Hmmm... to Jorvik or not to Jorvik...

[sydenhamhiller]

I've heard mixed reviews... I remember being underwhelmed as cynical teen 20-odd years ago, but has it improved since the 90s? Would my 6 and 8 year olds love it this half term? Or should we give it a body-swerve and do the Railway museum and DIG instead?

We'll be in Ilkley for the week, but planning to go into York a couple days, day in Leeds at the Royal Armories (sp?), and jaunt to Fountains Abbey. Any big things I'm missing?

Opinions gratefully received!
Thanks.

Give it a miss. Overpriced & underwhelming. Love Fountains Abbey. Yorkshire Sculpture park is also great for running around. Eureka is the best interactive for younger kids but will be busy. Armouries is free but old style look don't touch museum( though there will be an activity on in school hols). Magna is great and you can use tesco vouchers.

DIG is way better!

I liked Jorvik and think it has improved over the last 20 years. The Railway Museum is fab as is the Castle Museum.

I would give the Armouries a miss and go to the Thackray Medical Museum instead. Unless you are really interested in war and weapons it is very dull You could drive over to Keighley and do the Worth Valley Railway and maybe go to Haworth.

If you have a decent day Bolton Abbey is lovely and Skipton is a lovely town with a great castle to look around.

York city / Castle museum is lots better than Jorvick IMO

Another vote for Castle Museum - though actually I did enjoy Jorvik but haven't been for a while. Cliffords Tower is a rip off I wouldn't bother with that.

Jorvik is crap.

How about the coal mine museum at Wakefield? You get to go underground.

I quite liked Jorvik - especially the pooing Viking

We went a couple of weekends ago - it was good but brief - I was glad we had won the tickets in a raffle. Castle Museum is fab, and we like the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Castle Howard. Haven't been to Harewood for a while but liked it when we did. Fountains Abbey and Brimham rocks are also fab if you want to be outside. The Hepworth at Wakefield is on our list of places to visit next.

I think Jorvik is nice if you are quite local, so you can take advantage of the fact that the tickets last for a year. We went twice in two days but that's because we do normally 'scout ahead' at new venues to make sure they will be wheelchair accessible - which it is.

The Railway Museum is a must, and you will need to save your pennies for the Wheel of York, which is in the grounds of the hotel next door.

I quite like the Armouries, but that's more for the events they put on than for the display of weapony stuff - it's a nice building and there's plenty of running around space for letting off steam. So worth a thought if the weather is bad. We went to a display of falconry there in the summer, which was great. There are also boat rides from nearby, although for the life of me I can't persuade DS to go on one!

Eureka is brilliant but it's also looking very tired, with a number of exhibits which haven't been fixed in years (at least the inclinator at the NRM has the excuse that no-one manufactures the parts for it!). It will be very busy as iseenodust says.

In Leeds DS loves the Abbey House Museum. Leeds City Museum is worth a look although watch out for its opening times. And Tropical World is great too.

I wouldn't bother with Jorvik! We went a couple of years ago and were really disappointed. Thought it was expensive and a real let down! Dig was great though, as was the railway museum. York maze also good but I think it may shut at end of september.

Don't bother it is a disappointment

I think Jorvik is poor value for money. The Railway Museum amuses for far longer and there's no entry fee.

Jorvik is ok but not worth paying for. Is good to visit during York residents weekend when its free for residents.

Railway museum doing a paddington theme at half term. Think York maze may be doing Halloween stuff. Castle museum and yorkshire museum good although do have to pay if not local.

Fountains abbey is one of my all time favourite places :)

My Dc enjoyed the armouries and also the city museum in Leeds. Hope you have a lovely time in yorkshire :)

Any thoughts on Jorvik without kids? too dull?

Um. It's ok, but not for the price and the length of the queue. We live locally so just go in every time we're passing and there is no queue (not very often then). But that's with children.

thanks