Fairfax House

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Fairfax House

✨ The finest Georgian townhouse in England
👑 Museum of all things 18th Century
📆 Events & Exhibitions
📷 Filming location for Gentleman Jack
📍York, U.K.

Open Monday to Friday 10 to 5 and Sunday 11 to 4. Pre booking advised, walk-ins welcome. Come and unlock the splendour within the finest Georgian townhouse in England. A classical architectural masterpiece of its age, Fairfax House was originally the winter home of Viscount Fairfax. Its richly decorated interior was designed by York’s most distinguished eighteenth-century architect, John Carr. Ext

ensively adapted in the twentieth century as a cinema and dance hall, Fairfax House was saved from decay and returned to its former glory by York Civic Trust in 1982-84. Today, Fairfax House once more transports you to the splendour of city-living in Georgian York, the centre of polite society. The superb Noel Terry collection of furniture, clocks, paintings and decorative arts, described by Christie’s as one of the finest private collections of the twentieth century, perfectly complements the house, bringing it to life and creating a special lived-in feeling. With an exciting programme of special events and changing exhibitions, there is always a reason to visit Fairfax House.

29/07/2026

Giveaway! Our mischievous mice have been busy hiding throughout Fairfax House... To enter:
🐭 DM us the correct total number of mice hidden across these photos.
👯 Tag a friend in the comments for an extra entry.

🎉 One lucky winner will receive 2 free tickets to Fairfax House.
⏰ Entries close at 12pm on Wednesday 5 August. The winner will be contacted by DM shortly afterwards.

The hunt doesn't stop there! Our Summer Mouse Hunt is running throughout the summer holidays, with kids going free at Fairfax House. Come and see how many mice you can spot in person!

Good luck! 🧀

24/07/2026

Join the Friends of Fairfax House for a fascinating talk by Lottie Adcock of Dance the Past, exploring the role of dance, etiquette and the social season in Georgian society.
Timed to coincide with the Georgian Festival, discover why York was an important destination during the Season and how dance shaped the city's social life.
📅 Friday 7 August, 2.30pm
📍 Fairfax House
🎟️ £10
Tickets on our website!

25/06/2026

Look up at Fairfax House in York and you're looking at one of the finest examples of Rococo plasterwork in the world. Completed around 1762, each ceiling is themed to the room it adorned:
🍍 1. The Dining Room features Abundantia, goddess of abundance, her cornucopia overflowing with fruit
📚 2. The Library ceiling bears portrait busts of Milton, Pope, Addison and Locke
🫶 3. The Drawing Room ceiling features Amicitia, who represents friendship. This is an intimate space, used for retiring with friends
🍇 4. The Saloon ceiling is covered in vines and baskets of fruits, as this was the social heart of the House – a grand space for hosting and parties
⚔️ 5. The Grand Staircase was completed just after Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War, and depicts figures of military might and justice standing sovereign over land and sea.

Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.

We believe the craftsmen behind the ceilings were Joseph Henderson and the Italian-Swiss stuccoist Giuseppe Cortese. Incredibly, when the house became a cinema in the 1920s, much of it was simply boxed in and survived.

Photos by Christopher John Photography

24/06/2026

A note from our curators: pls come and visit the house today it bc we’ve spent a very warm morning boiling eggs, lighting candles and pouring wine 🙏🥹 we promise the house is nice and cold

🌼 Pop in Fairfax House today to see it as never before!
A few times a year we host ‘Enhanced Visit Days’ at Fairfax House, and today is one! Our Curator has specially decorated the rooms with candles, scents, flowers and food- to make it feel like the Fairfax Family have just left the room.

18/06/2026

Celebrate the longest day of the year at Fairfax House 🌞🌸
As is the centuries-old tradition, the Fairfax Family are inviting you as their neighbours and friends, to join for a Midsummer Day celebration. On the longest day of the year the House is alive with preparation. The household have lit the candles, prepared good food and gathered herbs to bring flavour, healing and protection for the year ahead.

Join the Fairfaxes for this special immersive day: smell seasonal delights, experience the luxury of Georgian living and hear the echoes of the past as Fairfax House comes to life.
📍 Fairfax House
📅 24 June
⏰ 10am–5pm
🎟 £9.50, kids go free

05/06/2026

perfectly reasonable we think...
let us know what we missed in the comments 👇

26/05/2026

Wow 😍
Pop into Fairfax House this half term for our Mouse Trail 🐭 kids go free 🎟️

Address

27 Castlegate
York
YO19RN

Telephone

+441904655543

Website

http://www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk/

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