Museum Gardens, Museum Street
Opening times
Booking recommended
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm
Viking North
Filled with magnificent objects, many which have never been on public display, this exhibition will showcase the best collection of Viking finds to be shown outside of London and tells the story of the Viking Age in the North of England from 866 to 1066. Underpinned by new archaeological research and cutting-edge technology, the exhibition combines objects from the Yorkshire Museum’s own collection, the Vale of York hoard, co-owned with the British Museum, and specially loaned items including objects from the Viking Army Camp at Aldwark in North Yorkshire. Shown together for the first time, these objects reflect the north as the power base for the Vikings. Viking North will be accompanied by an exciting programme of events – keep an eye out for updates!
Accessibility
The museum is in an historic building and this could make access difficult for some of our visitors. The Visitor Experience Team are there to help all visitors at any point during a visit. They can help you find your way around the museum and answer any questions you may have. For visitors who identify as having an access difficulty please talk to the Visitor Experience team when you arrive as they may be able to help you. Alternatively, please enquire in advance. Communication lanyards are available upon request. There is not currently a fast-track entry system for visitors with additional needs, but if you need assistance when queuing please ask a member of staff. Cars can drop off at the front of the museum by prior arrangement. Toilets are available on the lower ground floor. There is an accessible, gender neutral toilet on this floor. There are baby changing facilities in the accessible toilets. The museum is set within York Museum Gardens. The Gardens are fully wheelchair accessible with gently sloping pathways. There is a ramp to the left hand side of the museums main entrance. The museum is on three floors and there is a lift situated by the main staircase. The lower ground and the ground floor are fully accessible to wheelchair users. The first floor is mainly accessible. There is a wheelchair that can be booked on request. Please contact 01904 687687 in advance to book. This large auditorium seats around 280 people and has 10 designated wheelchair spaces. The Tempest Anderson Hall is used for lectures, films and special events. There is a loop system available in this space. The three floors of the museum can be accessed by the lift, although the reading room and library can only be accessed via a short set of stairs. There are handrails on the stairs and there is seating available around the museum. There is a manual wheelchair that visitors are welcome to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ask a member of our Visitor Experience Team on arrival. Mobility scooters are permitted. Drivers are asked to take care when driving through the gallery spaces. Pushchairs can be taken into the galleries or left in a safe space at the reception area, there is limited space so pushchairs should be folded in order to allow more space for other visitors’ pushchairs. Remember to take any valuables with you. Assistance dogs are welcome. The museum asks that they are appropriately trained, supervised, and kept with you at all times as there are many objects on open display. Water can be provided on request. Where possible, assistance dog owners should bring their Assistance Dog UK (ADUK) identification book and animals should wear the appropriate tabard or harness. If you have any further questions, including requests to bring assistance animals other than dogs, please contact the museum ahead of your visit and they will be happy to help. The museum can get very busy. If you would prefer to visit at a quieter time, weekdays after 3pm during term time, or Sundays, tend to be less busy, although this cannot be guaranteed. Some of the areas can be quite noisy including reception. There is a hearing loop fitted in the building. There are two pairs of ear defenders available for use by visitors. These can be adjusted for use by adults or children. Please ask staff for assistance if you wish to use them. Light levels might be kept low to help in the conservation of our objects. There is always a lighter area nearby, but if you do require assistance, please ask one of the guides. Please be aware that some of our gallery spaces may have films running. If this is an issue for you, please inform a member of staff on arrival and they will offer advice on how to avoid those areas if at all possible. Staff should also be available to help on gallery if needed. Alan the dinosaur Virtual Reality is currently out of order, apologises for any inconvenience. All signage and display information uses a clear font and is at least 16pt, and 80% of our visual interactives have subtitles. Easy read guides (admission information only) and colour overlays for dyslexic readers are available upon request. The museum shop is fully accessible and situated on the ground floor. There is always a trained first aider on duty. First Aid kits are available for trained staff to use and a defibrillator is available. Please ask for help if required.