DIG York

School Trip

At DIG, kids get to discover the most exciting archaeological artefacts from the 2000 years of history hidden under the streets of York. Four replica excavation pits are filled with Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian finds, so they can grab a trowel and dig up the clues that show how people lived.

Owned by the same archaeologists who discovered the Viking-age city and created JORVIK Viking Centre, DIG offers you a unique archaeological adventure to get you on your way to becoming a real archaeologist.

Virtual Outreach

Can’t visit in person? With York Archaeology Learning Virtual Outreach, you can invite a friendly archaeologist into your classroom via videoconferencing! Your students can spend 45 minutes exploring the fascinating archaeology of a period of your choice. All you need to take part in a webcam, microphone and access to a videoconferencing platform.

DIG An Archaeological Adventure York
Archeology Yorkshire
Viking Tours Yorkshire
Historical heritage Yorkshire

School Trips

At DIG, your class will put their enquiry skills to the test, using scientific thinking to consider objects from our fantastic collection and come up with their own interpretations about life in the past. Pupils will encounter fascinating artefacts from the Roman, Viking, Medieval and Victorian periods, and have a go at unearthing and identifying finds for themselves.

DIG is a great choice to support a Key Stage 2 history topic such as the Romans, Viking or Prehistory, and we recommend enhancing your visit to DIG with a themed workshop to explore your topic further. They also welcome Key Stage 4 and 5 groups visiting as part of subject-specific topics in Viking or Roman history – please tell them about your learning objectives before booking so that they can advise you on the best activities for your trip.

Virtual Outreach

York Archaeology learning’s award-winning school workshops have been adapted for access online. Wherever you are in the world, they can deliver a digital history lesson straight to your classroom with our live virtual outreach sessions. Your students can spend 45 minutes hearing from a friendly archaeologist. So, do you want to analyse evidence to find out why the Vikings really came to Britain, piece together evidence from a Roman settlement in York or learn more about Yorkshire’s pre-historic sites? The choice is yours.

DIG is an accredited museum.

School Trips

DIG introduces students to archaeological remains as an important type of evidence for supporting interpretations of different periods of history. A school tour at DIG will start with some archaeological training. Pupils will learn more about which materials survive and how archaeologists sort and identify finds from different historical periods. Then, pupils will have a go at digging for themselves on replica excavation sites inside our DIG pits to discover more about the history of York over the past 2000 years.

Virtual Outreach

Hosted by a friendly archaeologist, pupils will explore the fascinating archaeology of the Vikings, Romans or Prehistory. Find out how our field archaeologists plan for a dig, see some exclusive finds from York’s excavations and help to uncover the mysteries of some of the most significant sites in the UK. These virtual sessions are a great option for exploring STEM topics too.

Find out more about the range of virtual outreach options on the website.

School Trips

DIG can accommodate groups between 15-35 people, including teachers/leaders. Larger groups can be split down into multiple timeslots.

York Archaeology learning run a range of hands-on activities in their archaeology-themed workshops so please be advised that the maximum capacity for these workshops is 24 for groups of under 12s and 18 for groups aged 13-18.

Virtual Outreach

York Archaeology learning recommend virtual outreach sessions for class sizes of up to 40 children, so that all pupils have the opportunity to interact with the virtual host, but you can discuss your exact requirements when placing your booking.

Teachers interested in booking a trip to DIG can find all the necessary information in their handy teachers’ guide.

You can bring historical objects to your classroom with York Archaeology Loan Boxes. Whether you want to look at the daily life of the Vikings or find out how archaeologists learn about Prehistoric times, their boxes of archaeological artefacts and replicas give you a range of resources to bring the past to life.

You can also order souvenir gift bags for pupils to take home as a memento of their school trip.

Visitors are welcome to create photographs and films at the attractions however the use of flash photography, lighting, tripods and selfie sticks are prohibited within the museum

Mobile phones may be used, but please be respectful of other visitors – turn off the flash before taking photographs, and use silent mode whilst visiting

Please be considerate of your fellow visitors and avoid obstructing their view or including them when creating your photographs and films

You may not make any recording or take any photograph of any person without the authorisation of that person.

Content cannot be used for commercial purposes.

Risk Assessments for visiting DIG and York Archaeology learning workshops are available on their website.

A free familiarisation visit for up to 2 members of staff can be arranged at time of booking via their reservations team.

For any educational enquires please contact our reservations team via schools@yorkat.co.uk or by calling +44(0)1904 615505.

Attraction Visit Prices

York Archaeology is proud to offer educational visits to three of our attractions in York: JORVIK Viking Centre, DIG, and Barley Hall. If you wish to visit more than one attraction, you can save on admission costs with our joint attraction tickets.

*One teacher free with every 6 child places booked.

**Schools do not have to visit all three attractions on the same day.

Prices may be subject to change. Please contact our Reservations team to confirm prices at the time of booking.

Workshop Prices

Workshops are charged in addition to attractions admission.

All workshops cost £3 per child, with teachers attending free.

Please note that the workshop price grants admission to the classrooms only at DIG or Barley Hall.

Payment Options

The following payment methods are accepted:

• In advance: over the phone with our Reservations team

• On arrival: by cash, card or cheque

• By invoice: after your visit (UK addresses only)

Please bring your booking confirmation with you when you arrive for your visit.

New for school visits in 2024/25: the Sheldon Memorial Trust has partnered with York Archaeology to offer a new bursary scheme to contribute towards the cost of visits to York Archaeology’s attractions for local schools. Applications are now open until 4th July 2024. Visit this page to find out more.

They have qualified first aiders at all York Archaeology learning sites; however, they do recommend you have a first aider as part of your group.

Three male, two female and one disabled access toilet are available for use at DIG and we recommend you visit the facilities in small groups between your activities.

Lockable storage cupboards are available on-site for coats and bags. These can be used only while you are visiting DIG to go on tour or using the classroom and lunch spaces.

The DIG tour is accessible to wheelchair users and additional resources can be provided. The tour has hands-on and tactile elements, suitable for those with a visual impairment. The classroom and lunchroom based at DIG are on the first floor but are accessible by lift. Please let our reservations team know of any additional access needs your group may have as we have a range of resources, we can supply should you require them. You can learn more about our access provision at DIG on their website.

DIG is open for school visits from 10am in term time and other visitors are not currently permitted in the attraction during school visiting slots. You will be offered a set time for your visit to DIG as part of your visit schedule.

You must arrive 10 minutes early to allow time to complete paperwork and for our friendly team to welcome your group and prepare them for their visit.

“A great day full of learning for the children, they loved the dig and learnt about what it was like to be an archaeologist. The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and the children learnt a lot (across both sites). Thanks for a fantastic day out!” Teacher from Leeds, England

“The staff were incredible, the day was great fun and we would definitely book again!” – Y5 teacher, Nottinghamshire

“The talk at the dig was great and very informative!” – Y3 teacher, West Yorkshire

School visits are booked through DIG’s reservations team. Who can be contacted via email: schools@yorkat.co.uk or telephone: 01904 615505