St Mary's Abbey ruins in Museum Gardens

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Yorkshire Museum

York


Most of York's Roman archaeology is hidden beneath the medieval city, so the superb displays in the Yorkshire Museum are invaluable if you want to get an idea of what Eboracum Roman York was like. There are maps and models, funerary monuments, mosaic floors and wall paintings, and a 4th-century bust of Emperor Constantine. Kids will enjoy the dinosaur exhibit, centred on giant ichthyosaur fossils from Yorkshire's Jurassic coast.

There are excellent galleries dedicated to Viking and medieval York as well, including priceless artefacts such as the beautifully decorated 9th-century York helmet.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby York attractions

1. Museum Gardens

0.05 MILES

In the grounds of the peaceful Museum Gardens, you can see the Multangular Tower, a part of the City Walls that was once the western tower of the Roman…

2. York City Art Gallery

0.09 MILES

As well as an impressive collection of Old Masters, York Art Gallery possesses works by LS Lowry, Pablo Picasso, Grayson Perry, David Hockney, and the…

3. Barley Hall

0.22 MILES

This restored medieval townhouse, tucked down an alleyway, includes a permanent exhibition of life in the times of Henry VIII. It was once the home of…

4. York Minster

0.22 MILES

York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in northern Europe, and one of the world's most beautiful Gothic buildings. Seat of the archbishop of York,…

5. Treasurer's House

0.29 MILES

This historic home, which once housed York Minster's medieval treasures, is an anomaly: in the 19th century it was bought by Yorkshire industrialist Frank…

6. Church of the Holy Trinity

0.3 MILES

Tucked away behind an inconspicuous gate and seemingly cut off from the rest of the town, the Church of the Holy Trinity is a fantastically atmospheric…

7. The Shambles

0.35 MILES

The Shambles takes its name from the Saxon word shamel, meaning 'slaughterhouse' – in 1862 there were 26 butcher shops on this street. Today the butchers…

8. Richard III Experience

0.37 MILES

The best-preserved of York's medieval city gates houses this museum which explores the life and reign of Richard III (r 1483–85) and his impact on York,…