York Museum Gardens are a 10-acre public botanical garden in the centre of York, managed by York Museums Trust and situated on Museum Street beside the River Ouse. This guide covers opening hours, entry costs, what to see, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical tips for planning your visit.
Last updated: May 2026. Information has been checked against the official York Museum Gardens website. Note that the Artists’ Garden has different opening hours (10:30am–4:30pm) from the main gardens (9am–6pm) — a detail often missing from other guides.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Museum Gardens, York, YO1 7FR |
| Main gardens hours | Daily, 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 25–26 December and 1 January) |
| Artists’ Garden hours | Daily, 10:30am–4:30pm |
| Entry price | Free (donations welcome) |
| Nearest train station | York station — approximately 10–15 minutes’ walk |
| Parking | No on-site parking; city centre car parks nearby |
| Typical visit length | 1–2 hours |
York Museum Gardens opening hours
The main gardens are open daily from 9:00am to 6:00pm, year-round. The gardens are closed on Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December), and New Year’s Day (1 January).
The Artists’ Garden has shorter hours: 10:30am to 4:30pm daily.
The Yorkshire Museum within the gardens is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00am–5:00pm. The York Observatory is open on selected dates; check the York Museums Trust events page for current openings.
Occasional temporary closures apply for private events. Check the official website before visiting if your plans are time-sensitive.
Five great things to do while you’re in York
- 🧭 Discover York’s highlights on a small group walking tour.
- ⛵ Drift along the Ouse on an evening happy hour boat cruise.
- 👻 Delve into ghosts and gruesome history on the Shadows of York tour.
- 🏞️ Take a day trip to the North York Moors and Whitby.
- 🍫 Make your own chocolate bar at York Cocoa House.
York Museum Gardens ticket prices
Entry to York Museum Gardens is free. No booking is required. York Museums Trust, which manages the gardens as a registered charity, asks visitors to consider making a voluntary donation to support ongoing maintenance.
York Museum Gardens are not included in any city pass scheme. Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official York Museum Gardens website and last updated in May 2026.
Note: Entry to the Yorkshire Museum inside the gardens is charged separately. Check the Yorkshire Museum website for current prices and to book tickets.
Why book the Visit York Pass?
- 🎟️ Access to 40+ Top Attractions: Enjoy entry to York’s most iconic sites, including York Minster, JORVIK Viking Centre, York Castle Museum, and Clifford’s Tower.
- 💰 Significant Cost Savings: Save a substantial amount on admission fees compared to purchasing individual tickets at each attraction gate.
- 🚢 River Cruise or Bus Tour: Includes a choice between a scenic City Cruise on the River Ouse or a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket to navigate the city with ease.
- 📱 Instant Digital Delivery: No need for paper vouchers; receive your pass instantly on your smartphone for a seamless, contactless entry experience.
- ⏱️ Tailored to Your Trip: Choose from 1, 2, 3, or 6-day options, providing the flexibility to explore York’s medieval streets and Viking history at your own pace.
How to get to York Museum Gardens
By train: York station is on the East Coast Main Line, with direct services from London King’s Cross, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Manchester. The gardens are approximately 10–15 minutes’ walk from the station via the city centre.
By bus: Multiple First York and Arriva bus routes serve the city centre. The nearest stops are on Museum Street and St Leonard’s Place, directly adjacent to the main garden entrance.
Park & Ride: Six Park & Ride sites around York provide frequent buses into the city centre, stopping near the gardens. Check the York Council transport pages for current site locations and prices.
On foot: The gardens are in the heart of the city centre, a short walk from York Minster, the Shambles, and Bootham Bar on the City Walls.
Parking at York Museum Gardens
There is no on-site parking at York Museum Gardens. The nearest city centre car parks include Marygate Car Park on Marygate, a short walk from the Marygate entrance to the gardens.
Parking in York city centre is limited and can be busy at weekends and during school holidays. The Park & Ride scheme is the recommended option for visitors arriving by car.
How long to spend at York Museum Gardens
Allow 1 to 2 hours to explore the gardens at a relaxed pace. This gives enough time to walk through the main garden areas, view the St Mary’s Abbey ruins, explore the Multangular Tower, and visit the Artists’ Garden.
If you plan to visit the Yorkshire Museum as well, add at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Combined visits to the gardens and museum make a half-day trip.
Guided garden tours take place every Saturday and Sunday at 12:00pm. Meet outside the Yorkshire Museum. The suggested donation is £5.
Accessibility at York Museum Gardens
York Museum Gardens are wheelchair accessible, with a series of wheelchair-friendly pathways throughout the site, including the Edible Wood and Artists’ Garden areas behind York Art Gallery.
There are no public toilets in the gardens themselves. Accessible toilets and baby changing facilities are available inside the Yorkshire Museum. The nearest public toilets are at Bootham Bar or Silver Street in the city centre.
The Yorkshire Museum has a ramp at the front entrance and is fully accessible on the ground floor. The York Observatory is wheelchair accessible, with the exception of the telescope viewing platform.
What to see at York Museum Gardens
St Mary’s Abbey ruins
The most prominent feature of the gardens is the substantial ruined shell of St Mary’s Abbey, a Benedictine monastery first founded in 1088. At its peak it was one of the wealthiest monasteries in England. The standing stonework of the Abbey church forms the visual centrepiece of the gardens. Visitors can walk among the ruins freely.
The Abbey precinct walls, built in the 1260s, form the northern boundary of the gardens and are described as the most complete set of abbey walls in England.
The Multangular Tower and Roman remains
At the western corner of the gardens stands the Multangular Tower, a surviving Roman fortress tower dating to the 3rd or 4th century AD, when York was the Roman fortress of Eboracum. A section of Roman city wall connects to the tower. This is the most accessible close-up view of York’s Roman defences, viewable at ground level without climbing any steps.
York Observatory
The York Observatory, built in 1832–33, is the oldest working observatory in Yorkshire. It is open to visitors on selected days throughout the year. Check the York Museums Trust events page for current open dates.
The Yorkshire Museum
The Yorkshire Museum is a national museum within the gardens, housing collections covering archaeology, geology, biology, and astronomy. Its permanent collection includes Roman, Viking, and medieval artefacts from York and the surrounding region. Entry is charged. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00am–5:00pm.
Artists’ Garden and Edible Wood
Behind York Art Gallery, accessible from within the gardens, are the Artists’ Garden (with changing outdoor exhibitions) and the Edible Wood (a planted area of edible trees and shrubs). Both are open daily, 10:30am–4:30pm.
Plants, wildlife, and the Squirrel’s Trail
The gardens contain significant collections of trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs, including several champion trees (trees recorded as the largest of their species). The gardens support around 40 bird species, grey squirrels, and the nationally rare Tansy beetle. A free self-guided Squirrel’s Trail quiz is available for children, downloadable from the official website.
A community bird watching group meets monthly at the bird feeding station behind the rock garden; check the events page for dates.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Check the Artists’ Garden hours separately | The Artists’ Garden opens at 10:30am, not 9:00am like the main gardens. If it is a priority, plan your visit accordingly. |
| No alcohol or barbecues | These are not permitted anywhere in the gardens. Picnics are welcome, but visitors are asked to take litter away with them. |
| Plan around the free Saturday/Sunday tours | Guided tours depart from outside the Yorkshire Museum at 12:00pm on weekends. No booking required; suggested donation £5. |
| Toilets are inside the museum, not the gardens | There are no public toilets within the gardens themselves. Use the facilities in the Yorkshire Museum or at Bootham Bar before or after your visit. |
| Dogs are welcome on leads | Dogs may enter the gardens but must be kept on a lead at all times. |
Frequently asked questions about York Museum Gardens
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is entry to York Museum Gardens free? | Yes. The gardens are free to enter every day. Entry to the Yorkshire Museum inside the gardens is charged separately. |
| Are York Museum Gardens suitable for children? | Yes. The gardens are open, grassy, and family-friendly. The free Squirrel’s Trail quiz is aimed at children. Ball games are not permitted. |
| Are York Museum Gardens open on Sundays? | Yes, open every day from 9:00am to 6:00pm (closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day). |
| Is there parking at York Museum Gardens? | No. There is no on-site parking. The nearest options are Marygate Car Park and the city-wide Park & Ride scheme. |
| Can you have a picnic in York Museum Gardens? | Yes. Picnics are permitted anywhere in the gardens. Visitors are asked to take their litter with them. Alcohol and barbecues are not permitted. |
Things to do near York Museum Gardens
- York Minster (YO1 7HH) — The city’s Gothic cathedral is a few minutes’ walk from the Museum Street entrance. Entry charges apply for the interior; the exterior and chapter house garden can be viewed from outside.
- York City Walls — Bootham Bar section (YO1 7HH) — The nearest access point to the York City Walls walkway is at Bootham Bar, approximately 5 minutes’ walk from the gardens. Free to walk.
- York Art Gallery (YO1 7EW) — Immediately adjacent to the gardens, York Art Gallery houses collections of British and European painting and ceramics. Entry charges apply; check the official website for current prices.
- The Shambles (YO1 7LX) — A medieval street of overhanging timber-framed buildings, approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the gardens through the city centre.
What to visit tomorrow: similar public gardens in Yorkshire
- RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate (~30 minutes) — A 58-acre RHS garden in North Yorkshire with year-round planting displays, kitchen gardens, and a woodland trail.
- Studley Royal Water Garden and Fountains Abbey, Ripon (~40 minutes) — A UNESCO World Heritage Site combining an 18th-century water garden with the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey.
- Beningbrough Hall Gardens, near York (~20 minutes) — National Trust gardens surrounding an 18th-century country house, with walled kitchen garden and wildflower meadow. Entry charges apply.
- Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, Doncaster (~1 hour) — English Heritage-managed Victorian pleasure gardens with restored formal beds and a woodland area. Entry charges apply.
- Castle Howard Gardens, Malton (~30 minutes) — Extensive formal and landscape gardens surrounding a Baroque stately home, including a walled garden and lake. Entry charges apply.
More York travel
Other York travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- The National Railway Museum in York: A parking guide.
- Practical guides to visiting the Yorkshire Museum, Clifford’s Tower, the York Castle Museum and Jorvik Viking Centre
- A practical guide to visiting York Minster – one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in the UK.
- What to expect at the Bar Convent, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York Mansion House and Fairfax House.
- What you need to know before visiting the York Cold War Bunker.
