North Yorkshire offers a mix of historic cities, national parks, castles, and coastal resorts with well-connected transport links and rich cultural heritage.
Richmond Castle is a well-preserved Norman enclosure castle in Richmond, North Yorkshire, featuring a 12th-century keep with panoramic views, significant medieval history, and managed by English Heritage as a public tourist attraction.
Richmond in North Yorkshire is a historic market town renowned for its medieval castle, Georgian architecture, and vibrant cultural scene, serving as a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Ormesby Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century Georgian mansion in North Yorkshire, offering visitors a blend of historic indoor interiors, including plasterwork and Victorian kitchens, alongside expansive gardens and estate walks. The venue showcases local heritage with a public model railway and hosts various events throughout the year.
8–12 Oct (another 3 days)
An exhibition of artwork by A-level students from The Northern School of Art, inspired by Ormesby Hall and the stories of Ruth and Jim Pennyman. Visitors can see photography, ceramics, textiles and paintings displayed in different rooms of the house.
Middlesbrough is a historic port town in North Yorkshire known for its industrial heritage, cultural venues, parks, and modern university presence.
Goddards House and Garden in York is an Arts and Crafts historic house museum with well-preserved 1930s interiors and an extensive formal garden featuring a cruciform lily pool. Originally built for the Terry chocolate family, it now operated by the National Trust offers indoor heritage exhibits and outdoor garden exploration.
10–11 Oct, 17–18 Oct…
Visitors can follow a family-friendly trail through Goddards Gardens, finding hidden owls and collecting letters to solve an owl-related word. Completing the trail earns a sticker.
Fountains Abbey is a historic ruined Cistercian monastery near Ripon, North Yorkshire, with architecture dating from the 12th century. It is part of Studley Royal Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring landscaped gardens and industrial heritage. The site is owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage, offering visitors extensive ruins, exhibitions, and scenic outdoor areas.
13 Oct (next Tuesday)
A volunteer-led tour of Fountains Mill explores the estate’s oldest building, its 12th-century origins and how it has changed over the years.
Kingsgate Shopping Centre in Huddersfield features over 40 stores and a 600 space car park, offering a diverse indoor shopping experience with major retail brands and food options.
Huddersfield is a historic market town in West Yorkshire, England, known for its Victorian architecture, rugby league origins, cultural festivals, and vibrant arts scene. It offers diverse shopping, notable landmarks, and strong public transport connections including a major railway station.
Victoria Leeds is a premier retail and leisure district in Leeds city centre featuring a blend of restored Victorian arcades and contemporary shopping areas, highlighted by Europe's largest stained glass canopy. It offers luxury shopping, dining, and a significant cultural and architectural heritage experience.
Nunnington Hall is a Grade I listed 17th-century country house in North Yorkshire featuring rich historic interiors, art collections, and period furniture. The hall sits beside the River Rye and is surrounded by organically managed gardens and orchards. It is managed by the National Trust and open to visitors interested in English heritage, architecture, and gardens.
7 Oct, 13–14 Oct…
A volunteer guide leads visitors through areas of Nunnington Hall that are normally closed to the public, introducing collection objects and the work involved in preserving the hall.
Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the remains of a Roman bridge over the River Tees featuring large stone piers and historical significance as part of the Roman road Dere Street and nearby Roman fort, accessible as an outdoor historic site.
St John's Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Leeds with over 30 stores including eateries, a large cafe, and a multi-storey parking facility. It offers good accessibility with escalators, lifts, and step-free car park access, making it a convenient retail destination in the city centre.
Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park in North Yorkshire offers a wide variety of rides and outdoor family-friendly attractions across a large park area. Originally a fruit farm, it evolved into an amusement park known for The Ultimate roller coaster, once the longest in Europe. The park focuses on activities for children and families with themed zones, play areas, and seasonal events.
Trinity Leeds is a major shopping and leisure centre in Leeds city centre featuring over 130 stores, a large glass dome, a diverse food hall called Trinity Kitchen, an art-house cinema, and prominent sculptures, providing a comprehensive indoor shopping experience.
Nostell Priory is a historic Palladian house in West Yorkshire, England, featuring original 18th-century furnishings, extensive parkland with lakeside walks, notable artwork and furniture collections, and a rich monastic history dating back to the 12th century.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Explore 30 Pikachu trading cards illustrated by different artists, learn facts about the character and design a Pikachu trading card of your own.
Coppergate Shopping Centre is an open-air shopping venue in York featuring covered walkways, public squares, cafes, shops, and the Jorvik Viking Centre museum. It hosts seasonal displays and cultural events.
11 Oct, 18 Oct…
A tour at Treasurer’s House explores the lives and legends of some of its former residents, tracing the history of the house and its connections to York.
Thornton Abbey is a historic medieval abbey in Lincolnshire, renowned for its large surviving monastic gatehouse and Gothic ruins. It offers visitors an outdoor experience exploring significant architectural and archaeological remains of a prestigious Augustinian priory founded in the 12th century. The site is managed by English Heritage and requires booking for visits.
Princes Quay is a shopping centre in Kingston upon Hull built over Prince's Dock, offering panoramic views, over 80 retail outlets including a food court, and a 10-screen cinema with Europe's first digital screen.
East Riddlesden Hall is a 17th-century historic manor house in West Yorkshire featuring well-preserved interiors, a medieval tithebarn, walled gardens, and a tea room, offering both indoor and outdoor experiences. It is notable for its architecture, royalist symbols, and as a filming location for various TV series and films.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
An exhibition by textile artists Textilia 3, featuring artworks inspired by East Riddlesden Hall’s architecture, historic collection, past inhabitants and landscape. The works use techniques including stitching, felt, mixed media, ceramics, dyeing and print.
Keighley is a historic market town in West Yorkshire featuring Victorian architecture, a heritage steam railway, diverse cultural attractions, and a vibrant shopping and food scene.
St Stephen's is a major shopping centre in Kingston upon Hull featuring a wide variety of retail stores, dining options, a cinema, and cultural venues such as Hull Truck Theatre and the Albemarle Music Centre, attracting over 10 million visitors annually.
Leeds Corn Exchange is a historic Grade I listed building in Leeds, England, originally opened in 1864 as a corn exchange. It now operates as a boutique shopping centre housing independent retailers and food outlets, and also serves as a venue for cultural events.
Brimham Rocks is a natural Site of Special Scientific Interest in North Yorkshire, England, known for its fascinating weather-eroded rock formations spread across heathland and woodland in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site offers outdoor exploration, notable geological features, diverse flora and fauna, and is popular for family visits and rock climbing. Facilities include a National Trust visitor centre with food offerings and child-friendly discovery trails.
Treasurer's House is a Grade I listed historic house museum in York, showcasing architecture from the 12th century onwards with significant restoration by Frank Green. Owned by the National Trust, it offers tours including cellar and attic, features Roman archaeological remains, and a café and garden accessible to visitors. The house is notable for its reputed Roman soldier ghost sightings.
7 Oct, 10 Oct…
A guided tour of Treasurer’s House explores Frank Green’s vision for the historic house and its collection of furniture, clocks and art, alongside research into his life and the property.
Ponderosa Zoo in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, offers visitors a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences with a diverse collection of animals and facilities including a reptile house, lakeside restaurant, and adventure play area. It emphasizes conservation education and therapeutic engagement with animals.
Dewsbury is a historic market town in West Yorkshire known for its industrial woollen textile heritage, diverse cultural community, and landmarks like Dewsbury Minster and Dewsbury Town Hall.
Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire is a combined theme park, zoo, and holiday resort offering 50 rides including 8 roller coasters, a large collection of exotic animals, live shows, and accommodation options. Visitors can explore themed zones, enjoy water rides, animal safari experiences, and regular live entertainment events. The resort caters to families with child-friendly attractions and on-site dining options.
Tropical World in Leeds is a butterfly house and animal attraction featuring multiple climate-controlled tropical houses with live animals, aquariums, and themed exhibits including rainforest, desert, and nocturnal environments. It also has a cafe and gift shop for visitors.
Rievaulx Abbey is a substantial ruined Cistercian monastery located in North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1132, it is maintained by English Heritage and offers visitors an outdoor historical experience of medieval monastic life and industrial heritage within the scenic North York Moors National Park.
Trinity Walk is a large indoor shopping centre in Wakefield with over 70 stores including major brands and extensive parking, attracting millions of visitors annually.
Beningbrough Hall is a large Baroque mansion near Beningbrough, North Yorkshire, featuring historic interiors, extensive gardens, and an art gallery exhibiting 18th-century portraits. The venue includes a restaurant, garden shop, and activities for families including a wilderness play area.
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct
Harvest at Beningbrough celebrates seasonal garden produce with guided tours of the walled garden, harvest displays, apple-pressing demonstrations and tastings. Some dates also feature jam and curd tastings or dried flowers for sale.
Scarborough Castle is a historic 12th-century medieval fortress perched on a rocky headland overlooking the North Sea and the town of Scarborough. Visitors can explore its ruined keep, extensive curtain walls with towers, and an exhibition housed in the 18th-century Master Gunner's House. The site also includes earlier Iron Age, Roman, and Anglo-Scandinavian archaeological remains, and offers spectacular views and family-friendly events throughout the year.
Scarborough is a historic seaside town in North Yorkshire, England, known for its sandy beaches, castle, cultural venues, and vibrant tourism and fishing industries.
The Merrion Centre is a large indoor shopping centre in Leeds offering over 115 retail stores including a main supermarket, restaurants, leisure facilities, and nightlife venues, with a history dating back to 1964.
The Ridings Centre in Wakefield is a large indoor shopping mall featuring over 80 stores, a five-screen cinema, multiple car parks, and a variety of dining options. Open since 1983, it is a pioneering UK shopping centre offering a comprehensive retail and entertainment experience.
The Broadway is a major shopping and leisure complex located in the centre of Bradford, featuring over 80 retail stores, a large food court, cinema, and extensive parking facilities. Opened in 2015, it offers a modern indoor retail experience with major anchor tenants like Next and Primark.
Middlethorpe Hall is a historic 17th-century English country house near York, set in extensive grounds with restored gardens and a lake. Owned by the National Trust and operating as a hotel, it offers visitors both indoor architectural heritage and outdoor natural beauty.
Brough Castle is a historic ruined stone castle located in Brough, Cumbria, originally built in 1092 on a Roman fort site. Visitors can explore its extensive ruins including the 12th century keep and Clifford's Tower, revealing centuries of history shaped by battles, fires, and restorations. The site offers an outdoor experience rich in medieval and post-medieval heritage under English Heritage care.
Whalley Abbey is a historic former Cistercian abbey in Lancashire featuring extensive ruins and a modern retreat and conference house with visitor facilities including a coffee shop and exhibitions. Visitors can explore ancient monastic foundations and enjoy the blend of outdoor ruins and indoor hospitality spaces.
Mount Grace Priory is a well-preserved Carthusian monastery ruin in North Yorkshire offering visitors both indoor historical exhibits and outdoor exploration of medieval monastic buildings and woodland setting. The site features a reconstructed monk's cell and a museum presenting the site's history, located within the scenic North York Moors National Park.
White Rose Centre is a large indoor shopping mall in Leeds offering over 120 stores, multiple dining options including two food courts and an outdoor dining terrace, an 11-screen cinema, and a children's outdoor play area. It provides free parking and public transport connections, making it a family-friendly retail and leisure destination.
Morley is a historic market town in West Yorkshire known for its heritage in textiles and coal mining, vibrant market and cultural events, and accessible location near Leeds with good rail and bus connections.
The Church of St Mary, Studley Royal, is a Victorian Gothic Revival church built in Early English style by architect William Burges. Situated within Studley Royal Park near Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire, it was constructed as a memorial to Frederick Vyner. The church is renowned for its rich interior, fine stained-glass windows, and status as a Grade I listed building.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Follow a trail of 30 Pikachu trading-card artworks around Fountains Abbey, discover facts about the character and design your own card. Visitors can collect a gallery sheet and use a Pikachu stamper at Fountains Mill.
The Light is a leisure and retail centre in central Leeds featuring shops, restaurants, a multi-screen cinema, nightclub, and hotel within historically listed buildings covered by a glass roof.