Yorkshire Wildlife Park: Doncaster zoo named among county's greatest attractions

The Branton-based park was ranked in the top ten of places to visit in Yorkshire – beating the likes of York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Castle Howard.

The new study by holiday cottage company Wheelwrights York ranked Yorkshire's attractions to reveal the most popular based on Google and Trip Advisor reviews.

York's National Railway Museum took the top spot, with Fountains Abbey in Ripon coming in a close second.

Wakefield, Leeds, Doncaster, Bradford and Hull all boast an attraction in the top 20 with Yorkshire Wildlife Park ranked eighth.

Each attraction was ranked on the percentage of 5* TripAdvisor reviews, the number of TripAdvisor reviews, the number of reviews on Google Reviews and the average Google Reviews rating.

The Top 20 Most Popular Attractions in Yorkshire

1 National Railway Museum, York – score 180 (out of 200)

2 Fountains Abbey, Ripon – 176

3 York Minster,York – 171

4 National Trust - Brimham Rocks, Ripon – 161

5 Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds – 157

7 National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield – 152

7 Roundhay Park, Leeds – 152

8 Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster – 150

9 York Castle Museum,York – 140

10 York Dungeon, York – 133

11 Botanical Gardens, Sheffield – 127

12 Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield – 127

13 Yorkshire Air Museum and Aillied Forces Memorial, York – 124

14 Alhambra Theatre, Bradford – 123

15 Castle Howard, York – 122

16 Streetlife Museum, Kingston upon Hull – 122

17 Museum Gardens, York – 117

18 The Deep, Kingston upon Hull – 112

19 York Chocolate Factory, York – 112

20 East Park, Kingston upon Hull – 110

Taking the top spot for the most popular attraction in Yorkshire is the National Railway Museum in York, with a popularity score of 180 out of 200. Home to beautiful collections and famous trains including the world’s fastest steam locomotive, the museum is great for all ages. It’s open seven days a week, with free entry.

With its 24,571 Google Reviews reviews having an average rating of 4.7 out of 5, and 73% of TripAdvisor reviews giving the museum five stars, it’s clear that this attraction offers a high-quality experience to all.

Fountains Abbey, Ripon

For lovers of Yorkshire’s renowned history and heritage, few attractions offer as rich an experience as Fountains Abbey. A World Heritage site, it scored 176 out of 200, with thousands of positive reviews praising its breath-taking beauty. 80% of reviews on TripAdvisor rated the attraction as five stars, with Google Reviews giving an average review rating of 4.83.

York Minister, York

Coming third in the study with a score of 171 out of 200 is York Minister, one of the jewels in Yorkshire’s crown. 69% of TripAdvisor reviewers gave it five stars, with its collection of over 17,500 reviews on Google Reviews having an average rating of 4.7.

The world-renowned 7th century cathedral is an architectural masterpiece, and true feast for the eyes.

The Most Popular City in Yorkshire for Attractions

Snagging a whopping eight of the top 20 spots in the rankings, York has an abundance of popular attractions all in one place, making it a great holiday destination.

Whether visiting for a long weekend or spending a full week taking in the sights there’s so much to see, from York Minster, ranking 3rd, right through to the York Castle Museum, coming in 9th. The city is renowned for its hospitality and visitors can also choose from a variety of beautiful holiday apartments in York, including everything from modern flats to cottages in listed buildings. Whatever you choose – you're sure to enjoy a unique stay in this Yorkshire rose of a city.