Looking for summer days out in Yorkshire that will keep the kids busy, get everyone outdoors, and feel like a proper day out rather than a quick stop-off?

York Maze is one of Yorkshire’s biggest summer family attractions, packed with rides, shows, mazes, play areas, food stops and plenty of corny fun!! Open during the school summer holidays, it’s a brilliant choice for families searching for family days out this summer, summer family days out, or things to do in Yorkshire with kids.

Whether you’re visiting from York, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Middlesbrough or further afield, York Maze gives families a full day of entertainment, with over 20 rides, attractions and shows included across the site.

And yes, there is a giant corn maze. A very big one!

A Proper Full Day Out for Families

Some days out are over in an hour. York Maze is not one of them.

Most families spend several hours exploring the park, taking on the mazes, watching shows, trying the rides, stopping for food and letting the kids burn off as much energy as possible. 

It’s designed to feel like a full family day out in Yorkshire, with enough going on to keep different ages entertained throughout the day.

That makes it a strong option for the summer holidays, especially when you want somewhere that feels worth the journey.

Over 20 Rides, Attractions and Shows

York Maze is much more than a maze!! Across the site, families can enjoy over 20 rides, attractions and shows, with something for confident climbers, cautious explorers, younger children, older kids and grown-ups who say they’re “just watching” before getting fully involved.

You can bounce on the Popcorn Pillow, race around the Cobstacle Course, climb the Volcorno, take on the Corn Snake Tower Slides, enjoy live entertainment, explore gentler attractions, and get stuck into plenty of proper hands-on fun.

For families looking for things to do in Yorkshire with kids, this variety is what makes York Maze work so well. There’s always something else to move onto, and plenty of reasons to stay for the day.

Get Lost in the Giant Maize Maze

The Giant Maize Maze is the big one. Literally!

York Maze is home to one of the biggest maize mazes in Europe, created from over one million living maize plants. Each year, the maze is cut into a brand new design, giving families a fresh challenge to solve every summer!

For 2026, the Giant Maize Maze has gone wild for Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, with the design celebrating the legendary broadcaster and the iconic animals from his nature programmes.

Families can explore the pathways, find the challenge points, solve clues, and see who has the best sense of direction. 

Spoiler: it is rarely the person holding the map.

Active Fun for Kids With Energy to Burn

Summer holidays and endless energy go hand in hand. Luckily, York Maze has plenty of active attractions designed for climbing, bouncing, sliding and racing about!

The Active Fun area includes favourites like the Popcorn Pillow, COBsleigh Run, COBweb Climbing Zone, Cobstacle Course, Corn Snake Tower Slides and The Cornwall. It’s ideal for families searching for active summer family days out where kids can properly get moving.

Some attractions are also under cover, which helps keep the fun going if the weather turns a bit British.

Gentler Attractions When You Need a Breather

Not every part of the day has to be full speed.

York Maze also has gentler attractions for younger visitors, grown-ups, and anyone who needs a slightly calmer moment between the bigger rides and shows. Families can enjoy activities like crazy golf, remote control boats, construction play and other slower-paced attractions across the site.

It means the day can work for different ages and energy levels, which is important when you’re planning family days out this summer with more than one child to keep happy.

Shows, Laughs and Proper Corny Chaos

A summer day out needs a bit of silliness, and York Maze has plenty of it!!

Families can enjoy rides, shows and laugh-out-loud attractions including Crowmania, Pharaohs Corn-quest, The Corniest Show on Earth, House of Cornfusion, Angry Crows and more.

It’s all part of the York Maze personality: fun, daft, family-friendly and proudly corny.

Indoor and Covered Attractions if the Weather Turns

York Maze is largely an outdoor attraction, but that does not mean the fun stops if the clouds roll in.

There are indoor and covered attractions across the site, including Pharaohs Corn-quest, House of Cornfusion, the Cobstacle Course, Popcorn Pillow, Corn Snake Tower Slides and The Corniest Show on Earth.

There are also covered eating areas, so families have places to pause, refuel and wait for the rain to pass. Very British. Very necessary.

This makes York Maze a practical choice for summer days out in Yorkshire, where planning around perfect weather is optimistic at best.

Food, Shows and Places to Pause

A good family day out needs more than attractions. It needs food, drinks, toilets, places to sit, and enough variety to stop everyone getting tired too quickly.

York Maze has food and drink options across the site, live entertainment, covered eating areas and plenty of opportunities to pause between attractions. That makes it easier to pace the day, especially with younger children.

You can go full speed, take it steady, or do what most families do and alternate between snacks, shows and “just one more go”.

Easy to Reach From Across Yorkshire

York Maze is located just outside York, making it easy to reach for families across Yorkshire and beyond.

Visitors travel from York, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, the East Coast and surrounding areas for a full summer day out. If you’re looking for things to do in Yorkshire with kids, it’s close enough for a day trip but packed enough to feel like a proper summer treat.

The site is based on Elvington Lane, York, YO19 5LT, with clear signs on arrival and visitor information available before you set off.

Plan Your Visit Before You Go

York Maze is open for the summer holidays from Saturday 11 July to Thursday 3 September 2026.

Before you visit, it’s worth checking the Plan Your Visit page, downloading the York Maze map and having a look through the attractions so you know what you don’t want to miss.

York Maze tickets should be booked online in advance, helping you secure your preferred date and get your summer day out sorted before you arrive.

Ready for a proper summer family day out?

Book your York Maze tickets online and get ready for a day packed with mazes, rides, shows and a whole lot of corny fun!