York Archaeology Attractions

Recognised as the largest Viking Festival in Europe, the annual JORVIK Viking Festival is a city-wide celebration of York’s Viking heritage.

The festival’s programme of family-friendly events, lectures, guided walks and battle re-enactments attracts over 40,000 visitors each year from across the globe, with many returning year after year to take part and enjoy the atmosphere.

The JORVIK Viking Festival will return in February 2024

Grab a trowel and dig to see what you can find in DIG’s specially designed excavation pits. Rediscover some of the amazing finds that archaeologists have uncovered under the streets of York.

Touch real artefacts and work out what they would have been used for and understand how these finds explain how people lived in Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian times. For more information on DIG please visit the DIG website.

Barley Hall is a stunning medieval townhouse once home to the Priors of Nostell and Mayor of York. Rediscovered in the 1980’s under a relatively modern facade, the building has been lovingly restored to its original splendour with stunning high ceilings, beautiful exposed timber frames and boasts a magnificent Great Hall.

For more information on Barley Hall please visit the Barley Hall website.

City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar is the perfect introduction to the city’s historic city walls – the most complete walls of any city in the country.

York’s city walls have stood since Roman times, with the original ramparts and timber palisades replaced by stone walls in the third century AD. Visit Micklegate Bar – one of the historic gateways into the city – to discover their 2,000-year stories involving battles, imprisonment and near destruction.

Throughout the opening season, visitors can also join guided tours of the Micklegate section of the wall and surrounding area to find out more about this part of York, from Roman times to the modern day.

For more information  please visit the City Walls Experience website.