Built over the site of the Coppergate Viking dig, where archaeologists found an extraordinarily well-preserved 10th-century street. Visitors ride through a reconstruction of Viking-age Jorvik in small cars, past wax figures going about daily life. The reconstructions are based directly on the archaeological evidence and the detail is impressive. Crowded in summer — book in advance.
JORVIK Viking Centre
Ride-through reconstruction of Viking-age York built over original dig site
A story
During construction of the Coppergate shopping centre in 1976, archaeologists discovered the best-preserved Viking-Age street in the world. The entire development was redesigned to excavate it properly — the dig took five years and uncovered 40,000 objects.