Exploring York

Follow in the pioneering footsteps of volcanologist Tempest Anderson (1846-1913) as Tempest's Volcano Trail brings urban volcanology to the historic streets of York on this guided walk.

Take part in a guided walk and help us celebrate the launch of the reactivated University of York Campus Tree Trail.

Help us celebrate the launch of the reactivated University of York Campus Tree Trail, where the trees come alive with folklore, history, ecology, music and poetry. Enjoy a self-guided walk, hands-on activities and stories.

Discover more about the life and legacy of pioneering volcanologist Tempest Anderson and learn about the latest research into volcanoes with Rebecca Williams of the University of Hull.

Join us for a guided walk through York as we commemorate spaces where queer folk used to meet, chat, dance and organise.

Peel back the layers of York’s hidden history with archaeologist John Creighton and discover what ground penetrating radar has revealed about the evolution of York.

York’s affordability crisis is pushing people and communities out of the city. Learn how YorSpace aims to challenge this by developing co-operative, community-owned models.

Learn how the Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management has established the York Minster Precinct as a world-class campus facility for research, education and training in traditional craft skills.

What makes a successful city centre? Join our diverse panel of design leaders and urban visionaries to help shape a city centre that’s inclusive, accessible and future proof for all.

Join organist Matthew Collins for a recital celebrating the rich and fascinating connections between organ music and the city of York - its composers, churches and musical life.

Step back in time on a guided walking tour of York’s rich printing history led by Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print.

Join Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for a captivating event uncovering Askham Bog’s 15,000 year geological origins, its unique layers of ancient history and its status as one of the region’s most ecologically diverse wildlife havens.

Take to the skies on the York Air Walk and enjoy an aerial stroll through the city's ancient, natural and scientific history with expert guide Simon Rogerson of York’s Hidden History.

Welcome to Mr Kendrew's printing shop on Colliergate - a true family enterprise in early 19th-century York. Step back in time and explore some of the pamphlets, primers, ballads and children's chapbooks produced there.

York Conservation Trust's Heritage Manager Dav Smith explores the development of the Trust and outlines its ambitious ten-year plan to revitalise York’s heritage buildings in its care.

Come aboard and explore York’s rivers on a curated boat journey. See how flood resilience and natural flood management help people, wildlife and place.

Step inside the history of Heslington Hall in the 18th century, to learn about the Hesketh and Yarburgh families, their 18th-century gardens and life in 18th-century York.

Historian Siân Broadhurst discusses the mid-20th century challenge of the pioneering York garden village, New Earswick, to protect and sustain community in a rapidly changing world.

Join Emma Major of the University of York as she discusses some key examples of 18th-century gardening trends, including the fashion for grottoes and Chinese gardens.

Inspired by All Saints North Street windows, discover fascinating stories of what happened in bed in the Middle Ages with historian Hollie Morgan.

Discover the wilder side of the University of York’s stunning Campus East with a multi-sensory workshop designed to reconnect you with the outdoors.

Enjoy an insightful walking tour of York, highlighting untold histories and diverse narratives. Go beyond the conventional stories of the city’s past as we explore the impact of women, people of colour and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Join Achilles Dunster of York St John University for a walking tour and explore the effects that protestant non-conformists had on the cityscape of York.

Historian Pat Cullum explores the complicated map of barriers and jurisdictions that made up the city of York, focussing on the development of the parish of Holy Trinity, Goodramgate from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation.

Taste and smell your way through the 17th century in a session that uses chocolate - and an ancient additive, vanilla - to connect York to Mesoamerican orchids, Aztec life and ladies’ salons in Restoration England.

Enjoy improv comedy with a historical twist. Yorkshire-based improvisers Fool(ish) create an evening of spontaneous comedy inspired by curious documents and artefacts from the city archive.

Join campus wildlife expert Robin Perutz for a guided walk through the special habitats of the University of York and learn about the many species of flowers, birds and insects that call Campus East home.

Discover the 1911 scandal around horse racing tips that saw the Joseph Rowntree Social Service Trust branded a ‘moral cesspool’. Sue Mendus of the University of York digs into the archives to investigate.

Discover York’s rich Black history on a fascinating journey spanning nearly 2,000 years - from Roman Eboracum to the 1950s – on a guided walk with Olivia Carpenter of the University of York.

Enjoy a guided walk through the history of the streets around the church of All Saints North Street and explore this medieval landmark with its world-famous stained glass.

Discover York’s rich Black history on a fascinating journey spanning nearly 2,000 years - from Roman Eboracum to the 1950s – on a guided walk with Olivia Carpenter of the University of York.

Step back in time on a guided walking tour of York’s rich printing history led by Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print.

Join York Community Energy (YCE) on a short guided walk around some of the key sites in York’s energy story, followed by a discussion about the priorities for the energy future of the city’s most important spaces.

Discover York’s evolving history of medicine and mental health, and explore how ideas of illness, treatment and control have shaped the city and the lives of its people.

Take to the skies on the York Air Walk and enjoy an aerial stroll through the city's ancient, natural and scientific history with expert guide Simon Rogerson of York’s Hidden History.

Step back in time and explore 90 years of the Joseph Rowntree Theatre as you discover the remarkable story of one of York’s most cherished cultural institutions.

Collecting the real haunted experiences of York residents, Living Lore: The Ghost Stories of Contemporary York is a new co-production between Skald Theatre Group and the York Society of Hauntologists.

Join us for the 18th annual York Design Awards winners presentation in categories covering residential, community and commercial buildings, and open spaces.