JORVIK Viking Centre
Educational Visit to JORVIK Viking Centre
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of Viking-age York on the site of the world-famous Coppergate Dig! Travel back in time in our ride experience to encounter everyday life in the year 960. Come face-to-face with fascinating 1000-year-old artefacts in our galleries, with the help of our friendly Viking guides.
Download our handy Teachers’ Guide for visits to JORVIK (PDF, 96.2KB).
Workshops
Extend your visit to JORVIK with our 45-minute workshop sessions, specially designed to spark your pupils’ interest in the past by exploring a variety of fun and interesting themes. Designed with Key Stage 2 in mind, but suitable for all key stages, our learning team are happy to discuss your specific learning aims.
Our Viking workshops take place at DIG, just 5 minutes’ walk from JORVIK. Please be advised that the maximum capacity for these workshops is 32 for groups of under 12s and 22 for groups aged 13-18. Learn more about pricing and planning information here.
Choose from the options below when booking a workshop to complement your JORVIK visit.
JORVIK Viking Centre Workshops
Battle Tactics
Put your pupils through their paces: it’s time to prepare for battle! Discover some of the causes of raiding and warfare in Viking times. See the weapons that were used and then have a go at re-enacting Viking strategies for the battlefield.
Viking Sagas
With our skald (Viking storyteller) learn about Viking myths and poetry. They will help you understand the importance of the stories of gods, giants and heroes in Viking society. Listen to stories and poetry heard by the Vikings over 1000 years ago, help re-enact a myth, and have fun with Viking riddles or ‘kennings’.
Anglo-Saxons and Viking Medicines
Where did Anglo-Saxons go to get medical cures? Who would treat an injured Viking warrior? Learn how plants, animals, insects, and even magic were used to cure ailments of the past. Hear about some of the dramatic measures that were taken, and decide which cures you think would work best.
Traders, Looters or Settlers?
Why did the Vikings come here and who were they really? Analysing finds, examining tree rings, matching chemical fingerprints and looking through microscopic clues will provide your pupils with the evidence to support their ideas about the Vikings in this fun, interactive workshop, lead by one of our friendly archaeologists.
Ways to Visit JORVIK Viking Centre
Key Stage 1-3 School Groups
A school visit to JORVIK is the perfect fit for Key Stage 2 history topics on Anglo-Saxon and Viking England. Your school visit to JORVIK is hosted by our friendly Viking guides, who will deliver interactive talks and activities on a variety of Viking topics. Your group will have the chance to explore the Viking street of Coppergate, see how it was discovered and investigate the evidence left behind.
We recommend combining your visit to JORVIK with a tour of DIG and with a workshop.
Key Stage 4-5 School Groups
The impact of Viking migration to Britain can be traced through the fascinating archaeological discoveries on display at JORVIK Viking Centre. A visit to JORVIK supports the following GCSE and A-Level history units:
- Edexcel Migrants in Britain 800-Present day
- AQA Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day
- OCR The Viking Age 790-1066
- OCR Viking Expansion 790-1066
If you are teaching one of these units we also recommend combining your visit with a trip to DIG and with our KS4/5 Virtual Viking Outreach.
Home Educators
We welcome Home Educator visits to JORVIK Viking Centre. Download our JORVIK gallery cards to use on your visit, and our friendly Viking staff will be on-hand to answer your questions and give short talks and demonstrations to help bring Viking archaeology to life.