York Unlocked

FAQ's

To help you make the most of your experience with York Unlocked, we have compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not covered here, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

I haven't booked a ticket can I still come?

YES! In fact, very few of the experiences we offer require a ticket all.

We have 56 venues and tours to enjoy during York Unlocked, and just 11 are only accessible with a ticket.

Any venue in our programme with listed opening hours is open for you to drop in (within those times!). No booking or planning necessary!

Some venues including The Milner Hotel, Holy Trinity Goodramgate, the William Sutton Pavilion, the Guildhall, have tickets for tours but are also open on a drop-in basis. Most of the experiences at the National Railway Museum will be available with just a regular Free pre-booked museum entry ticket.

And tickets may become available again. Any tickets cancelled will be made available through the same links, up to September 25. In 2024 over 100 tickets were cancelled before the event.

When is York Unlocked's Festival Weekend in 2025?

Saturday 27th – Sunday 28th September 2025

Where is it and what are the opening times?

At various locations across the city of York in North Yorkshire.

All the buildings are listed in our programme , and have different opening times and days which they are open. Copies of the programme can be picked up from York Libraries, Visit York information centre or download a copy here. We can post you a hard copy for for a fee of £6 (UK only).

How much is entry?

Free. All York Unlocked is free, however some of buildings require free pre-booking prior to the weekend.

Booking opens 10am 15th August, details including a downloadable programme are available on our website – www.york-unlocked.org.uk/2025-festival/

Where can I get a programme?

Printed programmes are available at all libraries throughout York, and at other locations across the city. They are free to pick up.

You can also order a printed copy from our website, which will cost £6 to cover posting (UK only),as well as a donation to York Unlocked, which is run entirely by volunteers.

You can download a digital version of the 2025 programme here .

How do I book?

Some of the buildings require free booking prior to the event, but many don’t and you can just turn up during their open times.

Booking for the select few that need pre-booked tickets opens Friday 15th August 10am – https://york-unlocked.org.uk/2025-festival/

Details of which buildings will need pre-booked tickets can be found in our programme here , or sign up to our newsletter or our social media.

Keep an eye on the booking page for the opportunity to get any returned tickets. All pre-booked ticket booking closes on 25th September.

I can't use my ticket now, what should I do?

If you have booked tickets that you can’t use anymore we’d love it if you could cancel the booking, so someone else can use them.

Open your Booking Confirmation Email (from York Unlocked).
Click the blue Manage Tickets link at the bottom.
Enter your booking email address when prompted.
You will receive a new email with a link – click it to access your booking.
From there, you can view and cancel your tickets.

Please note: cancelling will remove all tickets in your booking.

Keep an eye on the booking page for the opportunity to get any returned tickets.

If you only need to cancel one ticket from a group, email info@york-unlocked.org.uk with Ticket Cancellation in the subject line.

If you booked a ticket directly with the NRM, Holy Trinity Goodramgate, or Joseph Rowntree Theatre please see their website for cancellation details.

Ticket cancellation closes 23rd (for Saturday tickets) and 24th September (for Sunday), so we can prepare the door lists – NO changes can be made after this date.

Do the buildings have parking?

No, there is no dedicated parking for York Unlocked during the Festival Weekend.

York can be very busy during the weekend, so for venues in the city centre York’s Park and Rides might be a great option for you.

Alternatively York has many public car parks.

Do the buildings have toilets?

Each venue has different facilities and many will not have public toilets onsite.

York does have public toilets with controlled entry at 40p :

Front Street,
Nunnery Lane
Rougier Street
Rowntree Park
Silver Street
St George’s Field
St Leonard’s Place
Union Terrace
West Bank Park

Please see here for details https://www.york.gov.uk/PublicToilets

Are all the buildings accessible?

Each building has different accessibility, below is a link to our accessibility document for all the venues.

https://york-unlocked.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-Location-Accessibility-Document.pdf

Alternatively visit our accessibility page for details on blue badge parking, assistance animals, and public toilets – https://york-unlocked.org.uk/accessibility/