Harewood House, 18th-century house museum and zoo in Harewood, England
Harewood House is an 18th-century Palladian mansion in Harewood serving as museum and zoo with extensive gardens. The property spreads across wide parkland with numerous walking trails, formal garden sections and a separate area housing animals from different regions.
Edwin Lascelles commissioned John Carr and Robert Adam to design this mansion in 1759, with construction lasting over a decade. The original interior included specially crafted furniture, while later generations added further collections and reshaped the rooms.
The name comes from an old woodland that once covered the area, with Hare meaning grey and wold referring to forest terrain. Inside the residence, rooms remain furnished as they were arranged by past generations, showing how aristocratic families lived through changing centuries.
The estate lies in the West Yorkshire countryside and can be reached from Leeds by car or bus. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes for the trails through the park, as some sections pass over uneven ground.
The garden styled after Himalayan landscapes was created to house plants from Asian high mountains that thrive in this English climate. A Buddhist stupa within this section serves as meditation spot and complements the spiritual atmosphere of the planted landscape.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
