- York Dungeon
York Dungeon is a tourist attraction in
York ,England . York Dungeon depicts local horrible history using actor led shows, special effects and displays of models and objects.History
York Dungeon was opened in 1986 at 12 Clifford Street,
York ,England . It was the second dungeon created byMerlin Entertainments , the first being theLondon Dungeon .Exhibits and shows
The dungeon operates on the basis of tours which start every 7 minutes and last between 1 and 1.5 hours. In these tours visitors are led around a sequence of shows and exhibitions which are loosely based on historical events and practices. [ [http://www.thedungeons.com/en/faqs.html#content "FAQ's"] , The Dungeons, retrieved on
6 December 2007 ]The Great Plague show is set in 1551 with a recreation of medieval
York streets and culminates with a performance from an actor playing a plague doctor. There is also a recreation of a York pub the Golden Fleece Inn where visitors are toldghost stories . Other shows include the "Judgement of Sinners" where visitors are accused of various crimes and the "Torture Chamber" where visitors are shown demonstrations oftorture devices. During the tour actors playingEric Bloodaxe , a co-conspirator ofGuy Fawkes andDick Turpin tell visitors gruesome stories. [ [http://www.thedungeons.com/en/york-dungeon/guide.html#content "York Dungeon Guide"] , The Dungeons, retrieved on6 December 2007 ]Criticism
The
Christian community in York raised concerns in 2004 about aChristmas show at the dungeon called "Satan's Grotto" and asked the dungeon to stop the show. Reverend Roger Simpson ofSt Michael-le-Belfrey church said "There are real evil forces . . . We are concerned the attraction has the potential to do real pastoral harm." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4074685.stm "Church anger over 'devil' Santa"] , BBC News (7 December 2004 ), retrieved on6 December 2007 ] A spokesman from York Dungeon's responded that "It is all tongue-in-cheek" and should not be taken seriously. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4074685.stm "Church anger over 'devil' Santa"] , BBC News (7 December 2004 ), retrieved on6 December 2007 ]York Dungeon offered free entry to people subject to
anti-social behaviour order s (ASBOs) for the weekend of the26 May and27 May 2007 . The dungeon was "widely condemned for a controversial decision" [ [http://archive.yorkpress.co.uk/2007/5/25/356994.html "Anger as attraction offers free entry to ASBO kids"] , The Press (25 May 2007 ), retrieved on4 December 2007 ] with criticism coming from victims of crime, York Councillors andHugh Bayley , theMember of Parliament for the City of York, who commented:cquote|This is a publicity-seeking gimmick which goes too far. The public needs protection from anti-social behaviour and York Dungeon shouldn't be rewarding people who have been sentenced to an ASBO by the courts. [ [http://archive.yorkpress.co.uk/2007/5/25/356994.html "Anger as attraction offers free entry to ASBO kids"] , The Press (25 May 2007 ), retrieved on4 December 2007 ] The manager of York Dungeon said "I thought it might shock the ASBO offenders a little to see what would have happened to them a couple of hundred years ago" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/6690767.stm "Tough justice for Asbos at museum"] , BBC News (25 May 2007 ), retrieved on6 December 2007 ] , but the Dungeon reported that no one took up their offer of free admission.See also
*
Hamburg Dungeon
*The Amsterdam Dungeon References
External links
* [http://www.thedungeons.com/en/york-dungeon/index.html York Dungeon Official website]
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