Jorvik Viking Centre

The world famous JORVIK Viking Centre is a ‘must-see’ for visitors to the city of York and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK.

Welcoming over 17 million visitors over the past 30 years, visitors journey through the reconstruction of Viking-Age streets, as they would have been 1000 years ago. JORVIK Viking Centre also offers four exciting exhibitions and the chance to actually come face to face with a ‘Viking’.

The remains of 1,000 year old houses are revealed beneath your feet, objects taken from the excavations are explored and Viking-age timbers are brought before your eyes. New audio and video displays help you to investigate all of the information gathered from the 5-year long dig at Coppergate and piece together the puzzle of where the Vikings came from, why they came here and how they lived and died.

At JORVIK Viking Centre you are standing on the site of one of the most famous and astounding discoveries of modern archaeology. Between the years 1976-81 archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust revealed the houses, workshops and backyards of the Viking-Age city of Jorvik as it stood nearly 1,000 years ago. These incredible discoveries enabled us to build the JORVIK Viking Centre on the very site where the excavations had taken place, creating a groundbreaking visitor experience that enabled you to experience life in Viking-Age York.

As you travel around the Viking-age city of Jorvik aboard our state of the art time capsules you will encounter the old-Norse speaking citizens, see inside their houses and back yards, experience a blast of smoke from blacksmith’s furnace and enjoy the smell of home-cooked stew inside the home of our amber worker

With a programme of exciting events focusing on JORVIK’s development as one the cutting edge visitor attractions to the future of the Vikings in York, this is something you won’t want to miss out on!

It’s been 30 years since JORVIK Viking Centre first opened its doors. Now, as part of the celebration of our 30th anniversary, we are going back to where it all started: The Coppergate Dig.

Richard III and Henry VII

Discover the story of medieval York during the reign of Richard III through to King Henry VII. Explore Monk Bar and Micklegate Bar within the historic city walls and find out the role they played in the strife and ceremony that was shaped by the Wars of the Roses.

Education