History fun for families in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire has some amazing historic attractions to visit

Families can enjoy a great day out at a castle, museum or abbey ruin where children can learn about the past and the people who lived then through lots of interactive play, activities and displays.

Let children’s imaginations run wild as they pretend to be brave knights defending a castle, discover historic artefacts and dress up in Victorian workhouse clothes. There are lots of exciting activities and trails to try over the holidays too.

Knaresborough Castle and Courthouse Museum

Knaresborough Castle stands high above the river, and you can see some dramatic views from the castle grounds. Visit the Kings Tower and see the dungeon as well as the garderobe with its medieval loo!

See the original Tudor courtroom in the museum and interesting artefacts such as cannonballs. Smaller children can have fun in the Castle Critters activity room where they can dress up, build a Lego castle and make their own castle to take home or leave on display in the museum.

Finish your visit with a game of pitch and putt golf or bowling.

Explore medieval life

Craven Museum

Learn about the history of the Craven area in this exciting museum which is crammed full of interesting displays to look at as well as to interact with. See exhibits from prehistoric and Roman times and learn about the people who used to live in Skipton in Victorian times.

There are lots of children's trails to complete – find all the objects on the Spotlight Trail, complete the Activity Trail, follow the Movement Trail and see if you can make a noise like a steam train or pretend you are moving through a cave. There are lots of drawing activities to try too as well as Make and Take craft sessions.

Discover history