Not a bad place for the kids -- perhaps the biggest disappointment is that there's not much castle left! It's well-maintained, though, and the information on display is helpful (although perhaps some of it could be presented in a more child-friendly way). Admission is reasonably-priced and is gift-aid-able (which they could, perhaps, advertise more widely), and the views of Pickering and the surrounding countryside are definitely a plus (especially for fans of the steam railway). All in all, worth a visit, but don't plan on spending all day there -- there simply isn't enough of it to last that long.