The main county attractions can claim over 4 million satisfied visitors every year. Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular things to see and do in south Yorkshire. The National railway museum is home to some truly historic locomotives, including Shinkansen, the ultra fast 'Bullet Train' as well its distant ancestor the worlds fastest stream train The Mallard.

There is a miniature railway as well as many other attractions including a permanent exhibition of the flying Scotsman story. There are also many children's features including the Interactive Learning Centre.

Over in Leeds on the waterfront you will find the free admission Royal Armouries, the worlds largest and oldest collection of arms and armour dating as far back as Ancient Greece and the Romans and spanning the centuries right up to the present day with summertime outdoor exhibitions of the weapons and armour in action as well as War, Tournament, Oriental, Hunting and Self Defence galleries, all together there are over seven and a half thousand exhibits.

Harewood is an exceptional stately home opened to the public by the Earl of Harewood. It is very well known for its unusual and stunning architecture as well as its world renowned collection of fine Chippendale furniture, beautiful porcelain and incredible art collection.

A symbol of the county's re-birth is found at the long disused Templeborough Steelworks in Rotherham, which is now the home Britain's Science Adventure Centre, Magna.

The highly interactive museum is based around four themes earth, air, fire and water and takes you on a journey though spacecraft, airships, and even a real boy's toy a JCB. On the same site is Sci-Tek described as a playground of science and technology that combines a good amount of play with a dose of learning. If that's not enough, there is also Aqua-Tek the county's biggest water play area.

South Yorkshire is also the home to Eureka! The country's foremost kid's museum, they claim that you will never have visited a museum like this before. And that may well be true with its several hundred interactive exhibits that invite children to touch and get involved.

If you want to get out into the countryside then South Yorkshire has far more than its fair share of stunning scenery, there are simply a multitude of places to visit either to take a walk, mountain biking or just sitting and enjoying the view.

These areas of interest include Rother Valley Country Park, near Rotherham, the 11th century Roche Abbey and stunning Wentworth Castle. For walkers the Sheffield Round Walk is increasingly popular, but with so many walks available in South Yorkshire it would be hard to choose.

South Yorkshire has come of age as far as natural and man-made attractions are concerned and it is so easy to get there with its wealth of motorways and roads that it would almost be a crime not to take in just a little of what this large and interesting county has to offer. You could try a restaurant in Rotherham or if on business the conference facilities in South Yorkshire.