Days Out NI
Play Park Derry

Brooke Park Play Park

A free Victorian park in Derry with a proper playground, a café and walks

1 photo
Open dailyDaylight hours, every day
FreeNo charge
DerryPlay Park
Get directions
A half-morningHow long
Toddlers to primary-age kidsBest for
FreeEntry
LimitedParking
OutdoorsSetting

Brooke Park Play Park — A free Victorian park in Derry with a proper playground, a café and walks.

  • What's there: Playground with swings, slides, carousels, climbing walls and play huts, café, oval pond, walled garden, football and sports pitches.
  • Best for: Toddlers to primary-age kids.
  • Cost: Free.
  • Parking: Limited on-street parking at Rosemount Avenue and off Creggan Hill.
  • Toilets: Yes, at the pavilion.
  • Dogs: Welcome on a lead on the park paths.
Plan your visit

Swings, slides and a climbing wall

The playground was kitted out with timber play equipment built to take all ages. There are combination platforms with slides, standing carousels, wooden swinging horses, climbing walls, jumping discs, wobble dishes and ladders to scramble over. A cradle nest swing is the pick for toddlers and for children with extra needs, big and slow and easy to share. It works best for toddlers up to about primary-school age, and there is open grass right beside it for a ball or a picnic blanket.

Free Café on site Climbing walls Carousels and swings Buggy-friendly City walks
Good to know before you go:

Brooke Park is a regular spot for seasonal events through the year, from summer fun days to Halloween and Christmas happenings put on around the city. Worth a quick check before you set off in case something is on while you visit.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🧥LayersOutdoor play — a coat or spare jumper covers every kind of weather.
  • 💧Water & snacksKeeps the energy up between climbs and runs about.
  • 🧻Wipes & hand gelFor sandy, muddy, ice-cream-covered hands.
  • 🛴Scooter or ballLots of flat path and green space to burn off more energy.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Opening
Daylight hours, every day
Best for ages
Toddlers to primary-age kids
What's there
Playground with swings, slides, carousels, climbing walls and play huts, café, oval pond, walled garden, football and sports pitches
Toilets
Yes, at the pavilion
Parking
Limited on-street parking at Rosemount Avenue and off Creggan Hill
Dogs
Welcome on a lead on the park paths
Accessibility
Flat, surfaced paths; buggy and wheelchair friendly; cradle nest swing suits children with extra needs
How long to allow
A half-morning
Address
Brooke Park, Rosemount Avenue, Derry, BT48 0JF
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to get in?
Free
Is there parking?
Limited on-street parking at Rosemount Avenue and off Creggan Hill
Are there toilets?
Yes, at the pavilion
What ages is it best for?
Toddlers to primary-age kids
Can we bring the dog?
Welcome on a lead on the park paths
Getting there

Brooke Park Play Park is at Brooke Park, Rosemount Avenue, Derry, BT48 0JF. Limited on-street parking at Rosemount Avenue and off Creggan Hill. Tap below for turn-by-turn directions.

Directions on Google Maps See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the park

Brooke Park opened in 1901, paid for by a bequest from James Hood Brooke of around 9,100 pounds. It sits on the grounds of the former Gwyn's Institute, an orphanage founded in 1840 by philanthropist John Gwyn. The early park had grass terraces, a pond, a rose garden and shrubberies, and drew royal visits in 1903, 1945 and 1953.

After the Troubles the park fell into decline and the old Gwyn building was firebombed in 1973 and demolished in 1986. A 5.6 million pound restoration, backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Derry City and Strabane Council, brought it back to life and reopened it in 2017, with the oval pond, the portico gate lodge, a walled garden and a new pavilion café all restored or built.