Museum Gardens — Attraction in Great Britain

The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with the Yorkshire Museum which they contain.

The gardens are held in trust by the City of York Council and are managed by the York Museums Trust. They were designed in a gardenesque style by landscape architect Sir John Murray Naysmith, and contain a variety of species of plants, trees and birds. Admission is free. A variety of events take place in the gardens, such as open-air theatre performances and festival activities.

There are several historic buildings in the gardens. They contain the remains of the west corner of the Roman fort of Eboracum, including the Multangular Tower and parts of the Roman walls. In the same area there is also the Anglian Tower, which was probably built into the remains of a late Roman period fortress. During the Middle Ages, the tower was expanded and the Roman walls were incorporated into York's city walls. Most of the other buildings dating from the Middle Ages are associated with St Mary's Abbey, including the ruins of the abbey church, the Hospitium, the lodge and part of the surviving precinct wall. The remains of St. Leonard's Hospital chapel and undercroft are on the east side of the gardens. The Yorkshire Philosophical Society constructed several buildings in the gardens during the 19th and early 20th century, including the Yorkshire Museum and its octagonal observatory. The museum houses four permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology and astronomy.

Housing some of the finest collections of archaeological and geological finds in Europe, the Yorkshire Museum, is the ideal first port of call for any trip to York.

From prehistory to the Romans, Vikings and the city's medieval splendour, see the whole story in our fantastic galleries. Marvel at Medieval treasures, including the stunning Middleham jewel, discover the incredible findings unearthed at Star Carr, Britain's most important Mesolithic site and follow the footsteps of pioneering geologist William Smith with this map that changed the world.

Walk on a genuine Roman mosaic floor and explore galleries packed with outstanding Roman artefacts, including the Wold Newton Hoard; the largest Roman hoard of its kind found in England, the statue of Mars; the best existing example of a Roman Statue in the country, and the marble head of Constantine the Great.

Inspect the finest details of an ichthyosaur and see the oldest true sauropod remains ever found in the UK in the major exhibition: Yorkshire's Jurassic World. From the depths of the deepest seas to the ancient coasts and tropical shallows; meet the dinosaurs and sea dragons that once roamed our vast and ever-changing landscapes - brought to life using the latest research and...

I've often enjoyed a stroll or a picnic in these beautiful gardens on my frequent visits to York. They were especially beautiful on my latest spring visit, when they were filled with colourful tulips and tree blossom. Located just outside the city walls, close to Bootham Bar and the Minster, they have lots of grassy space for children to run and play in, well tended flowerbeds, a lovely rock garden, and a riverside walk with a convenient exit to the riverbank and cruises. They're also rich in history, with some evocative Roman and medieval ruins. In the Middle Ages, these gardens were the grounds of St Mary's Abbey, which rivalled the Minster in size and grandeur until it was dissolved in the 16th century. Its ruins are still impressive, and I've seen them used as a backdrop for wedding photos. There's also an observatory containing a refractor telescope, but I've never actually seen it open for visits. It's well worth spending a couple of hours in the museum. There are lots of benches and a picnic area, but no toilets; the nearest ones are a 5 minute walk away at Bootham Bar. No café either, but there are vendors selling ice-cream, coffee and snacks near the entrance. I could happily spend the whole day here. A lovely place to escape the bustle of the...

This place is so beautiful, we come here every time we're in York, it's close to the centre and the station, within walking distance to shops and restaurants. The museum is just lovely, it's really great for kids, very entertaining and the current VR experience is so fun for all the family, from my 5 year old niece through to my brother in law! I have to admit that even as someone who works with VR and designs in unity, this little experience was good fun. We LOVED so much that they had the Middleham jewel in the museum, my mum is a history lover and a true fan of Richard III. I loved the restored Roman mosaic, being able to walk on it w/o shoes on was very cool, my sister and I also love dinosaurs very much, so we enjoyed their current jurassic world exhibit, opened by Sir David Attenborough and the life size plesiosaur skeleton! And all the opportunities for entertaining the kids including things like dress up and interesting science stuff was much appreciated! Basically it's just a lovely wholesome place that is actually filled with pretty cool stuff and a great way to spend an afternoon in between...