The original JORVIK Viking Centre was opened in York in 1984.
JORVIK has attracted over 13.5 million visitors over the past 20 years and is one of the most popular paid for visitor attractions in the UK.

The concept for the attraction came about following the discovery of Viking Age artifacts when the site of the new Coppergate shopping centre was being prepared. Archaeologists from the York Archaeological Trust spent 5 years excavating the Coppergate dig, as it was known, between 1976 and 1981.

The attraction is therefore based on real site discoveries with archaeology and academic research playing a key role in what is presented to visitors.
The aim of the centre is to present archaeology in a unique setting where the Viking Age city of Jorvik is brought to life as it was on 25th October AD975 at 5.30pm.
The centre underwent an extensive five-month £5 million redevelopment programme in 2001 to recreate the Viking Age city of Jorvik, even bigger and better than ever before. The renamed JORVIK reopened in April 2001.

The key differences to the attraction are:
-The presentation of a citywide view of the Viking Age city of York as it was in AD 975 (previously AD 948).
-The introduction of a suspended ride to fly visitors around the city.
-Placing of artefacts to become the key focus, using display techniques never before seen in the attractions industry.
-Everything displayed is backed up by a further 20 years of archaeological research and is seen in the exact position in which it was found.

The Jorvik Centre has recently undergone a further £1 million refurbishment to bring archaeology back to the fore front of the attraction. The updated attraction re-opened in February 2010.

The new-look centre includes:
• a brand new glass-floored gallery "Discover Coppergate", which incorporates an underfoot recreation of the original Coppergate excavation, enabling visitors to see exactly how the Viking-age remains were discovered
• 1,000 year old timbers that once formed the wall of a Viking house
• displays of never before seen objects discovered during the Coppergate excavation that gave new and fascinating insights into Viking Age life
• seven new state of the art animatronics which interact with visitors in Old Norse
• A new Viking Age house and back yard, based on evidence of an amber worker's house discovered during the Coppergate excavation.
York Archaeological Trust owns the centre and is an independent educational charity based in
York (Registered charity no. 509060).
York Archaeological Trust reinvests 80% of every pound spent at JORVIK back into the Trust. This is used for further excavations, research, training, publications and education - helping to make archaeology accessible to more people!

Jorvik the Viking City
Renowned throughout the world, JORVIK is an icon attraction for the city of York and is one of the most popular visitor attractions outside London.
JORVIK takes visitors on a journey back in time to experience exactly how York would have looked, sounded and event smelt on the 25th October AD975 at 5.30pm. Seated on state of the art time capsules visitors pass through streets and backyards, and journey into the heart of the commercial centre of 10th century Jorvik.

Owned by York Archaeological Trust, JORVIK aims to bring archaeology to life to the widest possible audience. Everything in JORVIK is based wholly on archaeological evidence unearthed during the Coppergate excavations, and is recreated in the most accurate detail. Millions of visitors have passed through the doors of JORVIK in its history, including many celebrities and world heads of state.

These is also a gift shop offering a wide range of bespoke and exclusive products developed especially for JORVIK including beautifully crafted ceramics, glassware, Viking rune sets, a ‘Made in Yorkshire' food range, as well as children's sweets and souvenirs. Visitors can also purchase hot drinks and cakes.

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
JORVIK welcomes all its visitors to experience real history as never experienced before...
First, descend by stairs or lift through the countless layers of soil and rubbish that have built up since AD975 and go down to Viking levels (5m deeper than modern York). Arriving here, consider now how generations of York residents have used this very patch of ground, with an introduction to the amazing archaeological discoveries of the York Archaeological Trust.

The excavation hoarding suddenly opens and you step into a time machine, actually preparing to go backwards in time! This machine goes into warp mode, with the whole thing hurtling through time, meeting some interference along the way, but we hope, arriving at AD975 (or at least, somewhere close). As you go you can appreciate the fact that Viking-Age Jorvik is not some far-away place unrelated to the modern City of York; the time machine shows how the very streets of modern York are the same streets as those laid out by the Vikings, with even the plots of land the same. But the appearance of those streets, the buildings and the people who lived in them are quite, quite different from now.
Having nearly arrived in the Viking-Age, you disembark from the time machine, ready for the next part of the journey to the Viking-Age city itself. Echoes of the Vikings' heroic past resound around you, and you ponder their might and majesty.

The latest technology then greets you as you board a six-seater time capsule, with on-board control computer, personalised sound system and self-select commentary. There are six choices: Toki, a Viking nine year old is ready and willing to show children his favourite haunts in the city, and there are adult commentaries in English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese. One capsule has been adapted for wheelchair use, and three companions can go on the same vehicle.

All set; language selected; off you go. First, a transition between the war-like early Viking era, then on to more peaceful times, and you can soon hear that the new high-rise city is being constructed. Through the trees by the River Foss, and immediately stretching away into the distance are row upon row of oak buildings, reconstructed precisely where they were found. All around you are the sounds of the city. People go about their business, animals scratch around the backyards, there's noise and colour everywhere. You are now literally floating slowly and magically a few inches above the detritus of the riverbank in the suspended ride system, as you commence your journey into the midst of all this activity.
Views across the rooftops show the sheer scale of this city, which was, after all, the New York or Tokyo of its day.

As you go past the first building you see the comb maker outside his new workshop with its new oak walls and integral cellar. He is busy creating combs from bone and antler whilst his children play a board game nearby. Ahead lies one of the cruder, older wattle and daub buildings. This is on its last legs, the thatch old and covered in moss and weeds. Before it too is replaced, the comb maker has allowed his brother to carry on using it as a blacksmith's workshop, and as you go past the doorway, a blast of heat hits you as you hear the distinctive sounds of metal being hammered.

Cross the fence and into tenement B. Here you may meet a man who makes wooden bowls on his pole lathe. He is busy turning these out, and probably won't be able to stop for a chat. Through the buildings on your right you can catch glimpses of the street of Coppergate with all its traders and customers. But, first you have to go back down to the river bank and see a boat that has recently landed some exotic cargo from across the seas. The spectacular view down the vale of York across the River Foss is quite stunning, whilst the Viking-Age street of Walmgate stretches off to the left through the riverside foliage.

Then you turn again and go back up the tenement behind building A, past some rather revolting rubbish pits, and past a cess pit which is in use (along with full sounds and smells), then, into building A's new cellar. As your eyes become accustomed to the gloom you realise that you are surrounded by barrels and other goods. You then rise up vertically from this cellar to the ground floor where the family is preparing the evening meal around the central hearth. The smell of dinner and wood smoke is pervasive, and the sound of the adults' conversation mixes with that of the children as they sing their weaving songs on the left.

Emerging from this cosy interior, you are immediately struck by the hurly burly of Coppergate, at the core of the city's commercial quarter. Look along the street and the buildings go off into the distance, front and back. On both sides, stallholders are trying to attract your attention so they can sell you something. Over the rooftops are the crumbling walls of the old Roman fortress, and through the smoke of countless hearths is the silhouette of York Minster of the late 10th century.
Then you come off the street and go backwards into another house (D1). This one has recently suffered a fire and is under repair. Through the charred floor you can see the oak-lined cellar, but wait a minute... your ability to remain in the 10th century seems to be weakening - are you slowly returning to the modern day? Those new timbers are now magically transforming themselves into the real oak walls that were found here in the 20th century, and have been preserved, stabilised and placed back in situ. You now find yourselves in the bustle of an archaeological excavation, surrounded by traces of buildings, cess pits, wooden fences and even the skeleton of an early inhabitant.

Senses pummelled, you will want some respite. Climbing from your capsule, there is time to catch your breath, but the emotional roller coaster has not yet finished! After looking at pieces of Viking-Age excrement and seeds and pips, enter the futuristic artefact gallery. First marvel at these ancient finds, still in pristine condition and much as they were on the day they were lost all those years ago by our Viking ancestors. But wait, this is no ordinary museum display... suddenly that ancient knife is in someone's hand, that conserved leather boot is being worn again. Gradually, magically the ancient objects are all seen in context, just the way they were used all those years ago. This is like no other museum on earth. There are no labels to read, just watch the objects as they are first displayed in context and then in isolation, coming and going seamlessly, smoothly, using a quite stunning technique.
You will then pass through to the ‘Unearthed' exhibition, which opened in January 2004. This exciting exhibition examines Viking age bones and how archaeologists have been able to build up a picture of life, death, battle, disease, diet and occupation in 10th and 11th century York. Discover what helped a medieval footballing monk recover from a knee injury, how heather helps to protect against worms, or even how to tell the difference between a blade and an arrow wound on an X-ray.

Finally you return gently up the stairs to 21st century levels and can finish off your visit with a steaming cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and a slice of cake, available in JORVIK's gift shop. With a range of merchandise not found elsewhere, the bespoke and exclusive products developed especially for JORVIK are sure to appeal. Take a look at the beautifully crafted ceramics bowls, jugs, coffee pots, linen tableware, and glassware decorated with designs taken from the Viking and Anglo Saxon runic alphabets, or the elegant range of leather drinking vessels, gentleman's study sets, and stationary items decorated with a design taken from a Viking disc brooch found at Coppergate. There is also a range of ‘Made in Yorkshire' food range including cheese, pickles, jams, chutneys, cake, ice-cream, smoked fish, beer, wine and mead, as well as children's sweets and souvenirs.

In January 2011, the JORVIK Viking Centre introduced two new galleries to the museum which use new scientific research to tell us more about the objects and human remains excavated at Coppergate over 30 years ago. These new galleries have been funded through a grant by the Wolfson Foundation. In the new "Investigate Coppergate" gallery, the displays include two human skeletons from the dig. Using newly commissioned studies the female skeleton is used to tell visitors how the Vikings of Jorvik lived, what diseases and afflictions they suffered from, what they ate and even what she looked like. Working with archaeologists from Universities across Britain this new research is being brought to the public for the first time.

The final gallery at JORVIK will be transformed to reveal "The End Of The Vikings?" and takes a look at the final battles of the Viking-age in York which signaled the end of the Viking-age and the coming of the Normans. Skeletal remains showing battle wounds and a full skeleton with evidence of severe trauma are on display and discussed in terms of what science can tell us about how they died. This gallery also discusses the legacy of the Vikings and mix of cultures that survived in York after 1066.

JORVIK is open daily excluding Christmas Day. During busy periods, pre-booking is recommended.
For bookings, call the Advance Bookings Line - 01904 543403 or the 24 Hour Information Line - 01904 643211. Email: enquiries@vikingjorvik.com  or visit www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk  

Dig! makes history with Millennium Backing
York Archaeological Trust, the same educational charity who developed the famous attraction JORVIK, were awarded a £750,000 funding grant from the Millennium Commission to develop a new tourist attraction in the centre of York. The Archaeological Resource Centre at St Saviours Church in York re-opened as Dig! in March 2006.

For further information please contact: David Scott, Tel: 01904 543426, website: www.digyork.com  

For any further information and your free guide to York, please contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: info@visityork.org or visit the website at www.visityork.org.

Press contact:  Kay Hyde, PR Manager - Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org, website: www.visityork.org.