Jorvik Viking Centre Reviews (York, England)

Not worth the money

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

November 28, 2012

Email
Print

I had heard the Jorvik Viking Centre was good. This was from several people who had been there a number of years ago, so I thought I would like to see it. They all said it was great, lots of earthy and even gruesome displays and really awful smells, ...Read more

From journal Manchester week in November

Not Really Rampaging

by TianjinPaul

Rotherham, United Kingdom

October 10, 2012

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo In the early 1990s when the Jorvik Center I which focuses on life in York during the time of the Vikings - first opened in York, there was quite the furore. At the time, it was seen as one of the most exciting and innovative museums in the UK. My ...Read more In the early 1990s when the Jorvik Center I which focuses on life in York during the time of the Vikings - first opened in York, there was quite the furore. At the time, it was seen as one of the most exciting and innovative museums in the UK. My uncle, who is a school-teacher, was so convinced at its merits that he took his class on a trip every year without fail. For some reason, when I was younger, I never got the chance to visit Jorvik. I cannot really recall why as my family and I visited York many times. It could have been because the cost was prohibitive or it may merely have been that my parents didn't really think that it looked too interesting. Either way, I was left wondering what it was like.

Several years later, when I took a trip to York with my mother, my curiosity about Jorvik had not abated. In fact, Jorvik stood out as part of my education that had not yet been completed. If it was as good as my uncle claimed it to be, I was surely missing something. So, we decided to book tickets to see what all the fuss had been about. However, despite the hype, it proved to be a rather disappointing experience. Jorvik was neither exciting enough to be considered entertaining and didn't feature enough educational material to be considered informative.

I would argue that the majority of Jorvik's short-comings come from its age. Having been constructed in the 1990s, it boasts some rather dated technology and design. For example, the major display is made up of automated figures dressed in the clothing of the time - the figures perform basic tasks such as digging a field. In the 1990s, this would have looked impressive. However, in 2012, not so much. The figures are all quiet and there is just a small audio passage accompanying each one. If you compare this to the interactive video screens that show monologues from specifically recreated figures in Roman York that are on show in the Yorkshire Museum, Jorvik looks a bit tame. The one thing it does have going is the smell. When it opened, this was a major selling-point: it smelled like York in Viking times.

Not only did the 1990s style special-effects leave me a little bit cold, but the museum was also lacking in great substance. I find this to be a cardinal sin of many modern museums. In an effort to appear more exciting and less fusty, the detail disappears and is replaced with gimmicks and fads. Jorvik had the smell, but it didn't have too much strong information. There were two rooms that gave a historic overview and showed some archaeological debris, but this was nowhere near enough. I found myself longing for some hard data and some written accounts from the time. It seemed to me that a few mechanised models could have been done away with in order to give the exhibit a little more substance.

Overall, I found Jorvik massively disappointing. I would imagine it would be ok if you visited with a child, but they would certainly not be blown away. Close

From journal English History

Jorvik Viking Centre

by Drever

Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom

June 13, 2011

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo Many Vikings travelled here from their Scandinavian homeland during the period from 800 to 1050 AD until wars led to the end of their time. Although they gained a fearsome reputation originally they were full-time fishermen and farmers who spent ...Read more Many Vikings travelled here from their Scandinavian homeland during the period from 800 to 1050 AD until wars led to the end of their time. Although they gained a fearsome reputation originally they were full-time fishermen and farmers who spent much of the year at home. Only in the summer months did they rally to the call of a local leader and venture across the sea to raid, trade or seek out new lands to settle.

In the late 1970’s, archaeological discoveries at Coppergate in the centre of the medieval town of York led to revelations of the Vikings age in York. Unusual oxygen free conditions in the soil helped preserve many materials that normally rot away. The city’s Archaeological Trust therefore took the decision to recreate the excavated part of Jórvík, as the Vikings called the town. It created the figures, sounds and smells, as well as pigsties, fish market and latrines, to bring the town of 25th October 975 fully to life using innovative interpretative methods.

The JORVIK Viking Centre opened in 1984 as an educational entertainment exhibition to reveal the age of the northern settlers. An extension in 2011 added two new galleries. When you enter the centre you stroll down to a spacious room with a glass floor. Beneath the floor are the remains of an excavated part of the Viking settlement. Around the rest of the room are video shows, photos and artefacts from the dig for study as you wait for the main attraction.

In a "time car," you travel back through the street market of 975 peopled by faithfully modelled Vikings. You go through a house where a family lived and down to the river to see the ship chandlers at work and the unloading of a Norwegian cargo boat. The cars take six individuals, takes about 20 minutes to complete the time travel, and give a commentary explaining what you are viewing.

You get off the ride into rooms full of characters of Viking life with clips of actors explaining their roles. I was particularly interested in that of the woodturner as I do some woodturning myself. He occupied an important place in the settlement as he produced the cups, plates and bowls. Others though like the metal worker, cobbler and ship wrights were equally important.

Artefacts and human remains excavated have helped explain how the ancient Vikings of Jorvik lived and died. Analysis of the remains revealed the variety of afflictions and diseases they suffered from, and what was in their diet. The new Last Vikings of Jorvik exhibit gallery look at the final battles of the Viking age which shaped the early middle-ages city of York and foreshadowed the arrival of the Normans.

Kids can join the archaeological investigation at DIG. There recreated excavation pits allow amateur explorers to handle real artefacts and decide what their use might have been and how that helps explain the story of how people lived in Roman, Viking, and Medieval times.

The Jorvik Centre is open from 10am to 5pm (last admission) April through November and 10am to 4pm from November to April.
Close

From journal Exploring Historic York

I Found I'm a Viking!

by happysh2009

Tunbridge Wells, England, United Kingdom

October 26, 2009

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo Advantages: Interesting displays with a lot of interactive possibilities.Disadvantages: the Journey of Yorvik streets is short and could be slower.During my four days trip to York City I would like to say Jorvik Viking Centre was the most ...Read more

From journal Five places I have visited in York

The Jorvik Experience

by BriDee

Dundee, United Kingdom

September 7, 2008

Email
Print

I don't agree that it was short and overpriced. If you are a UK taxpayer and gift-aid you can visit as many times as you want in a year. Handy if you are revisiting within the year. The tour gave a fascinating insight into how people lived under the ...Read more

Jorvik Viking Center

by justin121883

New Haven, Connecticut

April 26, 2006

Email
Print

In short, it is overrated and overpriced. This Epcot-style introduction to the sights, sounds, and smells of Viking Jorvik is a favorite for schoolchildren; but a definite pass for adults, especially those trying to travel on a dime. Adults pay ...Read more

From journal Old York: A One-Stop Guide to English History

Jorvik Viking Centre

by moatway

Riverview, New Brunswick

September 30, 2005

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo For 7.45 pounds, Jorvik provides a simple introduction to the Viking presence in York at the end of the 10th century. After all, the name York is derived from the Viking word and so many streets are "gates" because the word is derived from the ...Read more

From journal York: Layers of History

Jorvik Viking Centre

by jj2

Madison, Alabama

December 13, 2000

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo The Jorvik Viking Centre qualifies more as a historic site than a museum (though it certainly has an excellent collection of artifacts) because it is the enclosed site of the excavation of an actual Viking village. This is remarkable because the ...Read more

From journal York, England: Snickelways and Other Finds

Jorvik Viking Centre

by Adelaide

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

October 24, 2000

Email
Print

Jorvik was the name of the city when it was home of the viking Danes that arrived in 867 AD. Visitors can learn about them at Jorvik Viking Centre. This interesting archeological museum displays objects from the 10th century found in excavations on ...Read more

From journal A day in York

IgoUgo

Jorvik Viking Centre

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Not worth the money

Not Really Rampaging

Jorvik Viking Centre

I Found I'm a Viking!

The Jorvik Experience

Jorvik Viking Center

Jorvik Viking Centre

Jorvik Viking Centre

Jorvik Viking Centre

Jorvik Viking Centre

What's Nearby?

Nearby Things to Do

Popular York Hotels

Popular Things to Do in York

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Not worth the money

Not Really Rampaging

Jorvik Viking Centre

I Found I'm a Viking!

The Jorvik Experience

Jorvik Viking Center

Jorvik Viking Centre

Jorvik Viking Centre

Jorvik Viking Centre