Built on a former riding school and farm, Yorkshire Wildlife Park has come along way since it opened in April 2009. A dynamic centre for conservation and welfare, the park has over 400 animals and over 70 different species of animal.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Park, commonly referred to as YWP, is a wildlife park located in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in England. It was built on the site of Brockholes Farm Visitor Centre, which closed to the public in November 2008.
Car Parking and Arrival
Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) has on site car parking, with approximately 2,650 spaces. 120 spaces are reserved for blue badge holders only. The car park is a private car park so, once parked, you can bring your blue badge into the Park with you as proof of eligibility for our discounted rates.
If you are getting dropped off at YWP, there is a convenient drop off point right outside the main Safari Store.
The main entrance to the park is through the Safari Store which has double-width, automatic doors.
Once in the gift shop, the flooring is slabbed throughout.
Alternatively, you can access the park via a pathway to the left of the Safari Store. This is level and paved.
Courtyard
The courtyard is level and paved throughout.
The visitor Information Station is located to the immediate left as you enter the courtyard. There are two points of access to the Information Station; an access ramp with a shallow incline and steps to the right of the ramp. This building contains a lowered counter section.
There are 6 independent shops in the Courtyard area. They are all accessed via single-width doors. YWP staff are more than happy to assist where required.
The courtyard is well lit with artificial lighting for evening events and in the winter months when sunlight is reduced.
Cafés
YWP has 5 main eateries throughout the park, with additional snack bars open subject to visitor numbers. Safari Café is located towards the centre of the Safari Village courtyard and is free to enter without paying for entrance to the main park. Safari Café serves bistro food and is accessible via a double-width door. The upper level of Safari Café can be accessed by stairs within the café, or via the entrance to the toilets in the courtyard through two single width doors. The toilets can be accessed by the same route as Information Station.
Monkey Playhouse Café is located inside the main park, immediately behind the entry ticket kiosks. Monkey Playhouse serves fast food and is wheelchair-friendly with two sets of double doors and a lowered counter. Staff are on hand to assist if needed. Access from the courtyard to Monkey Playhouse Café is level and paved.
¡Caramba! is located in the centre of the park, to the left of the crossroads. ¡Caramba! café is an outside café serving South American food. Access to outdoor seating areas in ¡Caramba! is via flat pathways. A central roofed area contains picnic benches with end space to accommodate wheelchair users.
Masai Café is situated at the far side of the Park near the Giraffe House, Land of the Tiger and Camels. It is a single storey café with two entrances, both with double doors. Staff are on hand to assist if required.
Tsavo Lodge Bakehouse is a café in a large tent situated alongside Monkey Playhouse, serving in the style of a food court. It can be accessed via 5 sets of double doors and is slabbed throughout. The escape route is identified by timber barriers to direct users away from the tents supporting frame.
If you have any special dietary requirements, don’t hesitate to let a member of staff in the relevant cafés know and they will do their best to accommodate your needs.
Public toilets
Toilet facilities are located throughout the park and disabled toilets do not require a radar key for entry. Please see below:
Car park: 1 disabled toilet (dimensions= 1.5m x 2.3m, door width= 0.95m, 1 male toilet and 1 female toilet.
Safari Café: 1 disabled toilet with baby changing and hoist (dimensions=2.3m x 2.0m, door width=890mm), 2 male toilets with 4 urinals and 5 female toilets with baby changing.
Adjacent to Meerkat enclosure: 1 disabled toilet (dimensions=2m x 2.11m, door width=1m door opening =0.85m), 1 baby changing room with toilet cubicle, 2 male toilets with 3 urinals and 4 female toilets.
Monkey Playhouse Café: 1 disable toilet with baby changing (dimensions=1.9m x 1.5m, door width=0.8m), 3 male toilets with urinal trough and baby changing and 8 female toilets with baby changing. There 2 child-friendly toilets in the ladies toilets in Monkey Playhouse.
Caramba: 2 disabled toilets with baby changing (dimensions=2.1m x 2.1m, door width=0.91m, 2 male toilets with urinal trough and 7 female toilets.
Masai Café: 1 disabled toilet with baby changing (dimensions= 2.1m x 1.5m, door width- 0.9m), 1 male toilet with baby changing, 1 female toilet with baby changing
Tsavo Bakehouse: Available only in function bookings; 1 disabled toilet (dimensions 2.1m x 1.7m, door with 1.1m accessed through hall door width of 1m), 1 male toilet with urinal trough, 3 female toilets
Giraffe toilets: 1 disabled toilet with baby changing and hoist (dimensions=2.2m x 2.19m, door width= 1m), 1 male toilet baby changing with 3 urinals and 4 female toilets, 1 with baby changing.
Paths
The majority of the pathways throughout the main park are level, with shallow gradients in areas. All pathways are accessible to wheelchair users. As it is an outside attraction, we do advise visitors to dress appropriately, i.e. sturdy shoes etc. A wheelchair wash is available at the Tsavo Lawn wash station.
There are some natural pathways around the Lemur Woods area, the Jungle Lookout Play Area and between Project Polar and Land of the Tiger. Signs are in position to give information about this.
Seating and rest areas are located throughout the park.
Viewing
We have worked where possible to design animal enclosures so that our animals can be seen without looking through fences. For safety purposes our stand-off barriers are a minimum 1100mm in height, with mesh panel infills to allow for visibility.
We have 3 walkthrough enclosures (Wallaby Walkabout, Lemur Woods and South American Viva) where animals and visitors are not separated. Paths in these areas are all level.
We have ground-level, glass viewing panes for the following enclosures/animal houses; Leopard Heights, Giant Otters, Meerkat and Mongoose Mansion, Visayan Warty Pigs, Lemur Woods, Giant Anteaters, Common Marmoset and Armadillos.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the park, except in animal walkthrough areas.
Manual Wheelchairs
A limited number of manual transit wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge (subject to availability). If you would like to book a wheelchair for your visit please call our Visitor Services team on 01302 535057.
