Doncaster's museum, gallery and library moved into one purpose-built home, the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum, which is free and a short walk from the station.
The town is also a railway town, and the parks and lakes around it are free and easy to reach without a car.
Free things to do in Doncaster with children
- Danum Gallery, Library and Museum — Free entry. Local archaeology, a regimental collection, natural history and rotating exhibitions, with the old Doncaster Grammar School facade built into the front.
- Sandall Park — A large lake with a path around it, play areas and plenty of ducks. Free.
- Doncaster Minster — A big Victorian Gothic church by Gilbert Scott, free to enter.
- Cusworth Hall grounds — A Georgian country house in landscaped parkland on the edge of town. The park is free and the house museum is free too.
- Lakeside — A big lake with a circular walk and open space, next to the stadium. Free.
Worth paying for
Not free, but cheap enough to be worth it, and all reachable without a car:
- Yorkshire Wildlife Park — Polar bears, lions and giraffes. It charges properly, but it is one of the better wildlife parks in the country and books cheaper in advance.
- Brodsworth Hall — English Heritage, so there is an entry fee, but the gardens are the draw.
Getting to Doncaster by train
Doncaster station is on the edge of the town centre, with the Danum and the Frenchgate centre both a few minutes' walk.
Going by train also means nobody has to find a parking space, and children can move about, look out of the window and eat crisps for the whole journey.
Click here to book train tickets to Doncaster
Opening hours, admission prices and booking requirements change, and some attractions close on certain days or for refurbishment. Always check the attraction’s own website before you set off. This page was written in August 2026.
Disclosure: the train ticket link on this page is an affiliate link. If you book through it I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
