Yorkshire Wildlife Park for families
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park has polar bears and lions in large, natural enclosures – plus several playgrounds for kids.
Why visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a remarkable success story. Since opening in 2009, this wildlife park near Doncaster has expanded dramatically, even to the extent of opening it own hotel. It is now one of the best places in the country to see some of the world’s most impressive animals.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park is essentially a zoo by another aim, but strong efforts are made to give the animals large enclosures that are as natural as possible. Moats tend to be used as barriers rather than cages, which means the likes of the lions and polar bears roam a lot more freely than they do in zoos elsewhere.
With the less dangerous animals, such as the wallabies and lemurs, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park has designed the enclosures to be walk-through, allowing visitors to get close to the animals.
Amur tigers, sea lions, red pandas and rhinos are among the exotic creatures at this impressive wildlife park.
Visiting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with children
Children visiting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park will end up picking out their own favourite animals, but there is more to the park than creature-spotting.
One of the great features of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park is the six playgrounds, which are dotted around the grounds. They allow children to clamber and burn off steam while adults have a rest.
It’s also worth checking out the list of ranger talks, which take place at various enclosures throughout the day. These are generally pretty engaging, and let kids learn a bit more about the creatures they’re admiring.
One thing worth flagging up about the Yorkshire Wildlife Park is that it is big and sprawling. There are likely to be some tired legs by the end of the day.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park review: The best bit
The polar bear enclosure is one of those at the fringes of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park that requires a fair old walk to get to. It’s worth it though, as there are six polar bears in there. You don’t just get to admire them – you can watch them interact.
Infants, juniors or secondary?
Most children will enjoy the Yorkshire Wildlife Park to some extent, but the under-11s are most likely to charmed. Prepare to not see everything if there are toddlers in the party, however – the walking is likely to be too much for them.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park entry prices
Entry prices for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park vary somewhat by date, how far in advance you book and whether there’s a special event on. However, tickets booked online cost from £24.99 for adults and £20.99 for children.
Prices were last checked and updated on 15 October 2024.
Full day, half day or a couple of hours?
The size of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, plus the playgrounds and the food options, means you can plan to spend the best part of a day there.
Attractions near the Yorkshire Wildlife Park
If you want to fit something else into the day, other attractions near the Yorkshire Wildlife Park include:
- Cusworth Hall and Park in Doncaster.
- Conisbrough Castle in Conisbrough.
- Clumber Park near Worksop.
Nearby cities
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park is in Branton, six miles to the south-east of central Doncaster.
Other cities within a 90 minute drive of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park include Sheffield, Wakefield, Hull, Leeds, York, Bradford, Derby, Nottingham and Lincoln.
Is it open on Mondays?
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park is open on Mondays, when most teacher training days tend to fall. This Doncaster zoo is a really good place to visit on teacher training days, as the crowds are much lighter than they are on weekends.
More information
For more information, visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park website.
