Description: The York Dungeon is part of the chain of Dungeons that includes Edinburgh and London. I’ve never been to the others, so I can’t compare. What I can say is that the York Dungeon is a thoroughly enjoyable, somewhat gory and very interactive way to spend a few hours if you are in the area.
The York Dungeon is located on Clifford St, close to the river and is just a short walk from both the bus and train stations. It is located in a Grade II listed building and, as a result, there are some restrictions for wheelchair users, however they have done everything possible to make the attraction accessible to all. It’s open 7 days a week, excluding Christmas Day, from around 10.30 until 5pm (depending on the season) and there are often special events on during school holidays.
Entry to the York Dungeon is certainly not cheap - £14.30 for adults and £10.22 for children – however you can make some savings if you buy your tickets online in advance or if you have a Merlin Pass (an annual pass that gives you unlimited entry to various attractions in the UK included Sea Life Centres, Dungeons and Chessington World of Adventures).
The price, I have to say, almost put us off but we didn’t want to lose face at the reception desk so we parted with our money. It’s a crafty trick they have there; there are no prices outside and by the time you have got to reception, you are already too far inside to escape! Having said that, we were very glad that we had paid as it was (just about!) worth the money.
We went on early on a weekday morning, just as it had opened, so experienced none of the huge queues and cramped rooms that I have heard others talk about and I would highly recommend you do the same. In fact there was only the two of us and one other couple, which meant that we had full access to all the exhibits and it also meant that the interactive shows were a lot more fun.
The best thing about the York Dungeon is the interactive live shows, which cover everything from the plague and witch hunting to the escapades of one Dick Turpin, who was executed in York. My particular favourite was the judge’s quarters. In 18th century Britain, there were over 200 hundred crimes that were punishable by death. In this show the judge picks on one of the audience and it is their crime that is under discussion. I was delighted to see my other half on the docks, accused of ‘dancing like a dad at a wedding’! The actress playing the judge was excellent in getting everyone involved and was very comical in doing so. At the end of the session, we were advised to ‘run for your lives’ a sentiment that is echoed in all of the shows.
The actors are very good in their roles and go a long way to involve you and even make you laugh whilst educating you about some of the very gory details of our British past. This is the main reason why we enjoyed the visit so much – even though there were only four of us in there, every effort was made to ensure that we were having a good time.
In between the shows, you walk through various displays that tell you more about what you are going to see. The attention to detail is excellent and the whole place is very atmospheric; dark lighting, scary sounds and smoke effects fill the halls. You really have to look hard at the exhibits, which takes up a lot of concentration and really makes you submerse yourself in the period being displayed. This is the excuse I am using for having the life frightened out of me at one point anyway. I was engrossed in the methods of discerning witches from common women when I turned to find a huge man covered in boils looking over my shoulder enquiring as to whether I was enjoying myself. It’s probably a good thing that there were no children in there to witness my reaction. The other half thought it was hilarious, particularly since I’d laughed heartily when the judge had made mince-meat of him.
Overall we had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours in the dungeon, so much so that we decided to purchase a small souvenir in the gift shop that is conveniently located on the way out. I would highly recommend this attraction if you are visiting York, however I would be wary of taking small children in there as some of the exhibits are quite scary and they would be easily frightened.
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