Plans for the £1m redevelopment of the Jorvik Viking Centre have been unveiled by York Archaeological Trust (YAT) as part of a wider bid to increase the UK city's annual visitor spend by £300m over the next three years.

Work is expected to get underway at the visitor attraction in November, which will include an underfoot reconstruction of the original Coppergate excavation where the centre is built, new animatronics and the reconstruction of a Viking-age house and backyard designed by RMA Themed Attractions.

Although Jorvik Viking Centre, which first opened 25 years ago, is expected to close for four weeks during January 2010, it will remain open for the majority of the refurbishment scheme with admission prices cut by 25 per cent during November and December.

YAT chief executive John Walker said: "Domestic tourism is seeing a boost as the recession bites, but we want to see visitor numbers continue to climb as the economy recovers. It's vital that the UK tourism industry - and historic attractions in particular - invests in its facilities to remain competitive in a fast-moving world."

Culture minister Barbara Follett has welcomed the plans, adding: "The Jorvik Viking Centre is one of the region's flagship attractions. It has become one of the cultural 'rites of passage' for children, and investing in its future will help ensure that the tourism sector in the region remains buoyant."