York Racecourse

Children and Families

York Racecourse extends a warm welcome to children, young racegoers and Mums and Dads to enjoy racing on the Knavesmire.  As part of our welcome to groups containing children and families, this section is intended to provide some help in making your raceday experience as enjoyable as possible; from information on our special children’s meal prices to where our baby changing facilities are located.  If you have any further questions or comments then do let us know.

The combination of grassy lawns, beautiful thoroughbreds, free entry for under 16’s, a chance to spend the afternoon together as a family, not to mention home-made real ice cream, make a day at York Racecourse a winning combination.  The natural rhythm of the day allows you to spend quality time together between races on our lawns as well as offering the chance to see thoroughbreds at close quarters. The fun of the races is not all about punting (racegoers under 18 cannot bet with a bookmaker by law) but you can certainly share the excitement of picking a winner, following favourite colours and names. Many use sweets and ice-cream as the currency, with odds providing a maths test for older children. On many racedays we have extra entertainment for the family.

Children and Junior Admission: All accompanied children under the age of 16 can attend York Racecourse on any day of the season for free into all public areas (maximum of 2 children per adult). Admission for children does not need to be booked in advance and we ask mid-teen racegoers to bring proof of age to avoid any embarrassment.  The age used is that on the day of racing.  Children in the County Stand will be given a souvenir badge with our compliments.

Admission price for Juniors to County Stand varies by the age of the racegoer on the day of racing itself. For juniors aged 16 and over in the County Stand there are three different pricing bands throughout the season (please click here for more details). These prices cannot be booked in advance as proof of age is required, those requesting these concessions must be able to provide formal supporting documentation such as a driving licence, passport of government issued ID card.

Baby Changing: Baby changing facilities are located in each enclosure. Consult our interactive course guide by clicking here, hovering your cursor over baby changing will highlight the sites on the map. Alternatively, the locations are summarised below:

County Stand – Ground floor of the Ebor Stand – to the right of the big screen above the Jubilee Bar.

Grandstand & Paddock - Situated on the ground floor of the Knavesmire Stand opposite the cash points with two further sites in the perimeter buildings behind the stand. Also located in the parent and child rest room opposite the main County Stand entrance.

Course Enclosure – Located in the permanent buildings close to the northern turnstiles.

County Stand and Grandstand & Paddock Parent and Toddler Room: This is located opposite the main Ebor stand entrance in the Library Rooms. A dedicated area allowing parents and children a rest from the main raceday atmosphere with comfy chairs for both adults and children. A mircowave is provided for parents to warm their own children's bottles. Please note children must be supervised at all times, but parents do not have to miss out on the racing action with a television providing coverage of racing, with another providing cartoon coverage.

Where to Eat: York Racecourse offers many food and drink options for families and children. From our sandwich range, made freshly on site each day, to Charlotte’s Real Yorkshire Ice Cream, there are many good places to eat.  Our fish & chips are made with fresh fish from the Yorkshire coast and all our burgers are made from 100% British beef.  Every bar serves water and all bars, which sell food, have J20 and other soft drinks.

We welcome children in our main restaurants, however there are some which may offer a more informal atmosphere suited to a family event, such as:

Gimcrack Rooms in County Stand Enclosure
 
Edwardian grace meets modern taste in this popular restaurant. Offering a raceday atmosphere whilst still maintaining plenty of choice for families in terms of food and drink. In all, the crisp linen tablecloths and wide choice help make dining here a further treat on any raceday and there is no need to book.

Serving a 3 course meal for £26.00, with children under 12 dining for half price at £13.00 in the 2012 season.

A delicious “all you can eat” afternoon tea menu, with plenty of choice is offered from 3.30pm for £7.50 with children under 12 at half price, £3.75 in the 2012 season.

Fruit drinks and water are available from the bar.

Ebor Bistro in the County Stand

An informal bistro with a modern feel on the ground floor of our newest stand. No need to book in advance with a Chef's Carvery available for all the family. This self-service restaurant also offers a range of freshly made meals such as lasagne, fish and chips and sandwiches.

Melrose Club Lounge in the County Stand

Located on the second floor of a redeveloped Melrose Stand, the new concept offers County Stand racegoers the use of a luxury lounge with racing views, as well as including an innovative Yorkshire Tapas selection.  Admission to this exclusive area will be limited in number and should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment. 

Please note under 5's attend for free and children between the ages of 5 to 15 attend for £31 for all days except the Ebor Festival when the price is £33 (racegoers in this age bracket are not charged an admission when accompanied by a paying adult) (prices correct for the 2012 season). 16 years and over are required to pay the top-up (£62 except for the Ebor Festival where it is £66) plus appropriate County Stand badge price.

Knavesmire Restaurant in Grandstand & Paddock

On the ground floor of the Knavesmire Stand, this self service restaurant offers a range of freshly made meals such as chef’s carvery, lasagne, fish and chips and sandwiches.

Course Enclosure

This is the enclosure where you can bring you own picnic and enjoy the wonderful views of the stands and last furlong from the centre of the course.  In addition, there are a variety of eateries around our food court selling a range of food to go.


Dress code for children

There is a dress code for adults in the County Stand however this does not apply to racegoers under 16, although many like to take the opportunity to wear their party dress.

Special events and activities for children on racedays:

Music Showcase Weekend 27th - 28th July offers a little extra entertainment; top quality action on both the track and the live music stage. Music Showcase Evening is the only evening of York’s year on Friday July 27th combining competitive racing with live music.  Last year our music events were enjoyed by racegoers of all ages with children accompanying parents to enjoy the fun. Keep watching the website for information on who will feature at the 2012 Music Showcase Weekend.

Ebor Festival 22nd - 25th August is our flagship meeting of the year and is a favourite with young racegoers who have just left school and perhaps are celebrating A-level and GCSE results.  It is a race meeting of high sporting action, fashion and glamour and a favourite with young and old alike.  We have a series of specially discounted prices for Junior badges in County Stand to encourage the next generation of racegoers to experience the magic of York’s Ebor Festival.  Please note proof of age is required for both badges and we operate a “Challenge 21” policy across all bars and a “Get a Band, Get a Beer” scheme in conjunction with North Yorkshire Police.

Sunday 9th September is our Press Family Sunday which provides an extra special focus on the family and children’s activities. The dress code in County Stand is relaxed to 'smart casual', children receive a voucher for a free ice cream in the racecard and there are a host of activities for all the family including bouncy castles. Keep watching the website for information on who will feature at the 2012 Press Family Sunday.

Racecard: The essential guide to your day includes information to help the family to understand the sport of racing as well as a ‘puzzle corner’.

If you have any more queries please don’t hesitate to contact the team on (01904) 620911. Alternatively, on a raceday any of the York Racecourse staff will be pleased to assist.