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York Museums Trust’s Open Weekend

York residents receive free entry to York Art Gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and York Castle Museum

June 23-24 2018

Feed a dinosaur, see a major new exhibition by a world renowned potter or delve into treasures of York Castle Museum later this month at the York Museums Trust Open Weekend.
York Art Gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and York Castle Museum are all free to York residents over the weekend.

Visitors can step back into dinosaur country in Yorkshire’s Jurassic World at the Yorkshire Museum, see the fantastic buttons and pots by Lucie Rie at York Art Gallery or take a walk through Victorian York on Kirkgate, York Castle Museum’s famous recreated street.

York Art Gallery’s Studio will also be open on Sunday June 24 for people to be inspired by The Sea is The Limit exhibition at the gallery. This event is to coincide with Refugee Week 2018.

Any resident with a York Card or council tax bill from the City of York Council can gain free access.

Chris Baker, Visitor Experience Manager at the Yorkshire Museum and York Art Gallery, said: “We have some fantastic shows on at the moment which York residents can come and see for free this weekend. Yorkshire’s Jurassic World at the Yorkshire Museum has proved to be extremely popular, with new technology bringing to life our huge sea dragons as well as offering visitors the chance to feed a virtual dinosaur lunch.
Lucie Rie: Ceramics & Buttons opens just in time for residents to get a first look. It features the world famous pots she is famous for as well as some of her fantastic buttons displayed in imaginative ways.

“Meanwhile York Castle Museum has just been named in TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame as one of the best museums in the country.
“We look forward to welcoming residents over the weekend and we hope they enjoy the fantastic exhibitions right on their doorstep.”

Now in its third year, the Trust hopes the residents Open Weekend will become as popular as the Make it York Residents Festival in January.

What’s On

As well as the major exhibitions mentioned above, the Yorkshire Museum will also be offering a self-led crafts activities for families in the Learning Labs.

York Art Gallery’s Refugee Week activity will run on Sunday 24 June 2018, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

The Studio will be open 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm for the chance to try a practical art activity inspired by The Sea is the Limit exhibition. There will be Learning Facilitator to assist. No need to book.

At York Castle Museum, visit the Castle kitchen and get the chance to taste some delicious sweets. You can also meet Mary Ann Craven – famous for her French almonds and boiled sweets – on our Victorian cobbled street Kirkgate.

The activities at York Castle Museum will run from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Saturday June 23rd and Sunday June 24th.

For those residents wanting to visit the museums and gallery all year, the new YMT card allows unlimited access for just £11 or £10 by direct debit for anyone with a York Card.

The cards are free to anyone age 17-24 or on income related benefits. Children under 17 get in free to all sites with one paying adult.