York Castle Museum — Attraction in Great Britain

This was a weird one. Quirky perhaps a better description. Lots to say about it. Where to start…

In brief: After 2 hours, I left having learned nothing that was notable or memorable specifically about the history of York. I love history, so it was really disappointing not to have learned more.

Value: Four tickets cost over £50 (even inc. 2x older persons). I’ll be unlikely to ever go back, even if the tix are valid for a year. Wish I could get a refund or sell them on. Or simpler, had the option to pay less for a one time ticket.

Felt a tiny bit like I’d been tourist-trapped as it wasn’t really a castle either, more of a town hall / old prison.

Exhibits: The main museum exhibits were centred on cramming in very random objects from a collector who seemed like a bit of an oddball. I found out very little about him despite reading all the info. I felt like 50% of the objects on were display were mostly junk items with no relevance to York. The street scene lacked authenticity and all felt very ‘replicated’.

The ‘prison’ section was no better. Very dated ‘projections’ with longwinded and mostly uninteresting stories about some of the prisoners. Only a few rooms of the museum are set aside for this, despite being the most ‘authentic’ part of the building’s history. I went through it in about 3 minutes. Very uninteresting.

The world war 1 section was completely off key. There was absolutely no relevance to York and the ‘trench experience’ (for kids?) felt gratuitous. Especially when followed by a ‘quiet area’ I presume for anyone who got upset by memories of the war. I’m pretty sure there were no trenches in York during WW1 so don’t know what the point of that was apart from tacky Shock Value.

I generally felt like all the exhibits and info was a bit tired around the edges and offered very little value given the ticket price. A ropey old XBox 360 is not a museum object with any relevance to York!

Food and drink: The floor of the cafe was literally filthy - we crunched through a carpet of muck and crumbs to rest with my elderly in-laws on some very tatty furniture and had coffees at London prices.

2 stars feels like a stretch. But I respect and appreciate the efforts to provide a tourist attraction and guess it mostly caters to foreign tourists who are entertained by ‘Britishness’.

Recommendation for improvements:

1. Explain more about the original building, it’s purpose and location relevance
2. create a ‘York through the ages’ exhibit or similar that shows authentic artifacts and teach visitors more about the historic and cultural significance of the city
3. offer a day pass only at reduced price for...

Set within the 18th-century prison buildings that once formed part of York Castle, the York Castle Museum is more than just a place of history – it’s a time capsule. Founded by Dr. John L. Kirk in 1938, this remarkable institution was one of the first in the world to pioneer the idea of recreating real-life environments from the past. Today, it remains one of the UK's leading social history museums. The museum stands on the very grounds where Clifford’s Tower, a remnant of William the Conqueror’s original castle, still watches over York – a reminder of the city’s turbulent medieval past.

One of the museum’s most famous and evocative features is Kirkgate, a stunningly recreated Victorian street named after its founder. Meticulously designed using original shopfronts and authentic artefacts, it offers visitors the rare chance to walk through history rather than merely observe it from behind glass. The museum also delves deeply into the stories of those who once lived within these walls – from the prisoners of the old Debtors' Prison to soldiers in the First World War and families living through the 1960s.

I can’t stress enough how happy, proud, and thankful I am that I visited this gem.

There’s so much to see, learn, and contemplate. Every corridor, every exhibit, every object seems to whisper something from the past. The wealth of history packed into its artifacts, walls, and paintings is nothing short of breathtaking.

I was stunned – truly – when I walked through a passageway and a rebuilt street unfolded before my eyes! I stood there, speechless, for over a minute, taking it all in. It was without doubt the single most impressive thing I’ve seen on any museum tour. It felt like stepping into another world.

Let me say this clearly: you must visit York, and you must see the Castle Museum.

The staff are absolutely brilliant – kind, helpful, and genuinely passionate about sharing history with visitors. I spent around three hours trying to take in everything, committing as much as I could to memory just so I could tell my friends about it.

An unforgettable experience. One of York’s...

We recently visited the York Museum with our family and were reminded of how wonderful this place is. The exhibits were fascinating, and the carol singers were a beautiful touch that really enhanced the festive atmosphere. The children especially loved the additional toys and machines where they could spend the odd 20p or 50p—it added an extra layer of fun to their experience. Having visited as children ourselves, it was lovely to see the museum continuing to create special memories for families.

However, our visit was unfortunately overshadowed by the behaviour of one staff member, Mollie R (as identified on our receipt), whose actions left us feeling disappointed and embarrassed. From the outset, she appeared unprepared and unaware of basic pricing information, causing unnecessary delays. More concerningly, she inappropriately and invasively asked for proof of disability within our group, which was both embarrassing and completely uncalled for, especially as a valid ID card had already been shown.

Later, when we moved to the courtyard, one of the children slipped on the slippery wet stone floor. Although Mollie R clearly saw this, she walked past without stopping to check if he was okay, leaving us to tend to him ourselves. While we were focused on him, another child admired a cannon among the outdoor toys, and instead of engaging with him respectfully, she shouted at him across the courtyard, humiliating and upsetting him in front of everyone. This unnecessary outburst brought our visit to an abrupt end, and the child is still upset about that part of the experience.

Despite these issues, the museum itself is such a wonderful place full of charm and history, and we truly enjoyed most aspects of our visit. It’s a shame that the actions of one staff member detracted from what should have been a completely positive experience. We hope the museum will consider providing additional training to ensure all staff demonstrate the same warmth and professionalism as the...