Jorvik Viking Centre review – York with kids

One of my favourite memories from visiting York as a child, as I prepared for my Jorvik Viking Centre review with my daughter, I had to wonder: would it still smell the same?

review visit*

Happily, yes, that particular child-pleasing aspect to one of York’s most popular family attractions has survived the years (even if I’m sure there used to be even more eye-watering stinks), and the multimillion pound overhaul a few years back.

And pongs aside, the Jorvik Viking Centre is still a fantastic way to learn about York’s Viking heritage too, from the recreated village to the little museum at the end.

For more of the best things to do in York with kids, check out my top picks

We’d already had a go at some archaeological excavation during our visit to sister site Jorvik Dig earlier in our trip to York, so my nine-year-old was fascinated to see what the real archaeologists had dug up.

There were still distancing measures in place during our visit but Vikings entertained us as we queued outside, and as we waited inside, there was a chance to see some of the remains of Viking York under the glass floor at the entrance, while staff in costume answered questions.

A really nice touch, reminding you that you’re standing precisely where Jorvik once was, the Viking city of a thousand yeas ago.

Then onto the ride, taking us through the recreated Viking village: we had a carriage to ourselves – there are now touchscreen displays to go with the commentary, and brand new characters and animatronics along the way.

And it’s an impressive renovation: no slightly dodgy wax figures, one or two of the animatronic characters was convincing enough that we needed to look twice to see if they were actors.

You’re taken through every aspect of Viking life in Jorvik as you go, from birth to old age, through different occupations, to the food they’d have bought and eaten.

It’s all based on the archaelogical evidence found during the original excavations, and the recreation is designed to bring Jorvik to life, right down to the very last detail.

The animals you’ll see are the breeds that Vikings would have recognised, along with the plants which grew then and even the dyes that were used to make their clothes.

Needless to say, you get a glimpse of a Viking toilet as you cruise around 10th century Jorvik too.

It’s easy to think of Vikings as the stereotype: horned helmets (just no), rampaging and pillaging their way around – and while they do have that reputation for a reason, there was far more to Viking life than charging wildly into battle.

And Jorvik Viking Centre does a great job of bringing that to life as well. The Vikings were traders, using those impressive navigation skills and their longboats to help forge a network of trading links across Europe.

So listen closely and you’ll hear snatches of different languages as you cruise around, Old English and even Ancient Arabic, as well as Old Norse.

Even the bodies and faces of the characters in this recreated Jorvik are real: using skeletons unearthed on the dig and facial reconstruction techniques, some of the Viking city’s inhabitants are brought back to life.

Look out for an older woman with hip trouble waiting to cross the road; you can spot her skeleton later on in the museum.

The ride takes around 12 minutes, gently sliding past everyday scenes – peeking inside houses, spotting people having lunch – slowly enough that you can take in a lot of the detail.

In fact, while we were there, a technical hitch meant the ride came briefly to a halt before being restarted: we were offered a second uninterrupted ride as a result, but felt like we’d had chance to take everything in.

Once you’ve had a flavour of what Viking Jorvik would have looked like, you can see some of the genuine artefacts too.

Over 40,000 objects were recovered from the digs, from bones to carved bone ornaments, the essentials of life including pottery and metalwork, plus evidence of the different occupations, such as animal pens and remnants of workshops.

Along the way, there are staff sharing their knowledge and sharing their skills – we chatted to one woman about the detailed embroidery she was working on, leading to a conversation about Viking trading, fashions and what your clothes said about your place in society.

And while the interactive elements of the gallery were great, including touchscreens and videos, it was these interactions which really set Jorvik Viking Centre apart.

My daughter was fascinated, and there’s really nothing like seeing something first-hand – a little way along, someone else was striking Viking coins, talking through the process before demonstrating with a bang that echoed through the museum.

You can then buy one to take home, which we promptly did!

The detail on some of the recovered pieces was amazing, but the artefacts are only part of the picture.

Every area had a story to tell about Viking life, whether that was listening to music, discovering more about Viking religious beliefs or imagining the lives of those buried in Jorvik.

And with some very everyday items, like shoes (and combs – although these would have been a status symbol back in the 10th century), it’s not hard to lose yourself in York’s Viking past.

So forget the famous smells – that’s surely the best reason to visit the Jorvik Viking Centre with kids.

For ideas of more things to do in Yorkshire with kids, check out my top picks

Need to know: Jorvik Viking Centre review

Tickets cost from £12.50 for adults, from £8.50 for children aged five to 16 and entitles you to 12 months access. Family tickets are also available.

You can also buy combined tickets to Jorvik Viking Centre and Jorvik Dig or to Barley Hall, or to all three attractions. Prebooking is recommended with limited numbers inside.

The Jorvik Viking Centre (and Jorvik Dig) are also included with the York Pass – click here to buy

Tesco Days Out vouchers can also be used for entry to Jorvik Viking Centre (although not for the joint entry option).

Opening hours vary throughout the year, with last admission one hour before closing time, but usually ranges from 9/10am to 5/6pm with some extended hours during school holidays. Click here for details.

A visit normally takes around one hour, which is approximately how long we spent, but you can linger in the museum if you want.

The Jorvik Viking Centre is based in the middle of Coppergate, so it’s easy to walk to from almost anywhere in the city centre – if you have a small Harry Potter fan, it’s opposite the Hole in Wand indoor mini golf too.

There’s no cafe on site, but plenty of places nearby on Coppergate and through York to get food and drink. There are toilets and baby changing. Buggies are permitted, but no large bags.

PIN FOR LATER: JORVIK VIKING CENTRE REVIEW

Disclosure: My entry was free for the purposes of review – all opinions (and childhood memories) are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images copyright MummyTravels

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