Spring is in the air, and Easter in York is bursting with fun things to do. Whether you’re searching for the biggest and best Easter egg hunts in York, excited to meet newborn lambs or want to get out into nature, there’s something for everyone. From chocolate-related activities to themed days out, York is the perfect place for an Easter holiday with kids.
With so many egg-citing events happening across the city and beyond, we’ve rounded up the very best things to do in York this Easter. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for daily inspiration too!
RECOMMENDED
💰 The best free and cheap things to do in York
🪄The best Harry Potter things to do in York
🛌 The best places to stay in York with kids
🤪 The best unusual things to do in York
👶 The best things to do in York with a baby/toddler
😀 Read the Little Vikings Family Guide to York
😎 The best things to do with older kids and teens in York
🐣 Easter in York 🐣
The best things to do around York this Easter for families
Easter at Castle Howard
Enjoy a fantastic family day out during the Easter holidays at Castle Howard. Take part in the Walled Garden Easter Trail for children, celebrate the turn of the seasons in the Gardens, meet baby lambs at Skelf Island and indulge in seasonal delights and Easter treats in the cafes and shops.
📍 Castle Howard, York YO60 7DA
🗓 28th March to 13th April 2026
ℹ️ castlehoward.co.uk
Chocolatey Easter Fun for the Whole Family!
Celebrate Easter with a guided tour at York’s Chocolate Story, uncovering the fascinating origins of chocolate and York’s rich confectionery heritage. Get hands-on with an Easter truffle-rolling experience, or for the ultimate treat, join a Chocolate Masterclass, where expert chocolatiers will help you craft and personalise delicious treats to take home. Find out more about the Easter experiences today!
📍 York’s Chocolate Story, King’s Square, York YO1 7LD
🗓 Open daily
ℹ️ yorkschocolatestory.com
Easter at Mother Shipton’s
This Easter, families looking for a whimsical adventure will find it at Mother Shipton’s where the enchanting woodland transforms into a wonderland of surprises and delightful Easter-themed scenes.
📍 Mother Shipton’s, High Bridge, Knaresborough, HG5 8DD
🗓 28th March to 13th April 2026
ℹ️ mothershiptons.co.uk
Visit the National Railway Museum
See the engines, get hands on and enjoy everything that the Railway Museum has to offer. Admission’s free, and it’s one of the best museums in the city. Don’t miss the wonderful Wonderlab interactive while you’re there (extra charge applies).
📍 National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
🗓 Open daily
ℹ️ railwaymuseum.org.uk
Secrets of Dress at York Castle Museum
Enjoy the updated ‘Secrets of Dress’ display and discover fashion through the centuries by following a family-friendly exhibition trail. You can even try on replicas of your favourite costumes! That’s on top of all the York Castle Museum favourites, like Kirkgate the recreated Victorian street.
📍 York Castle Museum, Tower Street, York YO1 9RY
🗓 Open daily
➡️ yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk
Discover York Minster this Easter
Enjoy the new ‘My Marvellous Map’ trail, grab a Little Explorer Backpack and be on the lookout for Mason Mouse’s Wonder Box filled with activity packs. Children aged 17 and under enjoy free entry with each paying adult for an entire year! And don’t forget that all York residents enjoy free admission.
📍 York Minster, Deangate, York YO1 7HH
📅 Open daily
🎟️ Kids go free with a paying adult
ℹ️ Visit the website
The Rowntree Park Legendary Easter Trail
The Rowntree Park Easter Trail is much loved by local families. You’ll search the park for clues to help the Easter Bunny solve a mystery and earn a reward for all your help. Bring a picnic and make a full day of it! Date TBC – book here – www.rowntreepark.org.uk/events/booking
Easter at Beningbrough
Join in the Easter adventures at Beningbrough: pick up your trail map and bunny ears before tackling 10 challenges around the garden. Race against the egg timer, test your throwing skills at the bean bag toss, feel different textures in the sensory boxes and peep through a magnifying glass as spring buds unfurl.
📍 Beningbrough, York YO30 1DD
🗓 Opening times vary seasonally (check online before you visit)
ℹ️ nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough
The Easter Adventure at Stockeld Park
There’ll be lots of eggstra Easter touches around Stockeld Park over the Easter holidays, from meeting the Easter bunny to a giant Easter egg trail. Explore the Enchanted Forest, get lost in the Magical Maze, watch The Great Eggscape discover the many adventure playgrounds and enjoy indoor fun at one of Europe’s biggest indoor play areas, The Playhive.
📍 Stockeld Park, Wetherby Road, Wetherby LS22 4AN
🗓 Open daily
ℹ️ stockeldpark.co.uk
Star Carr: Life After the Ice at The Yorkshire Museum
Explore what human life was like 11,000 years ago, a few hundred years after the last Ice Age, through an exciting and interactive new exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum, which brings together wonderful artefacts from one the most famous Mesolithic sites in the world. While you’re there, don’t miss the Jurassic Yorkshire exhibition (including the chance to feed a dinosaur with the VR!).
📍 Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York YO1 7FR
🗓 Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
ℹ️ yorkshiremuseum.org.uk
Get active at York Leisure Centre
York Leisure Centre at Monks Cross is the perfect family-friendly destination for fun and fitness. Swim in the 25m pool, splash in the toddler pool or build confidence in the learner pool. Kids and parents alike will love the Clip N Climb arena and sports hall for badminton and more. With flexible memberships and pay-as-you-go options, there’s something for everyone.
📍 York Leisure Centre, Kathryn Avenue, Monks Cross, York YO32 9AF
🗓 Open daily
ℹ️ better.org.uk/leisure-centre/york/york-leisure-centre
Easter Adventure Quest at Whitby Abbey
Enjoy a cracking adventure quest at Whitby Abbey this Easter. Hunt for clues in the grounds, track down the Easter eggs and get rewarded with a tasty chocolate treat. You can take on the quest every day of the school holidays, and it costs just £2 to take part in addition to admission. There’s no need to book, and you can pay when you arrive at the site. Book online and save 15% on your entry ticket.
📍 Whitby Abbey, Abbey Lane, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 4JT
🗓 Opening times vary seasonally (check online before you travel)
ℹ️ english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey
Take a river cruise or hire a self-drive boat
Ahoy there! For a fun and memorable family experience in York, look to the river. Choose from a relaxed cruise along the Ouse with commentary from your captain, or brave the waters with a self-drive hire boat. We’ve done both and loved them equally. Use your Little Vikings Family Card for a discount on self-drive hires. Visit the City Cruises York website for more details
Experience Viking-age York
Travel back in time this Easter and meet the Vikings. Starting on the glass floor, you’ll be introduced to the history of Viking-age York and the dig that took place under your feet. Next, hop on the ride and take a trip through a reconstruction of Jorvik and see what life was like for its residents. Finally, see artefacts up close, visit the Viking house and chat to the Vikings for even more information.
📍 JORVIK Viking Centre, 19 Coppergate, York YO1 9WT
🗓 Open daily
ℹ️ jorvikviking.co.uk
Dig into some archaeological fun
DIG is a hands-on archaeological adventure that gives kids the chance to become trainee ‘diggers’ and discover the most exciting artefacts from 2000 years of York’s history!
Four special indoor excavation pits based on real-life digs in the city and filled with replica Roman, Viking, medieval, and Victorian finds allow children to grab a trowel and explore how people lived in these times. Your experience includes a talk from an archaeologist and seeing real archaeological artefacts! DIG is a great experience for ages 5-12, with a fun play area for under 5s.
📅 Open daily
📍 DIG: An Archaeological Adventure, St Saviourgate, York YO1 8NN
🔗 Visit the DIG York website
Piglets Easter Egg-stravaganza
There’s lots to enjoy at Piglets Adventure Farm this Easter, from the Great Easter Egg Hunt to indoor play, lambing live, entertaining live shows, baby animals and much more. The Beach will be open too!
📍 Piglets Adventure Farm, Towthorpe Grange, Towthorpe Moor Lane, York YO32 9ST
🗓 Opening times vary seasonally (check online before you visit)
ℹ️ pigletsadventurefarm.com
Easter at Eden Camp
Experience a journey back in time this Easter at Eden Camp, exploring the 22 original POW huts, with immersive displays, to discover the sights, sounds, and even the smells of what life was like on both the Home Front and Front Line during the Second World War. During the Easter weekend, the museum will transform back to the 1940s, complete with re-enactors, authentic displays and talks for its Living History Weekend.
📍 Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6RT
🗓 Check website for opening hours
ℹ️ edencamp.co.uk
Easter at Dreamery Gardens
Spring is the most beautiful time in the woods and it is a real pleasure to watch everything waking up and beginning to grow. Head to Dreamery Gardens for Easter celebrations and the hunt for the Golden Hare….
📍 Dreamery Gardens (Northwood), Buttercrambe Moor Road, York YO41 1AP
🗓 Opening times vary (check online before you visit)
ℹ️ dreamerygardens.co.uk
Do the Little Vikings I Spy Trail
Recommended by The Sunday Times, the free Little Vikings I Spy Trail is one of the best ways to explore York on foot with children.Collect a map from the Visit York Information Centre or click here to download it from our website.
Play a round of wizard golf
Apprentice Sorcerer Thalorin’s spell has gone awry, scattering 5 enchanted Dragon Eggs across the city! Each egg holds a letter; find them all to reveal the secret word. Whisper it to the wizards at The Hole in Wand in York city centre, and if you’re right, you’ll earn a delicious Easter chocolate treat! Can you find all 5 eggs and unlock the magic? The hunt is on this Easter!
📍 The Hole In Wand, 14 to 16 Coppergate Walk, York YO1 9NT
🗓 Open daily (opening times vary)
ℹ️ theholeinwand.com
York Chocolate Festival
et ready to indulge as York transforms into a chocoholic’s dream from 1st to 5th April 2026! York Chocolate Festival returns for 2026, and it’s a celebration of all things chocolate. You won’t want to miss out on the fun activities lined up and many are free. Find all the highlights here.
Go for a spring walk
Spring is the perfect time for a family walk: see the flowers in bloom, keep an eye out for butterflies and enjoy some fresh Yorkshire air. Take a look at our guide to the best places for a family walk in and around York for inspiration for all ages and abilities.
Step back in time at Barley Hall
Step back in time and discover this Hidden Gem of York! Barley Hall is a medieval townhouse, restored to its former glory after being rediscovered in the 1980’s.
You’ll also find Beasts at Barley Hall which tells the stories of animals in medieval life, from domestic pets (and pests) and livestock to lions, bears and even dragons, using artefacts found in and around the city of York. This exhibition includes hands-on activities for children, accessible interpretation boards, audio stories and much more.
📍 Barley Hall, Coffee Yard, off Stonegate, York YO1 8AR
🗓 Open daily (opening times vary)
ℹ️ barleyhall.co.uk
Do something active
From clip’n’climb to aqua parks, soft play and swimming, you’ll find a selection of some of the most fun activities in York on our website. Take a look here for our pick of the best.
