Museum Gardens
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
York
What it’s like
Free gardens by the river where kids can hunt squirrels and hedgehogs on a trail quiz between the ruins and the museum.
There's no gate to pay at here. It's open ground in the middle of York, with paths winding past the abbey ruins, and the appeal for kids is the wildlife rather than anything built for them. The Squirrel's Trail Quiz gives younger ones a reason to actually look at what's around them instead of just running past it, and there's a decent chance of spotting a squirrel or a hedgehog if you're patient, plus birds, moths and butterflies depending on the season.
The Edible Wood and Artists' Garden are worth saving for when you've done a loop of the main gardens. The Artists' Garden keeps shorter hours than the rest, 10:30 to 4:30, so don't leave it until the end of the day expecting it to still be open. Everywhere else runs 9 to 6 daily, which gives you a proper stretch of time even with a slow toddler pace.
Food-wise, Ciao York does sandwiches and toasties until 4pm every day, and Sketch Box by the Yorkshire Museum sells refreshments too, though only in summer and only Tuesday to Sunday. Picnics are allowed if you'd rather bring your own and camp out on the grass. The one genuine faff is toilets: there are none in the gardens themselves, so you're heading to Bootham Bar or Silver Street in the city centre, or using the accessible toilets and baby change at the Yorkshire Museum if that's nearer.
It's flat and wheelchair-friendly throughout, with proper pathways rather than gravel that swallows buggy wheels, and dogs are welcome on a lead if you're bringing one along too.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Food
- Ciao York serves gourmet sandwiches, toasties, hot drinks and sweet treats (9am-4pm daily)
- Picnics
- Welcome in the gardens
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair-accessible pathways throughout gardens and Edible Wood and Artists Gardens
- Dogs
- Allowed, must be kept on a lead
- The Artists' Garden closes earlier than the main gardens, at 4:30
- No public toilets on site, plan your loo stop before or after
- Sketch Box only runs in the warmer months, May to September
- Dogs are fine but need to stay on a lead
Plan your visit
Do we need to book or pay to get in?
No booking and no charge. York Museums Trust runs it as a free charity space.
Is there anywhere for the kids to eat?
Ciao York does sandwiches and hot drinks until 4pm daily. Sketch Box at the Yorkshire Museum only opens May to September, Tuesday to Sunday.
Are there toilets in the gardens?
Not public ones. You'll need Bootham Bar or Silver Street in the city centre, or the accessible toilet and baby change inside the Yorkshire Museum.
Can we bring a buggy or wheelchair?
The pathways are accessible throughout the gardens and into the Edible Wood and Artists' Garden, and the Yorkshire Museum has a ramped entrance.
What's there to actually do with kids?
The Squirrel's Trail Quiz gets them looking for squirrels, hedgehogs and foxes as you walk, plus birds and butterflies. It is quiet exploring rather than rides or play equipment.
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