Information for Families

Is the York Dungeon suitable for children?

The York Dungeon is not a scare attraction, nor is it a horror maze, it is an interactive theatrical experience.

However, inside, it is very dark, with lots of loud noises, and some actors perform ‘jump scares’ however they will not touch or chase you.

We recommend that The York Dungeon is suitable for children aged 8 and above, however, entry is at the discretion of the parent/guardian.* The experience is subjective, and in the past we have welcomed very young children who have loved their experience and older children (and adults!) who were terrified, so it really does depend on the individual child.

If your child is of a nervous disposition, gets scared easily, and is very afraid of the dark, you may wish to check whether they are confident that they want to enter The York Dungeon.

However, if they do enter and wish to leave, they can do so at any time.

Just ask an actor or a team member! However, your ticket(s) will be non-refundable.

Please note, anyone under the age of 16 has to be accompanied by someone over the age of 18. Please bear this in mind if you choose to leave but wish to leave other guests to continue the tour.

*Children under 5 years old will not be permitted to enter

To help inform your decision about whether our attraction will be suitable for your little peasants, read on to find out more about the experience, and to read some reviews from trusted sources in York.

Little Vikings Review – Five reasons to visit The York Dungeon

The following review was written by the team at Little Vikings - an online guide to York for families, offering advice on the best things to do in York with kids.

The sweeter side of York’s history is well known, from charming chocolate makers to legendary locomotives. Lurking beneath the candy-coated surface, though, is a murkier, more murderous past that will make you see the pretty city gates in a whole new light (just imagine them decorated with decapitated heads…).

None of this is for younger children, of course, but older kids who find blood and guts funny rather than frightening will relish discovering York’s darker depths. And there’s no better place to do that than The York Dungeon, one of the city’s top attractions, and definitely the most frightening. We went along with two 13-year-olds to see if they’d survive, and they loved it.

Here are five reasons we’d recommend The York Dungeon for families with older kids.

1: Impressively immersive entertainment

The York Dungeon experience is unlike any other in the city. Don’t expect to meander around a museum of torture equipment or read boards of boring facts: this is horrible history brought to life. One late Saturday afternoon, a group of around 10 of us embarked on the 70-minute tour back in time, meeting plague doctors and Vikings, torturers, traitors and witches. Each experience takes the form of a themed immersive show with live actors, spine-chilling special effects and a hefty dose of silliness. The quality is excellent throughout, from the acting to the costumes, sets and storytelling; we were impressed, even if some of it was a bit too realistic!

2: It’s funny rather than frightening

Believe it or not, the things that are terrifying about The York Dungeon experience are also what also make it enjoyable: it’s dark, it’s gruesome and it’s disconcerting. We were sprayed with ‘blood’, climbed aboard a rocking stagecoach and had to find our way through a misty maze of mirrors. There are times when we thought we’d never see daylight again! Sounds horrific, but the Dungeon team have done a brilliant job of balancing the dark with the light and making it genuinely amusing. Be warned: audience participation is unavoidable. You can try hiding in the shadows, but you may still find yourself sitting in the torturers’ chair or standing trial! As always, though, it’s better to join in and you’ll have some stories to tell afterwards. We laughed much more than we screamed and were giggling about it all the way home.

3: It’s great for older children

If your kids have reached the age where the suggestion of heading off for a nice walk or to visit a museum is met with a roll of the eyes, The York Dungeon could be just the thing to get them off the sofa and into their shoes. Our eldest (13) is at the point where he needs persuading to lots of places, but he was genuinely enthusiastic at the prospect of heading to the Dungeon. The suggested age recommendation is 8+, with under 5s not allowed, but you’re the best judge of whether it’s right for your child. We have an 8 and 10-year-old who would have found it far too frightening and would almost certainly have asked to leave halfway around. The eldest, who loves Stranger Things and Horrible Histories, revelled in it. It’s dark and full of jump scares and terrible tales – awesome for people who like being petrified, and a literal nightmare for anyone who doesn’t. The Dungeon runs regular child-friendly walking tours aimed specifically at a younger crowd, so look out for those. They’re good fun and nowhere near as scary!

4: It’s York’s history brought to life

They might have swerved a museum visit, but whether they realised it or not, the two teens we took will definitely have learned something about the city’s history from the Dungeon. From the cock-ups of Guy Fawkes’ gunpowder plotters to the perils of the plague and the Viking berserkers, there’s a lot to learn (just don’t tell them). We’d recommend buying a guidebook, too, for extra fearsome facts.

5: There’s nothing else like it in York

Where else can you roar like a Viking, sit in a castle prison, be held up by a highwayman, stand trial for crazy crimes and even, if you’re very unlucky, be tortured? There’s nowhere else that you’ll have such an awfully amusing time, and that’s why we’d recommend The York Dungeon for anyone wanting to explore the city’s shady past. For younger kids who don’t want to miss out, do keep an eye out for the walking tours for an altogether lighter, but still gloriously gory, experience.

You can read the full review on the Little Vikings website by clicking here.

York Mumbler's Family Friendly Guide to York

York Mumbler is another online parenting community, and they reviewed the York Dungeon for Visit York as part of their family friendly guide for things to do in 2023.

The York Dungeons is a terrifying experience - in all the best ways!

It is no exaggeration to say that my eldest daughter has been bugging me to go to York Dungeon for the last 2 years! Ever since I took her cousins when they were 8 - she has wanted to go. The age recommendation for this is 8+ and there is good reason why... there are times when it is pitch black, some very scary themes (I think the witch show is the most terrifying) so it's not for the faint hearted. It really depends on your child but for mine, it was a little too scary for my 8 year old but PERFECT for my 10 year old. The actors never touch you and as well as the scares, there are some hilarious gags along the way too.

The experience lasts 75 minutes in total and it's totally immersive. There are ten different shows and you're guided through the dungeons through 2,000 years of York’s most haunted history!

You can also prepare to meet the infamous faces of York’s dark past including notorious witch Isabella Billington, Guy Fawkes – as although he was caught underneath the Houses of Parliament, his story began in York. Finally, you will face the infamous highwayman – Dick Turpin. Step inside the darkened carriage and be sure to hold on to your valuables

Our Mini Mumbler review of The York Dungeon...

"I went to the York Dungeons, it was SO fun! I was really scared. You can go from age 5 but it's recommended 8+ and I can see why. Definitely not for people who get scared easily (including my sister and daddy) I really loved the execution, It feels like you get real blood splattered on you. When it was the Dick Turpin show, the carriage actually moved. That was REALLY cool. You could hear him walking on the roof when he was coming to rob us. We got some funny photographs at the end which I really liked. I got a squished coin for my collection too. " Edith, age 10.

You can read the full York Mumbler review on the Visit York website by clicking here.