York Castle Museum

The Castle Museum brings over 400 years of history back to life in its award winning exhibitions and displays. You'll discover a unique combination of everyday life and extraordinary objects.

You can wander through cobbled streets, see a grand array of historic costumes, view the toys that children used to treasure and go shopping the Victorian way.

The buildings that house these fabulous displays have their own history. They were originally prisons. All sorts, from debtors to murderers, were jailed here. Some were even hanged here.

Visitors who come to see the Museum's wonderful collections also gain insight into the harsh realities of prison life in the 18th Century.

The York Castle Museum is one of the few major museums in this country that allows you to take your own souvenir pictures. There are a few areas, such as the Costume galleries where we would ask you not to take flash pictures as repeated, excessive light can damage fragile textiles.