After paying the entrance fee, one-way path leads you through the six huge floors of the museum. The guidebook notes 3,000 square meters of floor space, although the cases are filled with enough items to make it seem 10 times the size. Unlike the Smithsonian or British Museum style, where you can pretty much walk where you want, the layout sends you to one section after another sequentially--no random access exhibits, although you can certainly retrace your steps. In certain areas of the museum, with its grand balconies, you will do just that, as you spy something from above you missed below.

Victorian Start

The first part takes you through a Victorian era gallery displaying a variety of costumes, furnishings, and other items from the 19th century. Slowly, a time shift occurs as you wander along the path, gradually winding through rooms that take you up to more or less modern days--1960s-70s room.

There is a touch and feel mystery room, primarily for children but amusing for big kids too, where you can see all sorts of odd items, as well as quite common items found in the kitchen, parlour, and other parts of any house. One wall has a line of boxes with a hole in the front--akin to a birdhouse. The idea is to stick your hand in the box, feel the object inside, and try to guess what the object is. It is a bit more difficult that it first seems. After you guess, you lift the lid to reveal the object.

Among the most unusual objects in the room was an interesting little mirror (at left) about a few inches long by a couple inches wide with an odd-shaped bracket. There was the usual question of what this was used for. You could see it was a mirror, but the bracket really caused a bit of a mystery.

It turns out it was attached to the end of a bayonet (at right) during WWI so you could peer out of the trench without being shot.

More Britainiana

I call the common objects, tools, and so on of everyday life in the US "Americana." Since the York Castle Museum is in Britain, I should call the collections in the next few rooms, "Britainiana."

Much of it concerns relatively modern life--modern in the sense of 20th century as you wander through a large gallery filled with kitchen utensils, photography equipment, cards and boardgames, and so on. Then on to a variety of furnishings and down the stairs to the farm house and barn recreations, farm implements, tools, and so on.

Then, you descend into a reconstructed street from Victorian times, complete with full-sized horse-drawn coach. Kirkgate Street looks like you either stepped back in time or onto a Hollywood movie set. It has a cobblestoned street with smooth sidewalks. Clock shops, toy shops, clothiers, general store, post office, bank, and other stores line both sides of the street. Talk about a window-shopping experience.

W. Foster the Toyman shows trains, bowling pins, teasets, steam engines, and other toys. The bank features richly decorated interior. The Police station seems to indicate the jailer didn't have much better working conditions than the inmates.

Castle Museum Part 2

More York

York Introduction
Jorvik Viking Centre
Castle Museum (part 1)
Castle Museum (part 2)
Walk Around York (part 1)
Walk Around York (part 2)
Map of York (Large: 152K)

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