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Zoos & Wildlife Parks in Leeds
Leeds does well for tropical animals but not so much for big safari-style days out on its own doorstep. Tropical World, about 5km out, gets you free-flying birds, meerkats and a Creature Cavern in under two hours, entry from £5.50. For proper open reserves you're looking at a drive: Yorkshire Wildlife Park out in Doncaster has walk-through enclosures, giraffe feeding and six play areas for as little as £2, while Cannon Hall Country Park in Barnsley is free and has an adventure play area plus a museum for when it rains. If you've got toddlers, Lofthouse Colliery Nature Park in Wakefield is free, flat and easy with a buggy, though there's not much beyond woodland and a pond. Older kids will get more from a full day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park or a scan-and-solve trail round Milestone Ranch near Doncaster, which also has a soft play barn for wet days. For something smaller and cheaper, The Garden House Marple, out near Stockport, charges £3.50 to feed pigs and alpacas on a riverside walk.
8 places 3 free to visit
FreeCannon Hall Country Park
Barnsley
Free parkland with an adventure play area, wooden tepees and assault courses, plus a museum to duck into if it rains.
Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféDog friendly+10 more
FreeLofthouse Colliery Nature Park
Wakefield
Free woodland, heathland and a pond to poke about in, with surfaced tracks that make it an easy one for dogs and buggies too.
Outdoor play
from £1.57Milestone Ranch
Doncaster · ages 1-16
Petting barn animals, a soft play barn with slides and a zip line, plus a scan-and-solve trail round the outdoor park.
Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playOutdoor play+2 more
FreeNorth Cave Wetlands
Brough
Five hides and a circular lake path where you can watch avocets, otters and water voles for free.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingFood on siteParking+5 more
from £3.50The Garden House Marple
Stockport · ages 3+
Free-roaming pigs, alpacas and Shetland ponies to feed and a riverside walk, for £3.50 a head.
Blue badge parkingDog friendlyFood on siteOutdoor play+3 more
from £16.95Tropical Butterfly House
Sheffield
Butterflies, birds and farm animals near Sheffield - indoor rainforest plus outdoor animal park.
ParkingToiletsCaféPicnic area+3 more
from £5.50Tropical World
Leeds · ages 0-15
A warm, indoor rainforest walk with free-flying birds, meerkats and a Creature Cavern, done in under two hours.
Accessible toiletAllergy awareBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more
from £2Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Doncaster · ages 0-15
Walk-through reserves, a dinosaur trail and giraffe feeding at a big Doncaster wildlife park with six play areas thrown in.
ParkingToiletsBaby changeCafé+12 more
Good to know: zoos & wildlife parks in Leeds
Are any of them free?
Yes, Cannon Hall Country Park, Lofthouse Colliery Nature Park and North Cave Wetlands are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £1.57 at Milestone Ranch. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Which ones are indoor?
Tropical World is indoor, good to keep up your sleeve for a rainy day.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find zoos & wildlife parks in Barnsley, Wakefield, Doncaster, Brough, Stockport and 2 more. Every place we list is in or around Leeds, and each listing has the full address and directions.
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