Jor likely going to find your way to Jorvik (Jorvik Viking Centre)

Member Name: waterlilly

Product:	Jorvik Viking Centre
Date:	29/06/09 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting format, interactive exhibits, you get to sit down!

Disadvantages: Little expensive, can have a bit of a wait

I've already written a review based on our early May trip to Yorkshire. We spent a day in York, which was a pleasantly surprisingly city. We had a lovely sunny day which was a big help so I questioned whether or not it was worth paying to inside to the Jorvik Viking experience. However, my husband had been as a child, was terribly frightened and is to this day teased by his family. So we really had to go back to check it out and allow him to redeem himself.

We left our visit until early afternoon and expected there to be queues as it was half term break. The museum is very much in the centre of the city centre and a little bit hard to find despite the signs. We were very much in need of refreshment by the time we found the entrance and were slightly put off by the line. We decided to observe how quickly the queue moved while having a drink at the Starbucks across the street. We were pleasantly surprised to see that, while the line was regularly being added to, no one seemed to be waiting for more than 7 or 8 minutes. We really lucked out in that, by the time we tried to enter, somehow there were only two people in front of us!

Jorvik Viking Experience is open 7 days a week except for over Christmas and opens at 10am daily except for New Year's day. It costs £8.50 for adults, £6.00 for children with family rates and group rates available. Tickets can also be purchased as parts of packages with DIG and Barley Hall. For more information they have a website www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk.

On entering we were directed down stairs to wait with about a dozen other people. There was a good sized lift so the building seemed quite accessible. The first portion of the experience is the "time machine" with a rather cheesy video depicting a man and woman in costumes that jump back through time. One notices that they get increasingly dirty as time moves into the past. While it's unlikely to win any awards we had a little laugh at the introduction and it's better than some I've seen! The doors open and you are let out into "the past" to the city of York in Viking times.

After a brief wait of about a minute we were seated in a little car that would seat 6 people in two rows. We were in the back row, seated slightly higher up than those in front. My husband is very tall but he fit into the seat more comfortably than many rides we've been on. It probably helped that it was just the two of us in a space designed for 3! You are directed to choose your language and then you lean back against the head rest and are talked through the exhibit as the car moves from scene to scene. First of all, after a day of wandering all over York and a week of visiting various places in Yorkshire, a museum where you can sit the whole time was great! Loved it! The chairs turn from side to side depending on what you are supposed to be focusing on. You are taken past various types of homes and labourers as well as through the market. Various animals are part of the scenes and we found those particularly amusing for some reason. The mechanical people babble quietly in the background.

Of course the key thing anyone will remember after this experience is the smell. Smelling the past is Jorvik's little gimmick. You smell smoke and food and some things that are perhaps best left unsmelt! It is a truly bizarre experience but luckily the smells do not follow you to the next exhibit area.

After exiting our little car with the assistance of a man in costume, we entered the interactive exhibit area. There were quite a few families in this area and we felt it was really only fair to let the children who were there play with everything so we did not linger long in this section. There was a costumed assistant allowing people to try on hats and costumes as well as someone doing some blacksmith work. There was one computer screen finding out how good a Viking you would be and an area on illnesses and causes of death in Viking times complete with a skeleton. While as adults we found ourselves skim reading and moving along quite quickly, the kids seemed to be having a great time.

In all I found the Jorvik Experience a great addition to our York trip. While not the cheapest activity out there it was more reasonably priced to many less interesting places I've visited. However, value for money, it didn't exactly fill a whole afternoon. It was a nice cool break on a warm day. It would also likely be a good place to hide from the rain should you find yourself in York with slightly more typical weather! The staff were friendly and helpful and really kept things moving along smoothly. One concern for those who might be there on a very busy day is that the queue is almost entirely outside in the open with little cover which might not make for the best waiting experience!

Summary: Jorvik bring the smells of yor to the present