York Museums Trust’s Open Weekend

York residents are invited to visit three of York’s most popular attractions for free this weekend.

York Art Gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and York Castle Museum are all free to York residents over the weekend of June 29 and 30.

Visitors to York Castle Museum’s new exhibition The Museum of Broken Relationships can see objects with personal stories reflecting on when love fell apart.

York Art Gallery has an exhibition of significant works by the internationally renowned potter Lucie Rie, while at the Yorkshire Museum visitors have the chance to step back into dinosaur country in Yorkshire’s Jurassic World.

Any resident with a York Card or council tax bill from the City of York Council can gain free access.

Richard Saward, head of visitor experience, said: “We always look forward to this weekend and welcoming residents to come and experience some of the best attractions in their home city for free.

We have some great exhibitions running at the moment which complement the much loved displays, such as Kirkgate at York Castle Museum and the Escrick Ring and Middleham Jewel at the Yorkshire Museum. These are of course iconic parts of York’s rich history and we hope thousands of residents will come and enjoy them over the two days.”

Now in its fourth year, the Trust introduced the Open Weekend as an additional thank you to residents, complementing the city wide Residents’ Festival held every January.

This year’s Open Weekend comes at an exciting time for the Trust.

As well as the ceramics by Lucie Rie visitors to York Art Gallery can enjoy much loved favourites in the Burton Gallery and, outside in the Artists Garden, brilliant sculpture by Michael Lyons.

York Castle Museum is again the top paid for museum in York according to Trip Advisor, housing famous displays as well as its new exhibition which features stories of loss from all over the world as well as York and Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Museum’s Yorkshire’s Jurassic World is officially the most popular exhibition since the Trust was formed in 2002, with new technology bringing to life our huge sea dragons as well as the chance to feed a virtual dinosaur lunch.

 

For those residents wanting to visit the museums and gallery all year, the YMT card allows unlimited access for just £15 or £12 by direct debit.
The cards are free to anyone on Universal Credit. Children under 17 get in free to all sites with one paying adult. For more information got to www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk