DIG, St Saviourgate, York, YO1 8NN

Archaeologist is on my daughters ‘what I want to be when I grow up list’, so we have been here quite a few times.

Before our first trip there my daughter told me that she wanted to go because it offers “a unique archaeological adventure to get you on your way to becoming a real archaeologist by learning about the artefacts recovered from York and the methods used to unearth them.”

Luckily I was able to correct her by explaining that archeology is in fact when you get a gun and a whip and chase Nazis around looking for the Ark of the Covenant.

So it turned out she was right, but we still had a great trip including the initial talk and the excavation pits filled with Roman, Viking, Medieval and Victorian finds (not real ones!) that the children find by using a trowel to dig up the clues that show how people lived in these times.

Tours last one hour and you can pre-book a slot or just turn up and wait for the next tour to begin - I did ask if you had to pay extra for Nazis but just got blank looks.

Local Knowledge

There is a 30 minute interactive presentation before the digging begins, so not really suitable for small infants
Try and get there for an early booking so you get a smaller group and more attention / interaction from the guide
The last session of the days is usually just for adults with an experienced archeologist
They do bookings for private groups and parties
If you pay to get in your ticket is good for one year but you cant book a slot online if you return, you will just need to turn up with your original ticket

https://www.digyork.co.uk