68 Best Sights in Yorkshire, England

This child-focused exhibition re-creates, based on extensive research, a 10th-century Viking village, with everything from a blind storyteller to the slaughter yard awash in offal. The olfactory element is especially popular with children (even the open sewer), as is the Disneyesque "travel through time" machine that propels you above straw huts and mannequins wearing Viking dress. Commentary is provided in six languages. Kids get a lot out of it, but adults are unlikely to learn anything new. A small collection of Viking-era artifacts is on display at the end of the ride. Admission is by pre-booked time slot only.

Haworth is one stop along the route of this scenic 5-mile heritage railway between Keighley and Oxenhope through the picturesque Worth Valley, as seen in numerous film and television shows including The Railway Children and Peaky Blinders. Many of the trains are pulled by handsome steam engines. Frequent themed special events add to the fun.

Next door to the Victorian Town Hall, Yorkshire's most impressive art museum has a strong core collection of works by Courbet, Sisley, Constable, Crome, multiple 20th-century British masters, and the internationally acclaimed Yorkshire sculptor Henry Moore, who studied at the Leeds School of Art. The graceful statue on the steps outside the gallery is Moore's Reclining Woman. More works by Moore are at the adjacent Henry Moore Institute, which also has regular exhibitions of modern sculpture. The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, underneath the Gallery, exhibits and sells fine contemporary crafts.

A 45-minute drive south from Leeds to Rotherham brings Yorkshire's industrial past into focus at Magna, a widely respected science museum housed in a former steelworks. Smoke, flames, and sparking electricity bring one of the original six arc furnaces roaring to life in a sound-and-light show. Four pavilions engagingly illustrate the use of fire, earth, air, and water in the production of steel. In summer there's an outdoor water park.

Haworth's steep, cobbled High Street has changed little in outward appearance since the early 19th century, but it now acts as a funnel for crowds heading for points of interest: the Black Bull pub, where the reprobate Branwell Brontë drank himself into an early grave (his stool is kept in mint condition); the former post office (now a bookshop) from which Charlotte, Emily, and Anne sent their manuscripts to their London publishers; and the church, with its atmospheric graveyard (Charlotte and Emily are buried in the family vault inside the church; Anne is buried in Scarborough).

With informative displays, Malham's National Park Centre gives you some ideas for what to see and do, both in town and in Yorkshire Dales National Park. You can also get a list of bed-and-breakfasts and pub accommodations.

Built between 1357 and 1361 by a wealthy medieval guild, this is the largest half-timbered hall in York. It has fine collections of silver and furniture, along with paintings that provide insight into the history of the Hall and its founders. The building itself is much of the attraction. A riverfront garden lies behind it.

This flagship visitor center of the North York Moors National Park sits on the banks of the River Esk, near Danby. There's an exhibition with interactive displays about the history, wildlife, and landscapes of the Moors, as well as a gallery with work by local artists and artisans. While parents relax in the café. children can scramble up the kids-only climbing wall or enjoy the beautiful outdoor play area.

Tucked away in beautiful woodland across the river from the center of town is the birthplace (according to local lore) of the titular 16th-century prophetess who supposedly foretold events such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the Great Fire of 1666. Next to the cave is the mineral-rich Petrifying Well, England's oldest entrance-charging tourist attraction (it's been selling tickets since 1630), famously able to petrify soft objects in three to five months.

Bradford, 10 miles west of Leeds, is known for this renowned museum that looks at the science and culture of audiovisual technologies. It's a huge and highly entertaining place, with seven galleries displaying the world's first photographic negative, the latest digital imaging, and everything in between. There are also three cinemas, including an IMAX theater, that show recent releases.

The site's original 7th-century church was destroyed by the Vikings, though its Saxon crypt (AD 672), the oldest structure in any English cathedral, remains. The Romanesque transepts of the current cathedral date from the 12th century, while the west front (circa 1220) is an outstanding example of Early English Gothic. The nave was rebuilt in 1500 in a Perpendicular Gothic style. Note the recently restored, finely carved choir stalls—one carving, of a rabbit going down a rabbit hole, is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll, whose father was a canon here.

Forget palm trees and white sand—this beach, part of the North York Moors National Park, is all about cliffs, dramatic views, and nature at its most powerful and elemental. It is scenic but deceptive—the tide rushes in quickly, so take care not to get cut off. Provided the tide is out, you can stroll away from the town for a couple of hours along a rough stone shore full of rock pools, inlets, and sandy strands (a few are suitable for sunbathers) to the curiously named Boggle Hole, 3 miles to the south, where an old water mill nestles in a ravine. Farther south is Ravenscar, a Victorian village that consists of little more than a hotel. It can be reached by walking up the cliff along a hazardous but exhilarating path. Amenities: none. Best for: walking.

One of the country's first purpose-built museums, this extraordinary cylindrical building was constructed in 1829 to house Jurassic fossils and minerals collected nearby. Designed by William Smith, known as "the father of English geology," it now displays important archaeological finds, evidence of local dinosaurs, and a unique Bronze Age skeleton. Don't miss the frieze illustrating the geology of the nearby coastline.

Occupying a redeveloped 13-acre dockland site 15 minutes from the city center, this National Museum of Arms and Armour now houses a collection that originally began in the reign of Elizabeth I, when selected objects were displayed at the Tower of London, making it the United Kingdom's oldest museum. Four collections (the 100 Years War, the Battle of Waterloo, Arms of the First World War, and Arms from the Tower) and five themed galleries (War, Tournament, Self-Defense, Hunting, and Oriental) trace the history of weaponry through some 4,500 objects. The state-of-the-art building is stunningly designed: see a full-sized elephant in armor, models of warriors on horseback, and floor-to-ceiling tents, as well as spirited interactive displays and live jousting demonstrations. Shoot a crossbow (extra charge), direct operations on a battlefield, or experience an Elizabethan joust (around Easter and the end of August).

Built in 1842 over the sulfur well (as Europe's strongest, its pungent odor is still very much present) that made Harrogate a wellness destination, the Pump Room housed in this octagonal structure sold 1,500 glasses of water to spa-goers in its heyday (so no, designer water is not a modern phenomenon). Today it houses the town's museum, which has displays of bygone spa treatment paraphernalia alongside a somewhat eccentric collection of 19th-century clothes, fine china, and bicycles.

This excellent open-air folk museum explores the rural way of life from the Iron Age to the 20th century through more than 20 historic buildings (some restored, some reconstructed) including a medieval crofter's cottage, a 16th-century glass kiln, a full-scale reconstructed Iron Age Roundhouse, an Edwardian daylight photography studio (the oldest in the country), and workshops for traditional trades like blacksmiths, cobblers, wheelwrights, and saddlers. Kids can try out activities like calligraphy and pottery, practice driving a child-size tractor, and feed the sheep and rare breed pigs in the farm area. All entry is weather-permitting.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saltaire was built as a model village in the mid-19th century by textile magnate Sir Titus Salt, who, aspiring to create the ideal industrial community, decided to relocate his factories from the dark mills of Bradford to the countryside. The Italianate village (the main building resembles a palazzo) is remarkably well preserved, with its former mills and houses now turned into shops, restaurants, and galleries, as well as private homes. The largest factory in the world when it was built in 1853, today it contains an art gallery, along with crafts and furniture shops.

There have been military structures on this promontory commanding a view of the North and South bays since prehistoric times. Digs have uncovered evidence of fortifications here dating back to 500 BC, and there is still some remaining stonework from a 4th-century Roman signaling station. In 1136, a cliff-top stone fortress was built by the Earl of Albermarle, and the massive keep that dominates the existing ruins was added by Henry II in 1158, along with the enormous curtain walls that made the castle virtually impregnable. It remained largely unscathed until Cromwell's cannons did their worst during the Civil War. Further demolition came in 1914 when German warships shelled the town, and in 2012 when local vandals significantly damaged the Roman stonework. The castle also has a spectacular panoramic view of the coast.

This aquarium and marine sanctuary is a great—if rather expensive—way to entertain the kids for an afternoon. You can see marine habitats and creatures from around Britain and further afield: otters, penguins, jellyfish, loggerhead turtles, and octopuses. The rescued seal pups are particularly popular. Admission is by pre-booked online ticket only.

York's best-preserved medieval street and one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in all of Europe, Shambles has shops and residences in half-timber buildings with overhangs so massive you could almost reach across the narrow gap from one second-floor window to another. Once a hub of butchers (meat hooks are still fastened outside some of the doors and the street was deliberately kept narrow to prevent sun from falling on the meat), today it's mostly filled with independent shops and remains highly atmospheric.

The Brontës aren't the only literary lions to have emerged from this part of Yorkshire. In his eccentric, satirical novel Tristram Shandy, Laurence Sterne experimented with the techniques of postmodern fiction in 1760, long before the traditional novel form had emerged as a literary genre. Despite the book's often bawdy humor, Sterne was the local vicar, living and writing in this charming 15th-century house with 18th-century additions. Restored in the 1990s, it contains the world's largest collection of Sterne's work and memorabilia. Admission to the house is only by guided tour (11:30 am and 2:30 pm) or by advance appointment. There are also 2 acres of notable gardens.

Built by the Normans in 1090, and largely unaltered since the 17th century, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best-preserved medieval castles in Britain and still has its original kitchen, great hall, and main bedroom. Following the Battle of Marston Moor during the Civil War, it was the only remaining Royalist stronghold in the north of England, yielding in 1645 only after a three-year siege. So sturdy was the squat little fortification with its rounded battlements (in some places the walls are 12 feet thick) that Oliver Cromwell ordered the removal of the castle roofs. The castle's owner, Lady Anne Clifford, was eventually allowed to replace the roofs, thanks to a special Act of Parliament, but only with the stipulation that they not be strong enough to withstand cannon fire. The Act was finally repealed in the 1970s to permit repairs at long last. A yew tree planted in the central Tudor courtyard more than 300 years ago by Lady Anne herself to mark the castle's recovery from its Civil War damage is still flourishing.

Most visitors to this small parish church near the castle are attracted by the churchyard's most famous occupant: Anne, the youngest Brontë sister. Employed as a governess by the Robinson family, Anne accompanied her charges to Scarborough for five summers, returning again in 1849 shortly before her death from tuberculosis in the hope that the sea air would be curative. Her sister Charlotte decided to "lay the flower where it had fallen" and buried Anne above the bay she'd loved. The church itself was originally erected in 1150 and rebuilt in the 17th century.

This narrow, pedestrian-only street lined with Tudor and 18th-century storefronts retains considerable charm. First paved during Roman times (the original Roman road lies 6 feet below), it's been a central thoroughfare for almost 2,000 years. Today it's lined with interesting independent shops including upscale boutiques, jewelers, and quirky one-offs. A passage just off Stonegate, at 52A, leads to the remains of a 12th-century Norman stone house attached to a more recent structure. You can still see the old Norman wall and window.

Look out for the little red "printer's devil" at No. 33, a medieval symbol of a printer's premises. And above the doorway of No. 35 at the intersection of Stonegate and High Petergate, Minerva reclines on a stack of books, indicating they were once sold within.

A grand country estate in the middle of a city, this huge Elizabethan and Jacobean building—the family home and birthplace of Lord Darnley (1545–67), the notorious husband of Mary, Queen of Scots—contains one of Britain's most important collections of fine and decorative arts, including furniture, paintings, and ceramics. Surrounding the house are 1,500 acres of parkland, lakes, gardens, miles of woodland walks, as well as a working rare breeds farm, where kids can enjoy a petting zoo. The park and gardens were created by noted 18th-century landscape designer, Capability Brown. Temple Newsam is 4 miles east of Leeds on A63; Bus 10 runs directly from Leeds Central Bus station from Easter to mid-September.

Even the squeamish won't balk at the exhibits in this museum devoted to presenting social and medical history in a kid-friendly way. Educational but entertaining interactive displays take you back to the disease-ridden Leeds slums of the 1840s, reveal the realities of surgery without anesthetics, and explore the history of childbirth. The museum is popular with school groups on field trips. It's a mile east of the city center and accessible by Buses 16, 42, 49, and 50.

East of Granary Wharf, the Calls, now the heart of Leeds's gay nightlife, has old riverfront warehouses converted into snazzy bars and restaurants that enliven the cobbled streets. The best have pleasant terraces overlooking the river.

These 200 acres of grassy parkland wrapped around Harrogate's Old Town become a riot of color in spring. Many of the mineral springs that made the town famous bubble below.

A foreboding ruined mansion perched on a bleak hilltop four miles from Haworth, Top Withens is often assumed to be the inspiration for the fictional Wuthering Heights. Brontë scholars say it probably isn't; even in its heyday, the house never fit the book's description of Heathcliff's domain. Still, it's an inspirational walk across the moors. There and back from Haworth is a 3½-hour walk along a well-marked footpath that goes past the Brontë waterfall. If you've read Wuthering Heights, you don't need to be reminded to wear sturdy shoes and protective clothing.

Surprises await inside this large townhouse built during the 16th and 17th centuries. With an eye for texture, decoration, and pattern, industrialist Frank Green—who lived here from 1897 to 1930—re-created 13 period rooms, including a medieval great hall, as a showcase for his collection of antique furniture, ceramics, art, and textiles. Delft tiles decorate the former kitchen (now a shop), and the dining room retains its original 16th-century paneling and 18th-century plasterwork. Stumpwork from the 17th century is the highlight of the textiles in the Tapestry Room. There's an actual Roman road in the cellar, plus a display about Roman York and one resident's account of seeing a ghostly Roman legion in the 1950s. Access to the house is by guided tour only.