Summer holiday fun: History and Heritage
Discover the past, play in the present
- Stories & Inspiration
- Summer Holiday Fun Discover The Past Play In The Present
North Yorkshire has some amazing historic attractions to visit this summer
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 imagination run wild as they pretend to be brave knights defending a castle, smell stinky spa water and dress up in Victorian workhouse clothes. There are lots of exciting activities and trails to try over the holidays too.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
A visit to these impressive abbey ruins will excite young minds as they enjoy running around, playing hide and seek and learning about the monks who lived here. Children can dress up as a monk on a family tour as well as see the original abbey in miniature.
Count the sculptures in the water garden and see if you can spot the deer in the Deer Park before heading to the play area. Enjoy a picnic in the grounds or have lunch in the restaurant before finishing the day with an ice cream and a souvenir from the gift shop.
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.
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.
Ripon Workhouse and Garden Museum
One of the three museums in Ripon alongside the Prison & Police Museum and the Courthouse Museum. Step back in time as you cross the threshold of the original Ripon Workhouse and follow in the footsteps of the many poor families who went before.
There are family trails and guided tours to follow as you see the dining room, classroom and the cells where the inmates slept and children can join in with drop-in craft activities, too. Explore the original kitchen garden full of heritage crops and traditional gardening tools and find a spot here to enjoy a picnic.
Royal Pump Room Museum
Home to the ‘strongest Sulphur Well’ in Europe and exhibits telling the spa story of Harrogate. Children can follow the family trail around the museum and spot all of the objects on the trail.
Look at historic toys on display and see if you are brave enough to smell the sulphur water. There are lots of activities at the museum over the summer holidays including museum collection object handling and guided tours.
Skipton Castle
The imposing medieval castle in Skipton has some tales to tell. Families can enjoy exploring the different parts of the castle - see the banqueting hall, bedchamber and kitchen, be brave and go down into the dungeons and take in the views at the top of the watchtower. The self-guided tour sheet is full of fascinating facts and drawings of some of the castle’s features. Enjoy a picnic in the grounds or tearoom afterwards.
After visiting the castle, you can explore the nearby ancient Skipton Castle Woods which provided fuel and building materials for the castle. Imagine how many years the trees have been here and have a game of hide and seek through the woods.
There is so much for families to see and do in North Yorkshire so it’s time to make some plans, pack up the picnic and head out for fun and adventure. For more ideas see our family page.
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