What is it?
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In the late 1970s well preserved remains of Jorvik, the Viking name for York, were uncovered. Over the top of the land where the excavations took place a centre was built to allow visitors to see Viking life for themselves. Due to soil conditions many artefacts have ... Read review
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Advantages: Interactive, Super displays Disadvantages: Queue
...and are on show at Jorvik Viking Centre today.
On entering the building you are faced with the pay desk a lift and stairs, and to be honest it all looks fairly disappointing and bland. This is because most of Jorvik is underground. You are given the opportunity to buy a guidebook, costing £4, and children are given some information and colouring sheets.
You walk downstairs and past a 'soil wall' showing the layers that ... ...it?
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The Jorvik Centre is in Coppergate in the centre of York, in the Coney shopping centre. It is opposite Marks and Spencer and a rather handily placed Starbucks. It is well signposted from car parks and many sites in the city centre. There is no car parking at the centre, so you need to use a city car park and walk to the centre.
How much time should I allow?
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What is it? ************ In the late 1970s well preserved remains of Jorvik, the Viking name for York, were uncovered. Over the top of the land where the excavations took place a centre was built to allow visitors to see Viking life for themselves. Due to soil conditions many artefacts have been preserved since Viking times and are on show at Jorvik Viking Centre today.
On entering the building you are faced with the pay desk a lift and stairs, and to be honest it all looks fairly disappointing and bland. This is because most of Jorvik is underground. You are given the opportunity to buy a guidebook, costing £4, and children are given some information and colouring sheets.
You walk downstairs and past a 'soil wall' showing the layers that have built up on top of the Viking settlement.
You then enter a holding area where a guide tells you a little of the Viking history. My children were impressed when he told them about Viking poo being found, and what they used to wipe their bottoms (moss, in case you are interested).
In this area we were told that we would be travelling back in time to the Viking age, this made my youngest (age 4) a bit worried, because he is partial to modern day life, and the guide had to reassure him it was only a game. The toilets are situated here.
You then make your way through to a room where you will be transported back in time. You are asked to remain seated and warned that the time machine will shake a little. However anyone of a nervous disposition (4 year olds included) may stand at the back of the room. You are shown a series of pictures from the 1980s, 70s, 30s and so on, back through time to finally arrive in the Viking age. Each time the pictures change there is a slight judder of the floor to give the time travelling feeling.
Time cars ************ Then it is on to the time cars, which will take you around the Viking Centre. These time cars hold 6 people, 3 in front and 3 in back, and have speakers on the back of them allowing you to select a language for the commentary as you go around. The choices were English, French, German and a children's commentary. This part of the experience is quite dark and again my youngest was a little nervous. The staff were fabulous here and offered to go and find him a torch. The time cars gently take you around recreated Viking houses and the children's commentary was super, it was well pitched for children between 5 and 10, and yet was informative enough for adults to get an overview of the experience too. The time cars allow you to see everything at a suitable pace, and allow you to rest after the long queue!
The time cars take you past a variety of recreated street scenes and houses. These range from a blacksmiths home, to a market place, past a butchers, and even past someone going to the toilet. The commentary stops in places to allow you to experience the noises that would have been heard, and there are even smells to accompany the journey. Some of these smells are quite nice (the roasting boar and the market smells) but some are distinctly unpleasant. The Viking toilet made us all hold our noses.
There are model people in each of the areas, and they are wearing typical Viking dress. The models have been recreated using scans from skeletons found in the area, and this knowledge helps to make the experience even more real.
The replica buildings have been made with knowledge from the actual excavation of the site. The shops and houses have been laid out in the way that they would have been in AD975. There are lots of intricate details and carefully placed replica artefacts, again helping to bring the whole experience to life.
The final part of the time car tour takes you over a reconstructed archaeological dig. This shows how skeletons would have been uncovered, and takes you past some of the actual timber from a building to show how well preserved it was.
The Museum *************** After leaving the time cars it is into the museum. This is where we spent most of our time. The first thing you come across is a dressing up box, where children and adults alike were trying on helmets, and wielding swords. Then there is a display with Viking chain mail and weapons. A guide was on hand to explain how battles would have been fought in Viking times.
Around the corner is an area where children can do brass rubbings (crayons and paper are provided). There are many displays and lots of Viking artefacts that were dug up from this area are on show. You are also able to write your name in runes, and you can pay for a 'Viking' to strike a coin for you.
My children liked the "Artefacts Alive" part of the museum best. Here they could sift through rubble and sort it into fossils, brick work etc, pretending to be real archaeologists. There were also displays here about how they reconstructed the facial expressions of the Vikings and my 7 year old was fascinated by this.
Because the museum follows directly on from the time cars there are not huge crowds of people, so you get a proper chance to look and to ask questions of the Viking guides.
The Gift Shop *************** Before exiting the Centre you are taken through the gift shop. For once I was impressed, as there were lots of pocket money items costing less than £1. These were grouped together allowing you to say "you can choose anything from this section". These ranged from pencil sharpeners to little replica Vikings. The shop also had a good range of more expnsive items, including Viking lego and playmobil for children, and factual books for adults.
The Queue ************* The Viking Centre nearly always has a queue outside. If you have been sensible enough to pre book a ticket you are able to by pass the queue and walk straight on in. Everyone else has to queue outside. Some of the queuing area is undercover and some is in the open. It was raining when we went and Centre staff bought umbrellas out for the queuing publics use. The staff are dressed up as Vikings and will talk about the history and the centre as you wait. We had to queue for nearly 40 minutes.
Where is it? ************** The Jorvik Centre is in Coppergate in the centre of York, in the Coney shopping centre. It is opposite Marks and Spencer and a rather handily placed Starbucks. It is well signposted from car parks and many sites in the city centre. There is no car parking at the centre, so you need to use a city car park and walk to the centre.
How much time should I allow? *********************************** The information suggests that you should allow one hour. However we managed to spend nearly two hours there. I expect that the length of time will vary on your interest level and how busy it is.
Opening Times ****************** In Summer the centre is open from 10am until 5pm. From November until April the centre is open from 10am until 4pm.
Guidebook ************* £4.00 for a colour guidebook. The guidebook has further information about the way the centre was created and the artefacts that were found during the dig.
Price ****** Current Prices for 2006 entry are: Adult £7.75 Child £5.50 Family of 4 £21.95 Senior Citizens £6.60 (Children are classed as age 5-15 and under 5 year olds are free)
Pre-Booking *************** You are able to call a Reservation line and pre-book tickets, enabling you to queue jump. It costs roughly an extra £1 per person to pre book tickets; however it is probably worth doing if you have limited time or small children. I saw some smug people who had pre booked tickets; they simply walked to the front doors and were allowed straight in.
The Staff *********** On the front desk the staff were extremely helpful. I saw them trying to work out the best deal for the family in front of me, and they gave both my children colouring sheets despite the fact that I only had to pay for one. They were also very helpful inside, reassuring children about the experience and answering any questions.
The staff dressed as Vikings in the museum were extremely knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.
Extra Info *********** Website: www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk Reservation Department Number: 01904 543403
Would I recommend it? *************************** Yes! It is pricey but is worth it. My children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and want to go back again, which is always a good sign. I also enjoyed it. There were lots of things to see and do. The time cars captivated my children, and allowed them to get into the spirit of the Viking age, which meant that they were eager to find out more when they entered the museum.
This would appeal to anyone interested in the Viking age and is a family friendly attraction.
Advantages: Interesting, fun & friendly Disadvantages: The technology can fail; a bit short on detail in places
...The second half of the Jorvik experience is much more traditional, with display cases of finds: tools, weapons, jewellery, household objects. This part I found a little disappointing. Not because of it's staid nature - but because the explanations given were limited. I wanted to know what it was, where it was found, how it might have looked and been used originally. I know that the world has moved on, and attention deficit sets in early these days, ... ...WHAT IT COSTS
The Jorvik Centre is within the Coppergate Shopping centre in the heart of York.
Car parking at the Castle Car park (5 minutes walk). The nearest bus stop is at the top of Tower Street (2 minutes). The railway station is approximately 10 minutes walk.
Prices: at the time of our visit (September 2008) entry was:
£8.00 for adults; £6.50 for children, With numerous discounts, group tickets or combi-visit deals available (i.e. to combine ...
hiker 05.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
Advantages: Suitable for the whole family Disadvantages: Long queues
The Jorvik Viking Centre Museum is one of the most unusual museums I have ever visited. From memory (it was a few years ago now) it was relatively expensive but it was well worth it.
The Jorvik Viking centre can be found off Coney Street in the shopping precinct, opposite Boots the Chemist. In the high season you can’t miss it as there’s always a long queue, but, as I say, it is well worth the wait.
You are first transported around ... ...site of what is now York, in a small car, a bit like the ones on the Ghost Train at the funfair. This is a great idea as you can get to see everything without being crushed or hurried along by other people. I know I sometimes get a bit fed up when I’m walking around a museum and I have to virtually fight to get to see things, but this was really relaxed and very enjoyable, and perfect for children too.
As you travel through the museum you ...
SusanLesley 06.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
Advantages: Very good attraction!! Disadvantages: Expensive!
The Jorvik center is if you didn't know, situated in the center of York, Yorkshire. Its one of the main attractions in the city and brings in hundreds of tourists and school visitors. The Jorvik Centre (pronounced Yorvic), is a real acheaology site, where the Vikings of York lived thousands of years ago. Its a museum with a twist though, as with "normal" museums, you walk around, you read signs and miss most things, especially if you have kids with ... ...all a trip to the Jorvik centre won't last you much longer than an hour, if your lucky, which is not long at all seeing as you pay £8.50 per adult, and £6 per child, but it is well worth the trip! It gives you something just that little bit extra than just the same old museum. And it really gives you a new view on York itself. The museum itself was "found" around 1984, when a new building was been built on the site, when the builders stumbled upon ...
stephbond89 06.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
Advantages: Use of sounds, smells, sights, to recreate the Viking town. Educational yet enjoyable. Disadvantages: queue to get in
I have visited the Jorvik centre, in York, many times since it first opened in 1984 (when I was only 5) and have enjoyed every single visit I have made. In fact, to prove just how much I enjoy it here, my sister and I have been known to visit twice in the same day! The Jorvik centre, situated on the site of the Coppergate excavations in York, has used the archaelogical evidence from these excavations, in order to recreate the Viking town of Jorvik. ... ...When you enter the Jorvik centre (usually after a long queue), the first thing that happens is that you are taken on a ride through a recreation of this Viking town, in a little timecar, seating up to four people. This ride is suitable for all ages, as I can verify, and it seems to be a great way to introduce children to Viking history – I am sure that they probably understand a lot more than we sometimes give them credit for, and sitting in ...
weebagpuss 30.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
Advantages: Lots of fun. Lots to learn. Disadvantages: Could be a bit pricey!
...wanted to visit was the Jorvik Viking Centre, situated in Coppergate, York. The Jorvik Centre is in the centre of York, and can be easily found by the many green signs which will point you in the direction of all the sights and attractions - of which there are many!
I booked my tickets online a couple of weeks previously. The service I found quick and efficient, and received the tickets through the post only a couple of days after booking. If you ... ...and the tickets for the Jorvik Centre. I couldn't wait to get to York now! Me and my friend were due to visit the Jorvik Centre the day after arriving in York.
At 10:15am on the day in question we made our way to the Jorvik Centre. There wasn't a queue at all, which I thought surprising. But, as it is Frebruary we made the journey, maybe it's quiet at this time of year. Entry was easy. We just handed over our tickets and entered the building. There ...
Louise90 15.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
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Advantages: Interesting displays with a lot of interactive possibilities. Disadvantages: the Journey of Yorvik streets is short and could be slower.
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General information
JorvikVikingCentre is located within the Coppergate Shopping Centre, just by St. Mary's Square and surrounded by many shops. The building itself looks like an ordinary shop too. In fact most of the building on the ground floor is a gift shop as well as exit from the Centre. Since it first opened in April 1984 it has been hugely popular. Without noticing the long queue at the entrance to the centre you would not consider that it is a tourist site.
Originally the site was a buried city of the Vikings, who were sea-borne warriors from the Scandinavian area ...
Advantages: Lots to see Disadvantages: Expensive, the queues
Since opening its doors to the public in 1984 the JorvikCentre in York has attracted over 15 million visitors and won numerous tourist awards, establishing itself as one of the UK's major tourist attractions. Despite regular visits to York I only visited the JorvikCentre recently having been previously discouraged by the huge queues.
When I visited I arrived early and the queues weren't too bad but it often extends for well over a hundred metres and with no shelter it's not the best way to start your visit if the weather is bad. After paying your entry fee you walk down into a holding area where you have to wait your turn for the tour. There are some toilets in this area but to be honest this holding area looked a little bit shabby despite the dimmed lighting and I couldn't help but notice some green mould on the corrugated roofing ...
Advantages: Interesting format, interactive exhibits, you get to sit down! Disadvantages: Little expensive, can have a bit of a wait
In May we spent a day in York, which was a pleasantly surprisingly city. We had a lovely sunny day which was a big help so I questioned whether or not it was worth paying to inside to the JorvikViking experience. However, my husband had been as a child, was terribly frightened and is to this day teased by his family. So we really had to go back to check it out and allow him to redeem himself.
We left our visit until early afternoon and expected there to be queues as it was half term break. The museum is very much in the centre of the city centre and a little bit hard to find despite the signs. We were very much in need of refreshment by the time we found the entrance and were slightly put off by the line. We decided to observe how quickly the queue moved while having a drink at the Starbucks across the street. We were pleasantly ...
