DISCOVER

Every place in York

Family days out in and around York, each one written up honestly with the details parents actually need.

Everything Free days out Farms & animals Parks & nature Museums & heritage Rainy-day saviours

225 places · page 2 of 10

Modern waterside building with distinctive curved architecture reflected in calm canal water at sunset.

from £40

Central Hall

York

A big campus concert hall in York where touring acts play, with tickets from around £40.

Bike parkingFood on siteParkingPublic transport nearby

Close-up of a decorated steam engine boiler with a brass horse emblem and purple award ribbon, with vintage steam engines and crowds visible behind.

from £11

Chipping Steam Fair

Clitheroe

A field full of vintage steam engines, funfair rides, donkey rides and a stunt show over three days in Clitheroe.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyFree parking+2 more

A red double-decker tour bus crosses an ornate stone bridge spanning a river under clear blue sky.

from £10

CitySightseeing York

York

Hop on and off an open-top bus round 21 stops, with your ticket good for a full day or two.

Food on siteWi-Fi

Clifford's Tower, York

York

A steep climb up a Norman mound to a rooftop that opens up the whole of York in one go.

Clifton Explore Centre - Library and Reading Cafe

York

A local library with a reading café and garden, open for browsing books, drop-in events and a sit-down with a sandwich.

Bike parkingCaféParking

from £13.50

Clip 'n Climb Leeds & Woodpeckers Diner

Leeds · ages 2+

32 climbing walls, a speed wall and a vertical drop slide, with a 90 minute session that's mostly briefing then an hour of climbing.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+8 more

from £13.50

Clip n' Climb Garforth

Leeds · ages 2-18

Thirty auto-belay climbing lines and a Vertical Drop slide, with a strict hour in the arena once the harness goes on.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+8 more

Corner Gallery

York

A small gallery of local paintings, prints, photography and ceramics, seen by appointment rather than dropping in.

Booking required

Adults participate in a seated life drawing class in a studio with yellow and red walls.

Corner Studio, York

York

Painting, drawing and life drawing classes for adults who want proper tuition rather than a one-off paint night.

Criminally Good Books

York

A bookshop given over entirely to crime and mystery, a proper browse for anyone in the family hooked on a good whodunnit.

Modern gym interior with exercise equipment including treadmills, weight machines and rings, decorated with international flags hanging from the ceiling.

from £5

DNA MMA

York · ages 16+

Adults-only MMA and BJJ training for over-16s, with pay-as-you-go classes from £5 and no experience needed.

Booking required

Elevated view across expansive mixed woodland in autumn, with coniferous and deciduous trees in varied green and golden foliage across rolling hills.

Free

Dalby Forest

Pickering

North York Moors forest with play trail and bike tracks - paid barrier.

ToiletsParkingPicnic areaCafé+2 more

Two people enjoying a hot tub in a spa garden with loungers, hanging chairs and wooden fencing.

David Lloyd York

York

A club with pools, tennis coaching and a crèche, so the kids can swim or hit a few balls while you get a workout in too.

Bike parkingFree parkingFood on sitePublic transport nearby+1 more

from £20

Dean's Park

York · ages 0-17

A cathedral visit that doubles as a history lesson, with a museum, a 275-step tower climb and a year-long ticket to come back to.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyGift shop+5 more

from £8.50

Depot Climbing Armley

Leeds · ages 1+

Bouldering, auto-belay ropes and climbing classes for kids from age one right up to teenagers.

Quiet / SEN sessionsSensory friendly

A person sits in the cabin of a yellow digger/telescopic handler with its bucket and boom arm raised against a blue sky.

from £12.97

Diggerland Yorkshire

Castleford · ages 4-14

Kids get behind the controls of real diggers and dumpers, plus over 20 rides included in one ticket.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Group of children playing with a colourful kite in an outdoor courtyard with graffiti-covered walls.

from £1

Door 84 Youth and Community Centre

York · ages 8-17

A drop-off youth club for 8 to 17s with sports, arts and gaming sessions costing a pound a go.

Accessible toiletFood on siteOutdoor play

Dreamery Gardens and Museum

York

Fifty acres of woodland to hunt through for fairy houses, dragon nests and hidden doors, plus a maze and a fairy museum.

Birthday partiesCaféDog friendlyFree parking+2 more

Black dog jumping over straw bale whilst carrying a stick in its mouth.

Duncombe Park Country Fair

York

A one-day country fair with funfair rides, archery and axe throwing on the May Bank Holiday.

Dog friendlyFood on siteParking

EH Gaming

York

A board game café where you drop in, pick a game off the shelf and find a table to play it at.

People in period military uniforms and civilian dress interact outside a heritage building during a wartime living history event.

from £15

Eden Camp Modern History Museum

Malton · ages 0-16

A wartime museum spread across 22 original POW huts, with two playgrounds and an escape-tunnel exercise compound to keep the kids moving.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingCafé+16 more

from £6.50

Elsham Hall Gardens & Country Park

Brigg

A country park with a proper playground, free-roaming alpacas and donkeys, an aviary of rescued owls, and two old lakes to walk round.

CaféFree parkingGift shopFood on site+2 more

A curved bar with wooden countertop and white panelling in a modern cinema foyer, with hanging plants, shelving behind, and seating areas visible to the sides.

Everyman York

York

Sofa seats, a proper burger menu brought to your seat, and screenings built for babies, toddlers and families who can't sit still.

Accessible toiletFood on siteWheelchair accessible

Colourful tropical fish with orange and black striped markings swimming in an aquarium.

Ferrybridge Aquatics

Knottingley

A fish shop and aquarium browse with around 500 species on show, good for a quiet wander rather than a big day out.

THE WEEKENDER

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The best family things happening around York, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.

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