Trying to decide what to do with the kids in York? You’re definitely not short of options.

York might be famous for Vikings, medieval walls and a rather impressive Minster, but it’s also a brilliant city for families. There are huge trains to climb aboard, chocolate to make, animals to meet, outdoor adventures to be had and plenty of options for those inevitable Yorkshire rainy days.

And some of the best family days out aren’t actually in the city centre. Venture a little further out and you’ll find adventure farms, wildlife parks, huge playgrounds and some seriously good places for letting the kids run wild.

Whether you live locally, you’re visiting York for the weekend or you’re desperately Googling things to do with kids in York at 8am on a Saturday morning, we’ve rounded up some of our favourites.

A little note before you go: Opening times, activities and ticket prices can change, particularly for seasonal attractions. We always recommend checking directly with the attraction and booking ahead where required.

At a glance

Looking for something specific?

Best for toddlers: Piglets Adventure Farm, The Web Adventure Park, Beetle Bank Farm

Best for a rainy day: National Railway Museum, JORVIK Viking Centre, York Castle Museum

Best free day out: National Railway Museum and York City Walls

Best for animals: Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park

Best for history lovers: JORVIK Viking Centre, York Castle Museum, Clifford’s Tower

Best for a full day out: Castle Howard, Piglets Adventure Farm, Flamingo Land

Best in York city centre: National Railway Museum, JORVIK Viking Centre, York’s Chocolate Story

1. National Railway Museum

📍 Leeman Road, York 👶 Best for: All ages 💷 Cost: Free general admission ☔ Rainy day: Yes

⏰ Allow: 2–4 hours

If your child is currently in their train era, this one is pretty much non-negotiable. But even if trains aren’t normally their thing, the sheer size of the locomotives makes the National Railway Museum surprisingly impressive for the whole family.

You can get up close to some of the most famous trains in railway history, wander through enormous halls and discover how rail travel has changed over the years. There are also additional experiences and activities available, some of which carry an extra charge.

The other big plus? General admission is free, making this one of our favourite lower-cost family days out in York.

Carol tip: Don't rush through it. There’s a lot more here than you initially realise, and younger children tend to be quite happy simply looking at the enormous trains.

2. JORVIK Viking Centre

📍 Coppergate, York👧 Best for: Around 5+ 💷 Cost: ££ ☔ Rainy day: Yes ⏰ Allow: Around 1–2 hours

If you’ve got children who think history is boring, JORVIK might just change their minds.

Rather than walking around looking at display cases, families are transported back to Viking-age York, travelling through a recreation of the city as it would have looked around 1,000 years ago.

There are sights, sounds and even smells along the way, which makes the whole thing feel much more immersive than a traditional museum.

It can get busy during weekends and school holidays, so this is one we'd definitely book in advance.

Carol tip: Pair JORVIK with lunch around Coppergate or a walk along the city walls and you've got a really easy central York day sorted.

3. York Castle Museum

📍 Tower Street, York 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Best for: Whole family 💷 Cost: ££ ☔ Rainy day: Yes ⏰ Allow: 2–3 hours

York Castle Museum is one of those museums where children don't necessarily realise they're learning.

Its recreated Victorian street, Kirkgate, is usually the part families remember most. You can wander past old-fashioned shops and businesses and get a much more tangible sense of what everyday life used to look like.

There are hands-on and sensory activities around the museum too, alongside family activities and workshops at various points throughout the year.

One important thing to know if you're visiting with a baby or toddler: pushchairs aren't allowed in the galleries. There is a buggy park and the museum provides baby carriers free of charge.

Carol tip: If you're bringing a child who will want to be carried after five minutes, take that buggy rule into consideration before you arrive.

4. York’s Chocolate Story

📍 King's Square, York🍫 Best for: Around 4+💷 Cost: ££☔ Rainy day: Yes⏰ Allow: Around 1–2 hours

Chocolate and children is hardly a difficult sell.

York has an incredible chocolate-making history and this guided experience brings it to life with stories, demonstrations and, importantly, chocolate.

You'll discover the families behind York's famous chocolate industry, see how chocolate is made and get hands-on with chocolate-making yourself.

It's also right in the middle of York, so it's easy to combine with another attraction rather than making it your entire day.

Carol tip: This is a particularly good one to have saved for a wet afternoon when wandering around York has lost its appeal.

5. Piglets Adventure Farm

📍 Towthorpe, York 🐷 Best for: Toddlers to primary-school age 💷 Cost: ££ 🌤 Indoor + outdoor: Yes ⏰ Allow: Half to full day

If you have younger children, Piglets is exactly the sort of place where you can arrive in the morning and suddenly realise several hours have disappeared.

There’s a mixture of animals, play and seasonal activities, with enough going on to make it feel like a proper day out rather than a quick farm visit.

It's particularly good for families with toddlers and younger primary-school children because they don't need to understand an exhibition or follow a tour. They can simply play, explore and meet the animals.

Carol tip: Check what's running before your visit. Piglets has seasonal activities throughout the year, so the experience can be quite different depending on when you go.

6. The Web Adventure Park

📍 Wigginton Road, York Best for: Toddlers to around 12 💷 Cost: ££ ☔ Rainy day: Yes🌳 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: Half day

This is one to remember when the weather forecast can't quite decide what it's doing.

The Web Adventure Park combines indoor and outdoor play, making it particularly useful for families who want the kids to burn off some energy without committing entirely to an outdoor day.

For younger children especially, sometimes you don't need an educational experience or a carefully planned itinerary. You need somewhere they can play.

This ticks that box.

Carol tip: Keep this one on your rainy-day list. Having indoor and outdoor options means you don't have to completely change your plans if the weather turns.

7. Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park

📍 Askham Bryan, York🦊 Best for: Animal lovers of all ages💷 Cost: ££🌳 Outdoor: Mostly⏰ Allow: Half day

For children who love animals, this is a lovely alternative to a huge zoo.

Based at Askham Bryan College, the Wildlife & Conservation Park has a strong focus on education and conservation alongside giving families the chance to discover a range of species.

The smaller scale can actually work really well with younger children because you're not attempting to drag tired legs around an enormous site by mid-afternoon.

Carol tip: Wear sensible shoes and check the forecast. You'll enjoy this one much more when everyone is dressed for the Yorkshire weather.

8. Yorkshire Museum & Museum Gardens

📍 Museum Gardens, York🦖 Best for: All ages💷 Cost: £☔ Rainy day: Yes🌳 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: 2–3 hours

This is a particularly good combination if different members of the family want different things.

Inside the Yorkshire Museum you'll find archaeology, natural history and family-friendly interactive spaces. Children can explore sensory areas, dress up, build and get creative depending on which gallery they're visiting.

Then you can head straight outside into Museum Gardens.

The museum welcomes pushchairs and has baby-changing facilities, while the gardens are ideal for a picnic or simply giving younger children a bit of space after being indoors.

Carol tip: Pack a picnic on a nice day. There's no permanent indoor café within the museum itself, and eating outside in Museum Gardens makes this feel like much more of a day out.

9. York City Walls

📍 Around York city centre🚶 Best for: Children happy to walk💷 Cost: Free🌳 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: As little or as long as you like

Sometimes the simplest days are the best ones.

Walking York's historic walls gives you brilliant views across the city and costs absolutely nothing.

You don't need to walk the entire circuit either. With younger children, we'd choose a manageable section and combine it with another city-centre activity, lunch or an ice cream.

It turns simply walking around York into a bit more of an adventure.

Carol tip: This wouldn't be our first choice with a buggy. If you've got a toddler who alternates between insisting on walking and demanding to be carried, choose a shorter section.

10. York Minster

📍 Deangate, York⛪ Best for: All ages, particularly 5+💷 Cost: ££ for adults; children can enter free with a paying adult under the current family ticket arrangement☔ Rainy day: Yes⏰ Allow: 1–2 hours

A cathedral might not immediately spring to mind when planning a day out with young children, but York Minster has put a surprising amount of thought into families.

Children can borrow Little Explorer Backpacks filled with things such as binoculars, magnifying glasses and other tools to help them explore. There are family trails, seasonal activities and plenty of details for children to hunt for around the building.

Buggies are welcome through the accessible entrance and most of the main cathedral is accessible, although the Tower is a very different proposition.

Older children aged eight and over can tackle the Central Tower, which involves climbing 275 steps.

Carol tip: With younger children, grab an Explorer Backpack before you start. Giving them something specific to search for completely changes the experience.

11. Clifford’s Tower

📍 Tower Street, York🏰 Best for: Around 5+💷 Cost: £🌳 Outdoor/indoor: Both⏰ Allow: Around 1 hour

Sitting high above York, Clifford's Tower is the largest surviving part of York Castle and has around 1,000 years of history behind it.

This isn't somewhere we'd necessarily dedicate an entire family day to, but it works brilliantly as part of a York city-centre itinerary.

The climb up gives it a little sense of adventure and the elevated views help children understand just how old and compact York really is.

There are steep steps to consider and there aren't toilets on site, so it's worth planning ahead when visiting with younger children.

Carol tip: Combine it with York Castle Museum, which is right next door.

12. DIG: An Archaeological Adventure

📍 St Saviourgate, York🏺 Best for: Primary-school age💷 Cost: ££☔ Rainy day: Yes⏰ Allow: Around 1–2 hours

For the child who would rather dig something up than look at it through glass, DIG is worth having on your list.

The attraction is designed around archaeology and gives children a much more hands-on way of discovering York's past.

It's particularly well suited to primary-school-aged children who are beginning to learn about Romans, Vikings and archaeology at school.

And because it's indoors, it's another useful one to keep in reserve for wet weather.

Carol tip: If your children enjoy JORVIK, this is a natural companion attraction.

13. Beetle Bank Open Farm

📍 Murton, near York🐐 Best for: Babies, toddlers and younger children💷 Cost: £🌳 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: 2–4 hours

Sometimes a smaller farm is exactly what you want with little ones.

Beetle Bank is close to York and offers that classic young-child combination of animals and play without necessarily needing the commitment of a huge full-day attraction.

It's the sort of place that works particularly well during the preschool years when seeing a goat, going down a slide and having a snack can constitute an absolutely brilliant morning.

Carol tip: This is one we'd particularly consider for toddlers rather than older children looking for big rides and thrills.

14. Murton Park

📍 Murton Lane, York🚂 Best for: Around 3+💷 Cost: £🌳 Indoor + outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: Half day

Just outside York, Murton Park combines heritage, open space and family activities.

It's home to the Yorkshire Museum of Farming and regularly hosts events and experiences, which means it's worth checking what's happening on the date you're planning to visit rather than simply turning up.

For families who like trains, tractors, farming or history, there's plenty to explore without the scale and crowds of some of Yorkshire's biggest attractions.

Carol tip: Check the events calendar first. A special event day can make a big difference to what you'll find when you arrive.

15. Castle Howard

📍 Near York🏰 Best for: Whole family💷 Cost: ££🌳 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: Half to full day

Castle Howard is one of those places where the adults can genuinely enjoy the day as much as the children.

The magnificent house might be the famous part, but for families the grounds are a huge part of the appeal. There is plenty of space to explore and family-friendly areas and activities make it much more than simply walking children around a stately home.

On a good-weather day, this is somewhere we'd allow plenty of time for rather than squeezing it into a packed itinerary.

Carol tip: Treat this as a proper day out. Trying to rush around Castle Howard before heading somewhere else rather defeats the point.

16. Beningbrough

📍 Beningbrough, near York🌳 Best for: Families who love being outside💷 Cost: ££🌤 Mostly outdoors⏰ Allow: Half day

For a slower family day, Beningbrough is a lovely option.

Think gardens, open space and room for children to explore rather than rides, flashing lights and packed schedules.

It's particularly nice when everyone needs a quieter weekend after a busy week, and it gives children the freedom to move around while still feeling like you've actually gone somewhere.

As with many National Trust properties, what's available can change with the season, so check what's open before travelling.

Carol tip: Save this for a dry day and don't over-plan it. It's best enjoyed at a slower pace.

17. Eden Camp Modern History Museum

📍 Malton✈️ Best for: Around 6+💷 Cost: ££☔ Rainy day: Mostly⏰ Allow: Half to full day

A little further from York, Eden Camp is worth the drive for children who are fascinated by history.

Built on the site of a former prisoner-of-war camp, the museum uses its original huts to create immersive displays exploring wartime Britain and military history.

Because you move between different huts and experiences, it feels very different from a conventional museum.

Some of the subject matter naturally suits slightly older children better than toddlers and preschoolers.

Carol tip: This is a particularly good option once children start learning about the Second World War at school.

18. Dalby Forest

📍 North York Moors🌲 Best for: All ages💷 Cost: Mainly parking/activity costs🌳 Outdoor: Definitely⏰ Allow: Half to full day

When everyone has had enough of museums and attractions, head for the trees.

Dalby Forest gives families miles of woodland to explore, with walking and cycling opportunities and family activities available across the forest.

It works across a surprisingly wide range of ages. Little ones can potter around the woods while older children can handle longer walks, cycling and more adventurous activities.

And because you're not paying an attraction admission price for every member of the family, it can be a useful option when you're trying to keep the cost of weekends under control.

Carol tip: Take snacks, spare clothes and more layers than you think you'll need. Future you will be grateful.

19. Flamingo Land

📍 Kirby Misperton, near Malton🎢 Best for: Families wanting a BIG day out💷 Cost: £££🌤 Mostly outdoors⏰ Allow: Full day

This one's further from York and considerably bigger than most of the places on our list, but if you're looking for a major family day out, Flamingo Land is an obvious contender.

It combines a theme park and zoo, meaning younger children, older children and thrill-seeking adults can all find something to do.

This isn't a spontaneous couple-of-hours trip. Tickets for a family add up and there's enough there to justify arriving early and making a full day of it.

Carol tip: Look at the rides your children are tall enough for before booking. It's much easier to manage expectations at home than underneath a rollercoaster.

20. Rowntree Park

📍 Terry Avenue, York🌳 Best for: Babies through to primary age💷 Cost: Free🌤 Outdoor: Yes⏰ Allow: 1–3 hours

And finally, proof that a family day out doesn't have to involve buying four tickets.

Rowntree Park is a lovely green space within walking distance of York city centre and a really useful place to know about when you have children with you.

It's somewhere to let them run around, play and decompress after sightseeing, or simply make the park itself the plan with a picnic on a sunny day.

For local families, it's also exactly the sort of place that reminds us why free deserves its own category when we're talking about great days out.

Carol tip: Visiting York for the day? Build some completely unstructured park time into your itinerary. Children rarely share our enthusiasm for fitting six historic attractions into eight hours.

Our favourite family days out in York by category

For toddlers

We'd start with Piglets Adventure Farm, Beetle Bank Open Farm, The Web Adventure Park and Rowntree Park. At this age, somewhere children can move, play and explore freely is often much more successful than trying to squeeze them through several city-centre attractions.

For rainy days

York is exceptionally good when the weather turns. Try National Railway Museum, JORVIK Viking Centre, York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum, York's Chocolate Story or DIG.

For a free or lower-cost day

Start with the National Railway Museum, walk a section of the York City Walls, explore York on foot and finish with Rowntree Park. Pack lunch and you can have a genuinely brilliant family day without spending a fortune on admission.

For a big family day out

For something that feels like a proper occasion, look at Castle Howard, Flamingo Land, Piglets Adventure Farm or Dalby Forest, depending on the ages and interests of your children.

For families visiting York for the first time

If you only have one day, don't try to do everything.

Choose one major attraction such as National Railway Museum or JORVIK, explore the city on foot, walk a section of the walls, stop for lunch and leave some time simply to wander.

York is part of the day out.

Planning a family day out in York

One of the best things about York is how much you can do without constantly getting back into the car.

If you're concentrating on the city centre, consider using public transport or York's Park & Ride rather than trying to drive between attractions. Comfortable shoes are also essential – those beautiful historic streets are considerably less charming when someone has decided they can no longer walk.

For attractions outside the city, having a car makes things much easier.

And finally, don't feel as though a successful family day out has to be packed from morning until evening.

One attraction, a nice lunch, somewhere for the children to run around and everyone home before the complete meltdown can be a very successful day indeed.

Looking for more ideas?

Explore more of Carol's Family Days Out guides as we discover brilliant places to go with children across the UK.

Information checked September 2026. Opening times, admission prices and activities can change, so please check directly with each attraction before travelling.