Free Museums in West Haddlesey

"York's National Railway Museum – the biggest in the world, with more than 100 locomotives – is well-presented and crammed with fascinating stuff. It is laid out on a vast scale and is housed in a series of giant railway sheds – allow at least two hours to do it justice. The museum also now includes a high-tech simulator experience of riding on the Mallard (£4), which set the world speed record for a steam locomotive in 1938 (126mph)."

"Located just a short stroll from the city center is the National Railway Museum, which tells the story of rail transport in Britain. Home to more than a million artifacts, as well as over a hundred shiny steam trains, locomotives, and wagonway vehicles, it is remarkably the world’s largest railway museum. Established in 1975, the museum now occupies a series of gigantic railway sheds that were once the North York locomotive depot."

"Learn about the history of Vikings in York on the very site where the excavations had taken place. Different to most historical exhibitions or museums, at the Jorvik Viking Centre you are transported abound in what they call a “ride experience” (a bit like a very slow cable car, but only inches off the ground – nothing to be scared of!) – really good fun!. This attraction got a big thumbs up by an excited 4 year old (Rebecca’s friend’s son) – it was his second favourite thing that we did in York when he visited – and we did a lot!"

"One of the UK’s most popular attractions, Jorvik Viking Centre in York is a favourite with families. At the heart of the museum is an amazing archeological discovery – The Coppergate Dig. Excavations under an old sweet factory between 1979 and 1981 unearthed numerous Viking artefacts and the remains of 10th century Viking buildings preserved within particularly spongy earth."

"The Yorvik Viking Center was inspired by the Coppergate dig of 1978 which lasted 5 years and revealed York's Viking heritage. The 2017 reopening introduced a new multilingual ride experience featuring animatronic Viking era residents replete with authentic smells. Moreover, all new galleries feature the collection of 1000 year old Viking artifacts."

"The undisputed home of contemporary art in the region, Leeds Art Gallery is the go-to place for a little artistic stimulation in the North. The building is one of the most recognisable in the city, and its Victorian clock tower remains synonymous with Leeds’ historic skyline. Dubbed a collection of “national importance,” the museum displays work from award-winning artists labelled a stroke of genius, to understated masterpieces from emerging talents with considerably less exposure."

"Situated in the city centre, Leeds Art Gallery offers a fun-filled experience for all age groups. It has been described as “probably the best collection of twentieth century British art outside London”. Its exhibits include:"

"It is housed in 18th century prison buildings, built over the original Norman castle. The diverse collection of exhibits includes cells from the original prison, a recreated Victorian street (Kirkgate) and a children's toy collection. There's also a homage to the Sixties with exhibits covering counterculture, fashion, music, sport, and women's liberation."

"This excellent museum has displays of everyday life through the centuries, with reconstructed domestic interiors, a Victorian street and a prison cell where you can try out a condemned man's bed – and it could be..."

"The former headquarters of the Tetley Brewery at Leeds’ South Bank is now a creative space for art, events and workshops, and also houses a bar serving Yorkshire fare. The art gallery, open daily, offers regularly changing exhibitions, while live music, yoga, guest speakers and family art workshops are also on the calendar. The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds LS10 1JQ, gallery open faily 10am-5pm and Wednesdays 10am-8pm, admission free."

"A unique experience is discovering the contemporary art offered in the former Tetley Brewery. Explore the latest collections, participate in a workshop or if that’s not your thing, enjoy a pint of Tetley’s or something to eat from their kitchen. If you choose to eat here, 100% of the profit goes to support their artistic programme."

"The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS10 1JQ - Visit now. Housed in the 1931 art deco headquarters of the Joshua Tetley & Son brewery, The Tetley opened in 2013 and has sat at the very epicentre of the Leeds art scene ever since."

"Located in the center of the city, the Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of York. But along with being a home, this historic house is popular with visitors. The Mansion House exhibits an impressive collection of paintings, silver and furniture."

"Join us in a mouth-watering journey through York’s newest visitor attraction. Celebrate the city’s special chocolate and confectionery story; from chocolate’s roots in the Central American rainforests to our present love affair with all things sweet. Meet chocolate’s founding families; discover the stories of the people of York who made, packed, labelled and shipped chocolate to every corner of the globe."

"York’s Chocolate story is a great family attraction in the centre of York. Here you’ll learn all about the history of chocolate and in particular York’s chocolate history. The attraction is really interactive and there are plenty of chocolate samples to try."

"Two words that you might not have heard put together before are ‘chocolate’ and ‘museum’, but it’s happened in York and all our dreams have come true. You’ll find it fairly tough to drag yourself out of here…. View this post on Instagram"

"Set inside a large and elegant building, an £8 million development back in 2015 has seen York Art Gallery rise to one of the best regional galleries in the country. Boasting 7 exhibition spaces across 2 floors and an outdoor Artist’s garden, there’s plenty to see for the art lovers visiting York, including an internationally significant collection of ceramics spreading across 2 galleries and temporary exhibitions that mean there is always something fresh to see. Keep your eyes out for works by hugely famous artists such as Turner and Hockney."

"York Art Gallery boasts the largest collection of British Studio Ceramics in the country in its Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA). The 19th century building (restored 2013-2015) contains works from the 14th century to the present day including altarpieces, drawings, paintings, prints and sculpture. Highlights include works by Pablo Picasso, L S Lowry and David Hockney."

"Sizzling Pubs do a excellent value breakfast with unlimited help-yourself tea or coffee up to 12 noon. You can go for the Sizzling Breakfast (Two juicy pork sausages, two rashers of grilled back bacon, two fried free-range eggs, grilled tomato, grilled flat mushroom, potato and onion hash, Heinz® baked beans and your choice of unlimited white or wholemeal toast with butter. Served sizzling on a skillet, or on a plate if you prefer), or just porridge or white or brown toast. You can also go for a bacon or sausage bap (vegetarian versions available)."

"While not strictly a vegetarian restaurant, the Grub and Grog Shop is still a firm favourite among Leeds’ plant-based community. That’s because it offers up vegan and vegetarian-friendly breakfast, lunch and dinner in an informal setting, with everything made from scratch (as much as possible) using local, organic ingredients. Grub and Grog also works with a number of local providers, meaning customers can buy the products used directly from the shop."

"Based in Sheaf Street Cafeteria, Grub & Grog is open for breakfast and lunch all week as well as dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, serving an array of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Utilising fresh ingredients and wholesome recipes, their daytime offering is centred on sandwiches, salads and traditional brunch options. The evening menu is usually based around vegan offerings with a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian options."

"They serve unreal kebabs, fried chick’n and sides, and the best part is, everything on the menu is completely vegan friendly!. My personal favourite is the fried chick’n combo with buffalo sauce. However, everything I’ve tried from there is amazing, so I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed!"

"Punk Vegan is another of the best vegan cafes in Leeds for any junk food lovers out there. Punk are experts at burgers, nachos, and loaded fries, as well as a ton of other dishes. The café is very rustic and is decorated with plants and wood panelling, adding to the cosy vibe of the place."

"This is one of the more traditional all you can eat buffets in Leeds, with an absolutely massive selection of food from every corner of the globe. It’s not fine dining by any stretch, but if you’re after a cheap and cheerful dinner with oodles of choice, you’re definitely onto something. Prowl around their buffet and you’ll find yourself moving from traditional British Sunday roasts to Indian curries, Italian pizza and Chinese chicken wings, all in one go."

"We are located in bustling retail centre 'The Light' at Leeds City Centre only few minutes walk from the Arena. Leeds Red Hot is 'all you can eat' buffet with exciting live stations starting from £9.99 per person. Our talented 5-star chefs make absolutely everything fresh every single day so whether you're in the mood for a bit of Tex Mex, Chinese, Indian, Grill, Carvery or Italian."