A molecular dynamics deposition model has been used to simulate the growth of rare gas matrices doped with atoms of the group 12 elements zinc, cadmium and mercury. This study investigates the sites occupied by Zn, Cd and Hg metal atoms when isolated in the solid rare gases. To probe the results, the resonance 1P1 1 S0 transitions of the matrix-isolated metal atoms were calculated and compared with the recorded spectra of the M/RG solids. The theoretical spectroscopy obtained in this work was generated using the molecular dynamics with quantum transitions method. In Ne matrices the metal atoms preferably occupy tetra- and hexa-vacancy sites while in the case of Xe matrices, only the single vacancy site is formed. For Ar and Kr matrices Zn but especially Cd can be trapped in tetra- and hexa-vacancy sites in addition to single-vacancy sites, while Hg atoms show exclusive occupancy in single vacancy sites.