Spark your imagination and create shared moments of delight this summer at YSP.

Make the most of sunnier days and spend time outdoors with your loved ones - our friendly staff are on hand to help you get the most out of your visit, so ask them for their top picks of things to see and best routes to take if you'd like some recommendations. Look out for newly sited artworks outdoors, exciting exhibitions and our resident sheep and cows.

Curiosity & Wonder is a packed programme of free events and activities for all ages. Centred around the lifelong importance of play, exploring materials, and engaging with nature, art and the world around us, there is something to inspire everyone. Daytime activities and events are free and included with YSP admission, with the exception of the evening dining experiences at The Weston which are bookable in advance.

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

Don't forget, entry is free for 25s and under, and parking is included in all tickets so you can take your time to explore outdoors and indoors.

Family activities

Visiting with children?  Keep curious minds entertained during the school summer holidays with Curiosity & Wonder. The fun kicks off on Saturday 15 July with a special Celebration Day. Expect outdoor musical performances, DJ sets, poetry readings, drop-in painting and drawing workshops, guided meditation and more!Other highlights throughout the summer holidays include a family rave, clouds of foam floating across the landscape and wax animal modelling workshops.

Pick up our Andy Goldsworthy trail to help you explore the grounds or discover nature and sculpture with our scavenger hunt. A range of resources to get talking and creating your own artwork 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 Erwin Wurm exhibition together and try making your own One Minute Sculptures.

Get playful with free artist-led family favourites on National Play Day. Spend time with your young people as their imaginations run wild in the Hidden Forest. Get creative together balancing, stacking and building outdoor sculptures, and our ArtCart will be on hand to get all ages looking and experiencing the Park with the help of a pack of fun ideas.

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

Food and drink

After taking in the delights of the landscape and galleries, you will surely be in need of some refreshment. Recharge with a refreshing cold drink at The Weston or enjoy lunch on the balcony at YSP Centre with stunning views of the Park. Grab an ice cream from the YSP Learning Cafe, or visit the ice cream trike while you explore outdoors. Find it outside the Bothy Gallery daily from 11.00–16.00 and at the end of the Walk of Art at weekends over the summer.

Look out for special dining experiences throughout the summer, including Tapas at The Weston, and a tasting menu designed by Masterchef finalist Omar Foster.

Must-see exhibitions

Erwin Wurm: Trap of the Truth features more than 100 artworks in the Underground Gallery and outdoors. Look out for giant pickles, manipulated vehicles and try creating your own One Minute Sculptures – an ongoing series of works where participants interact with ordinary objects such as buckets, fruit or chairs.

Balance and Form brings together the complementary practices of woodworkers Takahashi McGil and printmaker Emma Lawrenson in the YSP Centre. All work in this exhibition is for sale, with all proceeds supporting YSP's charitable work.

Lindsey Mendick's solo exhibition, Where The Bodies Are Buried, transforms The Weston Gallery into a decaying house with secrets hidden beneath the floorboards. Inspired by anxiety dreams, murder mysteries and the UK soap opera Brookside, pick up a talking together activity card to dig deeper into the exhibition.

In the Chapel, North American artist Leonardo Drew's towering Number 360 resembles an explosion held in time, reflecting on the weight of collective experience, memory, and the cycles of life and death, decay and regeneration.

Go Pokémon hunting in the Formal Garden and explore Daniel Arsham's Relics in the Landscape, inspired by ancient monuments and cartoon characters. We talked to Arsham about his work, and to some of his fans about why they love it.

Discover art outdoors

Sunny summer days make YSP the perfect place to enjoy art outdoors, a revitalising walk, and feel connected to nature. Explore colourful artworks which inspire curiosity and wonder, and look out for our resident wildlife as you walk around the grounds.

The 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 the landscape.  

Shopping

With three ways to shop, YSP Shops offer a range of beautiful bespoke merchandise, limited editions and a selection of gifts and craft catered to all ages and budgets. There's something for everyone waiting in store, come in and say hello – our friendly team can help with any questions you might have. Shop in-store at YSP Visitor Centre and The Weston, and online.

We are an independent charitable trust and every purchase you make helps us to continue our work bringing internationally acclaimed art to Yorkshire for everyone to enjoy.

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 more about the families who made Bretton Hall their home and the history of the estate with our knowledgeable volunteers who lead a regular programme of heritage walks.