Yorkshire Attractions: Theme Parks, Gardens and Zoos

York Attractions: Parks and Gardens

One of the most popular family attractions in York is the Jorvik Viking Centre. The centre's roots date back to an amazing archaeological find in York - The Coppergate Dig. Excavations here under an old sweet factory between 1979 and 1981 unearthed numerous Viking artefacts and the remains of 10th century Viking buildings preserved within particularly spongy earth. A huge 40,000 Viking objects were found including cloth, a Viking toilet, leather and wood. The huge Jorvik exhibit travels back through time and literally re-creates a Viking village with Blacksmith's home, river front area, Coppergate Street as it would have been and kids will love imaginative fun areas like 'Artefacts Alive' - a dimly lit gallery with four Viking ghosts. Artefacts Alive takes a close look via exhibits and interactive screens at the day to day lives of Viking residents in York. Pick up a joint ticket for Jorvik and Dig and you can have a go at being an archaeologist.

Other York attractions include York Castle Museum and Gardens which started life as a prison and indeed some of the building's prison history is given due attention in exhibits. This includes exhibits on the museum's most famous prisoner Dick Turpin who was eventually hanged in 1739. Named after the former York Castle built by William the Conqueror which once stood here, York Castle Museum is a superb family attraction, with numerous recreated Victorian and Georgian rooms and a huge display of historic every day items derived from the collection of North Yorkshire country doctor John Kirk. The gardens are open to visitors where you can see the ruins of St Mary's Abbey's church, gatehouse and precinct wall.

Leeds Attractions: Gardens and Parks

Tourist attractions in Leeds include some stunning gardens at stately homes. Harewood House north of Leeds has extensive and spectacular landscaped gardens around the ornate neo-classical house. The gardens are as much a part of the house as the interior rooms. Gardens and house were constructed at the same time, with the garden design undertaken by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. The Terrace however is the later work of Barry. There is an Adventure Playground within the grounds that is a magnet for kids.

Another site with plenty of attractions near Leeds is the Temple Newsam Estate east of Leeds. It is an estate with a historic home at its centre with gardens and parkland landscaped by Capability Brown. More Chippendale furniture is at Temple Newsam too within this striking Tudor-Jacobean mansion with its 40 carefully restored rooms. The huge parkland grounds cover 1500 acres and the house is particularly renowned as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary Queen of Scots - a rather unpleasant character by all accounts. Kids will love the rare breeds farm on-site, plus other features within the grounds include a Georgian walled garden, tea room, two 18 hole golf courses, a gift shop in the Stable courtyard and lots of activities (especially for children) run throughout the year including Easter egg hunts, arts and crafts demonstrations and workshops. The estate frequently plays host to craft fairs, concerts and flower shows.

Scarborough Attractions: Parks and Gardens

Together with other Yorkshire's coastal resorts like Whitby and Bridlington, the attractions in Scarborough are excellent fun places with loads of amusements along the seafronts. Luna Park Funfair in the South Bay area of Scarborough offers a choice of traditional fairground rides such as Dodgems, Twister, Helter Skelter and a tots car roundabout. Snack food outlets are on-site and it's right near the beach.

Scarborough tourist attractions include the Sealife Centre and Marine Sanctuary near North Bay in Scarborough. Check out the Seal Rescue Centre as well as all kinds of marine wildlife from sharks to sea horses.

Peasholm Park is one of Scarborough's attractions for holiday visitors since it was first laid out in 1911 - it opened to the public a year later. The distinctive Japanese/Chinese style of the gardens, situated in the North Bay area, dates from the park's beginnings. The pedalos on Peasholm's big boating lake have Chinese dragon heads! Hiring rowing boats and canoes on the lake is also popular. The pagoda and cascade on the Peasholm island were added later in 1929 with further oriental statues and ornaments added in the early 1930s. Hard hit by neglect during the 1970s/80s and 90s, Peasholm has recently received a huge Heritage Lottery Fund grant which will see the rebuilding of the pagoda and other renovations, lifting the park back to the glory days of the 1920s to the 1950s. The new Tree Trail around the park is taking shape and takes in the two rare Dickson's Golden Elm trees.

Scarborough's many other parks and gardens include Valley Gardens, Scarborough Valley Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 2LY. Royal Albert Park, Queens Parade, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 7HY. South Cliff Gardens, Esplanade, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 2AY.

Sheffield Attractions: Parks and Gardens in Sheffield

Attractions in Sheffield include the Winter Garden - Sheffield's unique and increasingly iconic feature. A mammoth architecturally astounding glasshouse crammed with exotic plants you won't find every day in a European city centre. Only in Sheffield, the only European city with such a feature! Housing 2,500 plants from 150 species taken from around the world, Winter Garden is as awe-inspiring on the inside as it is on the outside.

Stroll through Winter Garden to link into the Millennium Galleries and adjacent Peace Gardens. City centre parks don't come much better than Peace Gardens in Sheffield.

Other Sheffield tourist attractions include the Victorian town hall that serves as backdrop to the garden and boasts an array of fountains and water features and public lawn space. Monuments are within the Peace Gardens too including the Spanish Civil War Memorial paying tribute to all those from South Yorkshire who went over to Spain in the 1930s to fight against Franco and Fascism and the Holberry Cascades dedicated to Sheffield Chartist leader Samuel Holberry imprisoned after the Sheffield Rising in 1840. He died in York Prison in 1842.