children love boat rides so why not take them on a 45 minute-1 hour (exact duration depends on the time of year) cruise down the river Ouse and see York from a different perspective. I still remember going on these York sightseeing cruises as a child some 2o plus years ago. My kids loved going on the open top deck but there is also an enclosed lower deck with a bar and toilets. Cruises pick up from the King’s Staith Landing and the Lendal Bridge Landing. The cruise goes right through the heart of the inner walled city to the outskirts of York in both directions. You can book your tickets online here.  

York Ice trail

Every year, York holds an ice trail around the city which is so much fun for all the family. Find out more here – York Ice Trail 2024.

The wizard walk of York

Join The Wizard of York for five-star rated family fun, on a quest to find magical creatures as you wand-er the alleys and snickelways of this enchanting city. A wonderfully whimsical tour that wizard fans will go Potty for!

Ideal for children but suitable for the whole family, a magical alternative to the many ghost walks and terror trails in the city. No spooky ghosts, no scary stories…The Wizard Walk focuses on FUN over frights

Walks run on selected evenings, starting from the bottom of The Shambles opposite The Golden Fleece. Pre-booking required. Book your walk here – The Wizard Walk of York.

The best things to do with toddlers in York

Our youngest was 2 when we visited York, she enjoyed all the attractions we took her to but some were definitely better for her 5 year old sister. Hands down our toddler’s favorite place to visit was The Yorkshire Museum. She loved the dinosaur packs and all the fun things to do. The National railway museum is also fantastic for toddlers. They’ll love seeing all the trains and exploring them, as well as the fantastic play area. Museum gardens are a great space for them to run around and let off steam as well as being perfect for a picnic. Dig is another great attraction for young children. She loved the digging part although of course, she was far too young to understand archaeology. There is a lovely under 5’s play area upstairs too.  

Where to stay in York with kids

We stayed in a Travelodge York Micklegate in one of their family rooms (find my review here). The hotel was well located for easy walking to all York’s attractions. The room was also perfect for all our needs as a young family. We’ve stayed in other Travelodge hotels too as we find them a great budget-friendly travel option for families. Find more hotels in York here.  

Where to eat with kids in York

You’ll find lots of great places to eat in York city centre. From gorgeous independent places to all the chains we know and love. Eating out with young children can be stressful, my two are fussy eaters so we often end up eating in chains where we know they’ll eat. Another great option is picnics in museum gardens. We did this one day, we got the kids food we knew they’d eat from one of the many mini supermarkets and got ourselves a takeaway from a gorgeous cafe opposite the gardens.  

How to get around York with kids

York is a compact city centre and it is on the whole flat. It’s perfect for getting around on foot and is suitable for pushchairs. We parked behind the train station in the “discount commuter car parking”. At the time of writing it was £10 all day in the week and £4.50 all day at the weekend. From here or the train station it’s a very short walk to the centre and all it’s attractions and hotels.  

So there you have my complete guide to visiting York with kids. For more ideas have a look at Visit York for more information. Have you been to York? What was your favourite family-friendly attraction? If you want to go a little further afield for a day out, have you considered Fountain’s Abbey?    

Find loads of 22 things to do in the York area this Easter here.

Find out Where to see Santa in York this Christmas here.

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