Jorvik Viking Centre facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Location | York, England |
The Jorvik Viking Centre is a popular museum and visitor attraction in York, England. It shows what Viking life was like in the city. You can see lifelike models and full-size scenes of Viking times. Visitors ride in small carriages through these scenes. The carriages have speakers that tell the story.
The York Archaeological Trust created the centre. It first opened its doors in 1984. The name Jorvik comes from Jórvík. This was the Old Norse name for York. It also referred to the Viking Kingdom of Yorkshire.
Contents
Discovering Viking York
In the 1970s, something amazing happened in York. An old factory site in Coppergate was being cleared. Before a new shopping centre was built, archaeologists started digging. This was between 1976 and 1981. The York Archaeological Trust led these important digs.
They found incredibly well-preserved remains of Viking buildings. These were made of timber. They also uncovered workshops, fences, and animal pens. Even old toilets and wells were found. Many everyday items from that time were discovered. These included pottery, metalwork, and bones.
What was truly special was finding things like wood, leather, and textiles. Plant and animal remains from around 900 AD were also preserved. This happened because they were buried in wet clay with no oxygen. This stopped them from rotting away. In total, over 40,000 objects were found.
The trust decided to rebuild part of Viking Jorvik right on the site. They added figures, sounds, and even smells. This helped bring the Viking city to life. The Jorvik Viking Centre opened in April 1984. Since then, over 20 million people have visited.
The Jorvik Experience Today
The centre has been updated several times. In 2001, it had a big refurbishment costing £5 million. Another £1 million was spent in 2010. These updates made the experience even better. The ride time was extended to 12 minutes. More high-tech features were added. They also increased the sensory effects. This means you can experience smells, more sounds, heat, cold, and dampness.
Visitors used to travel back in time to 5:30 pm on October 25, 975 AD. Now, you experience a September day in 960 AD. You ride through a reconstructed Viking settlement. You can hear voices speaking in Old Norse. There are also realistic smells and lifelike animated figures. These figures were made using laser technology from real skeletons found at the site.
After the ride, there is a large museum area. Here, you can see about 800 objects found during the dig. There are also interactive displays. You can learn more about life in the tenth century. You can even talk to staff dressed as Vikings. One important exhibit is a copy of the Coppergate Helmet. The original was found near the centre. The Jorvik Viking Centre reopened on April 8, 2017. This was after it was rebuilt due to severe flooding in 2015.
Jorvik Viking Models
Graham Ibbeson created the lifelike models used in the Jorvik experience. At first, the faces of these models were based on modern people. But now, new technology helps. Eight new models have faces based on skulls found in a Viking-age cemetery. This makes them even more realistic.
Annual Viking Festival
The Jorvik Viking Centre also organizes a yearly Viking Festival. It happens in the second week of February. This festival follows an old Viking tradition called "Jolablot." The festival includes exciting combat re-enactments. Volunteers from all over the world take part in these shows.
"Time Warp" Experience
The Jorvik Viking Centre is not just a museum. It's called an "experience." This type of educational journey into the past is known as a "Time Warp" experience. Jorvik was one of the first and most popular. It inspired other similar places. For example, "The Canterbury Tales" lets visitors join Geoffrey Chaucer's famous pilgrimage.
Rebuilding After Flooding
In December 2015, the centre was badly damaged by floods. This was part of the flooding in Northern England. The building and exhibits suffered a lot of water damage. Luckily, the most valuable Viking artefacts were moved to safety. The museum was completely rebuilt and reopened on April 8, 2017. As part of the new display, a figure of an 'Arab' person was added to the experience.
See also
- The Lloyds Bank coprolite is on display at the centre.
