Dog Day at The Puzzling World of Professor Kettlestring

The Puzzling World of Professor Kettlestring is opening its doors to dogs on Sunday 22nd November, from 3pm to 5pm. It's one of their quiet sessions, so you can bring your dog along for a wander through the illusions rather than leaving them at home. Registered assistance dogs are welcome at all times, but this is the afternoon when well-behaved pets get their own turn.

If you haven't been, the place is an indoor attraction in York's city centre, full of optical illusions, interactive exhibits, puzzles and photo opportunities. It's built around the fictional life of Professor Kettlestring, a York-born inventor from around 1816. The rooms trace his career: he's credited with the Pocket-Clock Sneezer (1824), the Enigma Chair (1847) and the Perception Perturber Room (1849). In 1851 he built a time machine and lived as a recluse for 33 years before vanishing. The whole thing is indoors and on one level, with an accessible toilet, and most people spend about 45 to 60 minutes working their way through. It's a place where, as they put it, 'nothing is quite as it seems'.

It's also picked up a few accolades recently, taking New Tourism Business of the Year 2026 and a Visit York Tourism Award. So if you've got a dog that's happy to be out and about, this is a good chance to take them somewhere they're usually not allowed. The session runs from 3pm to 5pm, with last admission at 4pm, so you've got a decent window to get there and still see it all. You'll find it at 14 Merchants Place, Merchantgate, YO1 9TU.