Free, open from 7:30am, and 130 acres of room to run when the swings run out.
Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park Playground — Free, open from 7:30am, and 130 acres of room to run when the swings run out.
The play area has a good spread of equipment for a mixed-age group, so toddlers and primary-age kids can both find something. When they have worn that out, the meadows right beside it are flat and open for running, ball games and chasing about. The ground is well maintained and the surrounding paths are level, which makes it an easy one with a pram or a wobbly toddler. Bring a ball and a flask and you can stretch a short visit into a long one.
The park runs seasonal events through the year, with the City of Belfast International Rose Garden and its Summer Rose Fair in July the big draw, plus the usual mix of family days and trails as the seasons turn. Check ahead before a special trip.
Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park Playground is at Upper Malone Road, Belfast, BT17 9LA. Free car park on site, off the Upper Malone Road. Tap below for turn-by-turn directions.
The park sits on the old Wilmont estate, which dates back to the mid-18th century. Wilmont House, the mansion still standing in the grounds, was completed in 1859.
Lady Edith Dixon gave the estate to the people of Belfast in 1959 in memory of her late husband, Sir Thomas Dixon. It reopened as a public park that year, and the City of Belfast International Rose Garden later made it one of the best-known green spaces in the city.