Notice the first signs of spring emerging at YSP with a walk amongst the snowdrops and bluebells, with lambs greeting you as you arrive at the Park. With the change in season, we welcome several exciting new exhibitions to the Park for you to enjoy.

After soaking in the sights and sounds of the natural world coming to life and discovering art outdoors, stop off at The Weston for a refreshing cold drink or coffee and cake, or recharge with lunch on the balcony at YSP Centre. Take time to browse new arrivals at YSP Shop in-store and online including exhibition merchandise and specially selected products from talented makers.

Food and drink

After taking in the delights of the landscape and galleries, you will surely be in need of some refreshment.  We have several cafes and a restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious meal with stunning views. 

Family activities

Visiting with children?  Keep curious minds entertained during the school holidays - pick up a guided trail to explore the grounds. You’ll find a nature and sculpture scavenger hunt guide and a special circular Andy Goldsworthy trail to pick up at YSP Centre. A range of resources to get talking and creating your own artwork inspired by what’s on display can be found in most indoor gallery spaces and can be downloaded from our website to use at home.  Pick up a children’s activity basket in the Underground Gallery and discover a variety of creative activities designed for all ages to experience the Robert Indiana exhibition together. 

Our Learning Team run a fantastic programme of family events to complement the exhibitions throughout the year.  Get creative with natural materials under a canopy of trees in our Hidden Forest, enjoy a sensory Sculpture Baby session inspired by the environment or have a go at creating your own artworks with Outdoor Sculpture Building.  

People aged 25 and under can visit YSP for free. Book a free ticket. 

Must-see exhibitions

One of the top-4 exhibitions to see in the Guardian Saturday supplement in April, the “hilarious installation by this exhilarating artist” . Where The Bodies Are Buried by Lindsey Mendick is on display in The Weston Gallery. The multi- media installation features ceramics, glass, furniture and film and references 1990s TV soap Brookside.

Take advantage of dry days this spring by taking a walk outdoors in the 18th century Formal Garden to admire Daniel Arsham’s Relics in the Landscape. This display, feature six bronze sculptures that emerge from the landscape as if they are archaeological remnants of our time that the artist describes as “future relics”. We talked to Arsham about his work, and to some of his fans about why they love it.

Visit Leonardo Drew’s new sculptural work, presented in the 18th Century Chapel. This powerful installation represents reflection on the collective experience, memory, and the cycles of life and death, decay and regeneration.

View and purchase new prints by one of the UK’s leading watercolour artists, Simon Palmer. Observation in the Landscape features a collection of limited edition giclée prints of original watercolour paintings, which will be able to purchase in YSP Shops and online.

Discover art outdoors

The park is bursting with spring colour, and with warmer temperatures and longer days, it is the perfect place to enjoy art outdoors, a revitalising walk, and feel connected to nature. Explore artworks in our landscape that evoke growth and rebirth, and encounter pieces that really come into their own with longer hours of daylight.  

Alongside sculpture, enjoy the sights and sounds of flora and fauna coming to life – new lambs finding their feet and cosying up to Henry Moores, a blanket of bluebells in the woodlands and the sweet song of the blackbird.

The 500-acre estate is home to lakes, woodland, formal gardens, historic follies and rolling countryside. We even have resident sheep, geese and Highland cows!   

Pick up a YSP Map to plan your own route, discover more about the works on display with our digital guide or join a guided walking tour to find out more about our collection of the art and the landscape.  

Things to do

Heritage sites

The YSP grounds were once a vibrant country estate and still retain many fascinating historical features dating back to the 18th century.

See if you can spot interesting remnants of the past on your next walk around the park, such as Lady Eglinton’s Well, the Obelisk, the Greek Temple, and the Shell Grotto. Discover the history of the estate with our knowledgeable volunteers who lead a regular programme of heritage walks you can join too. Discover how influences from Ancient Greece, Roman architecture and 17th-century French landscape painters shaped the landscape we enjoy at YSP today, explore YSP after-hours with a twilight tour around the lakes and learn all about the formidable female character of the Bretton Estate, Diana Beaumont, while enjoying afternoon tea.