York Castle Museum

York Castle Museum is a leading museum of social history located in the historic city of York, England. Housed within two 18th-century former prison buildings – the Debtors' Prison and the Female Prison – it stands on the site of the original York Castle.

The museum is renowned for its immersive exhibits that bring centuries of everyday life in Yorkshire to life. Its most iconic feature is "Kirkgate," a meticulously recreated Victorian street from the period 1870-1901, complete with authentic shopfronts, a police station, and period-dressed guides. Other notable displays include the original prison cells, offering a chilling insight into historic incarceration, and galleries covering the Swinging Sixties, the First World War, and changing fashion through the ages. The museum also showcases extensive collections of social history, costume and textiles, and military history, reflecting the ordinary lives of people across the region.