We headed over to Alexandra Park Playground to check out what North London‘s Ally Pally could offer for kids (in addition to the ice rink). After getting some fresh produce from the farmer’s market and enjoying the view from Ally Pally, we went off to explore the local playground right next to the main building.
Cool things to do around Ally Pally
- Ice skating – available all year round
- Alexandra Palace Playground
- Go Ape Treetop Challenge
- Farmers Market
- Kentish Town City Farm
In order to get to the playground behind the palace building, you have to cross a very busy car-park which felt chaotic despite wardens doing their best to direct traffic. Strange that they haven’t been able to integrate the green area with the main building without having to cross a parking lot… Then on the other side, for people arriving by car (unlike us) it might be convenient.
The playground felt quite tired with dated equipment and concrete structures. My guess would be that nothing much has been updated or changed for at least 30 years. Nothing wrong with a well-used local play area that lacks a bit of paint here and there, but for an area that attracts thousands of visitors every month we had expected more. Then again, we’re not really attracted to brutalist architecture in general 🙂
Young kids don’t really care whether the play area is made of contemporary design or brutalist style and in the end, we had a good day, thanks to a long and steep slide. With all the kids flocking to the big slide you had the usual issues with some kids jumping the queue, older kids running over smaller kids etc.
There’s also a separate gated playground for toddlers. We thought it felt grey, uninspiring and basic with four crowded swings and a small slide.
We didn’t sit down to enjoy the Lakeside Cafe just next to the Playground but took the time to feed the ducks. Even if we were a bit disappointed with the playground we had a great day out at Alexandra Park and Palace, thanks to the many types of activities in the area.
Attractions close to Alexandra Palace Playground
At Alexandra Palace, you can enjoy the all-year ice rink, the Go Ape treetop course as well as a dinosaur soft play area. We very much enjoyed the very popular local farmers market where we picked up our dinner and also had lunch. Further, towards central London, you can enjoy Hampstead Heath not too far away, with the fantastic Parliament Hill Playground and visit London’s first city farm, Kentish Town Farm. Don’t forget to check the rest of the London playgrounds we have rated as well as our favourite city farms!
Key Information Alexandra Park Playground
- Free
- Outdoor
- Type: Playground
- Borough: Haringey
- Area: North London
- Tube: Alexandra Palace
- Nearby: Kentish Town City Farm
- Playground website