Take a break from sightseeing in York Museum Gardens, a green park that spreads out around the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey. Visit just to enjoy the colorful flowers and relaxing picnic areas or come to take in sights such as the fascinating regional museum and the 19th-century observatory.
The gardens were established in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, who sought land for building a museum. The land was sold on the condition that these gardens should be created. Wander them today and imagine them as they were then.
Stroll through the gardens at different times of year to see them in a variety of colors. Look for borders lined with North American plants, a garden bursting with star-shaped flowers and beds with flora designed as homes for butterflies. The park attracts over 40 species of bird, including treecreepers and sparrowhawks, as well as the endangered tansy beetle.
Take some time to explore the medieval ruins in the gardens. St. Mary’s Abbey was built by wealthy Benedictine monks in 1088. St. Leonard’s Hospital, built around the same time, is said to be the largest medieval hospital in Northern England. Elsewhere in the gardens lies the Multangular Tower, which was a Roman fortress, and the Hospitium, a medieval guesthouse.
Spend hours exploring the Yorkshire Museum, which can be found in the heart of the gardens. It is one of the earliest purpose-built museums in the U.K. and it holds archaeological and paleontological artifacts that trace the natural history of the region. Learn about the history of stargazing in the York Observatory.
Join one of the weekly tours around the gardens, run on Sundays by local experts. Tours are free and will shed light on the history of the abbey and the different plant species growing here.
York Museum Gardens are free to enter and open daily. Walk here from York Station in under 10 minutes. Other attractions such as the York Minster and York Art Gallery, are located on neighboring streets.
