Welcome to Hyde Park

This is where suffragettes gave fiery speeches, where the Rolling Stones rocked out by the lake, where the UK’s first Pride march began and where Nelson Mandela took the stage. No wonder it’s nicknamed ‘The People’s Park’. Come on in and join the fun…

This vast open space in the heart of the city is packed with things to discover. At its heart is the Serpentine, boasting panoramic lake-side paths, waterfront cafes and an abundance of wildlife to spot. Look out for the heron under the bridge – and hardy swimmers at the Lido, home to the oldest swimming club in Britain.

At iconic Speaker’s Corner, you’ll see where radicals and revolutionaries from Karl Marx to George Orwell have come to have their say. This idea of a public spot devoted to free speech has been copied all over the world.

In 1851, over 6 million people visited Hyde Park to see the Great Exhibition, which showcased culture and technology from across the globe. Today, the site is occupied by sports pitches – you can book a game of football or a round of tennis where the Crystal Palace once stood!

For a more tranquil visit, explore the winding paths and picturesque meadows in the north of the park or head for the rose garden, near to sandy Rotten Row – a historic route that ran from Kensington Palace to Whitehall.  

Perhaps you’ve got a ticket for one of the park’s famous major events – from blockbuster concerts in the summer to much-loved Winter Wonderland at Christmas.

At the end of your visit, why don't you stop into The Royal Parks shop and pick up something special to remember your visit.

Whether you’re here to dance or to discover, to swim or to saunter – we hope you have a marvellous visit.  

Try something different each time you visit

As the largest Royal Park in central London, we’ve got plenty of space for everyone and everything. Whatever you enjoy – from a high energy rock concert, to a ride down Rotten Row, browsing in The Royal Parks' first ever Shop, to relaxing in a deck chair – you can do it in Hyde Park.

Whether you’re visiting for the first time, or live locally, Hyde Park has a fascinating and colourful past to discover. There is a wealth of historical monuments and memorials. You’ll discover the passion and politics that led to the birth of Speakers’ Corner – where Karl Marx and Emmeline Pankhurst once inspired Londoners to join their cause. Or step back in time with our Virtual Tour of The Great Exhibition in 1851, the world's fair attended by a third of Britain's population. 

A mini adventure, any day of the year

From pond dipping or mini beast hunting to ice creams and pedalos, the whole of Hyde Park is a playground for adventurous minds. Bring the children here to learn and discover the natural world right on their doorstep through one of our Discovery Days at The LookOut Discovery Centre or hire a boat on the Serpentine Lake. Play a game of tennis or just lie on the grass with a picnic. And they’ll have lots of mini adventures and make new friends at the Hyde Park Playground. 

If you're over 12, you can have your own fun on one of our playgrounds – try out our Senior Playground, designed to keep you fit and active after 50.

Major events in the park

Hyde Park is famous for hosting some of London’s biggest live events – from the world famous bands and artists headlining at BST, to the hugely popular Winter Wonderland. Join tens of thousands of other Londoners and visitors for unmissable live events in the park. 

Hyde Park – having fun on the water

The Serpentine Lido is home to Britain’s oldest open water swimming club, but you don’t have to join the club to swim here. From May to September, anyone can take a dip on a warm day at this gorgeous lido location – plus you can get a fantastic hot chocolate afterwards at the Serpentine Lido Café. 

Hiring a Serpentine pedalo or rowing boat is a family favourite; you can take a boat out all year round, weather permitting. Just walk up on the day. 

Enjoying sport in the park

If you’ve got the time, Hyde Park’s got the space. It’s big and it’s busy, but you’ll always find somewhere to play your favourite sport or relax at your leisure. Whether you want to have a knockaround on the tennis court after work, play a game of padel with friends or find a summer camp for the kids, Park Sports Hyde Park is a first class, dedicated sports facility on the south side of the park.

Hyde Park’s facilities are open to everyone, at any level, and it’s pay and play. We recommend booking ahead as they are a popular destination.

Ready to play? Make a booking with Park Sports here. 

Riding in Hyde Park

There are two specialised riding arenas in Hyde Park, on the North and South Carriage Drive, and also two riding routes, North and South, one of which is the world-renowned Rotten Row. You’ll need to be a member of either Ross Nye or Hyde Park Stables. Book a ride or hack directly with them. 
 

Need to hire space for a special event? You can do that too in Hyde Park. Find out more here. 
 

From moving memorials to grand gateways

There’s no shortage of monuments and statues to explore in Hyde Park.

Many important events and individuals are commemorated at the park. To the east of The Serpentine you’ll find Britain’s first memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Surrounded by pretty birch trees, it provides a quiet place of contemplation for visitors.  

One of the best-known features of the park is the Diana Memorial Fountain, opened in 2004 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s a popular place for children to play and paddle.

The rich political history of the so-called ‘People’s Park’ is commemorated at the Reformers’ Tree, where a mosaic on the ground reminds visitors of the Victorians who came to the park demanding a vote for all adult men.  

At Hyde Park Corner, it is impossible to miss Apsley Gate. This grand classical gateway was designed by famous architect Decimus Burton and erected in the 1820s.

Eating and drinking in Hyde Park

Stop by and enjoy a lunch, an indulgent cream tea, hot chocolate or coffee at any of our cafés or kiosks – and look out for our vintage ice cream vans too.

Our cafés and kiosks

Our cafés – the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen, the Serpentine Lido Café, the Park Sports Café, and The Lodge Café at Hyde Park Corner – all serve delicious and sustainably prepared hot and cold food with vegan, vegetarian, and other dietary options. Every venue has outdoor and indoor seating, so no matter the weather, you can eat and drink in comfort.

Various kiosks are also located across Hyde Park. Whether you are grabbing an ice cream ready for a boat trip or a coffee for your morning walk, our kiosks have something for everyone. Check out the park information boards or the park map here for the most convenient one.

Picnicking in Hyde Park

The park is a great place for a picnic! A selection of freshly cut sandwiches, artisan baguettes and drinks are available in our cafés and kiosks.

Feel free to bring your own food and drink to enjoy in the park but barbecues and any sort of fire lighting is absolutely forbidden.

Please take your litter home with you or place it in one of our bins on the way out – wildlife and litter don’t mix.

Every purchase helps us care for Hyde Park

A proportion of anything you spend at our cafés or kiosks goes straight back to help look after the Royal Parks, and the wealth of wildlife and natural habitats they contain.

Gardens to inspire your mind and restore your soul

From the blazing colours of the Rose Garden in full bloom, to the quiet sanctuary of the Dell, Hyde Park’s gardens are the perfect place to escape everyday life, and de-stress.

The Hyde Park Rose Garden 

Some visitors say you can smell it before you see it. The Hyde Park Rose Garden in full summer bloom in June and July is a showstopper – a blaze of colour and heady scent. Many of the flowers will make it right through to first frosts.

Stand for a moment, feast your eyes. Then close them – and breathe. Gardens are definitely good for our wellbeing.

Two landmark Hyde Park fountains are here as well – the Boy and Dolphin Fountain and Diana the Huntress Fountain.

Discover the delights of The Dell

Down beside the Serpentine Lake, you may notice a cascading waterfall, and close by is a true garden-lovers’ delight – The Dell. Walk by this secluded ‘garden-within-a-garden’ in spring and you’ll be rewarded with a meadow of early flowers. You’ll also discover an alpine meadow, and the wonderfully named Nannie’s Lawn, where Edwardian nannies were said to wheel their prams.

The wilder side of Hyde Park

Even in the middle of the largest park in Central London, you can escape to a wilder, more naturalised landscape. Use our map to hunt out the Hudson memorial. William Hudson believed that every park should have a place where nature had the upper hand. So the green lawns here have been naturalised, and resown with wildflowers, making it a haven for wildlife. Sit here and you’ll see many smaller birds from the goldcrest, Britain’s tiniest bird, to the many wrens, bluetits and great tits.

You’re really close to other amazing gardens! Cross over into Kensington Gardens and stroll the 400m long Flower Walk or the Italian Gardens.  And if it’s spring – don’t miss the drifts of thousands of daffodils in both St. James’s Park and The Green Park

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcome in Hyde Park but you’ll need to keep your dog on a lead in the Rose Garden and around the Serpentine Lake.

The history of Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the world’s most famous parks. Known not just for its landscape and history but also as a cradle of free speech.

Hyde Park and the Tudors

King Henry VIII was a passionate sportsman. Not content with hunting at Greenwich Park and Richmond Park, in 1536 he also acquired the land that now forms Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster Abbey, adding it to his collection of hunting grounds.

But Hyde Park remained a private park until James I came to the throne in 1603 – he opened the gates to a well-heeled group of courtiers and socialites, making the park a rather exclusive club. This all changed in 1637 when King Charles I opened the park to the general public.

Hyde Park and the Stuarts

King Charles I changed the character of Hyde Park completely. It became a park for the people, and it came to their rescue. In 1665, during the Great Plague, the park became an impromptu camp site, providing refuge to many citizens fleeing the infected areas of the City.

The King also commissioned the Ring, a circular driveway to the north of today’s Serpentine boathouses where people could race horses or drive carriages for the delight of the crowds. Ladies refreshed themselves at the ‘Cheesecake House’, with syllabubs made from cream whipped with sugar and wine.

But at night, Hyde Park was still a dangerous place. Later on, King William III had 300 oil lamps installed between St. James’s Park and Hyde Park, creating the first artificially lit highway in the country.  

This is the original Rotten Row, which is a corruption of the French 'Route de Roi' or King's Road.

Hyde Park and a Queen’s touch

Many of the striking features you see today in Hyde Park were created in the 1700s by a keen royal gardener, Queen Caroline – wife of King George II. She annexed almost 300 acres from Hyde Park to form Kensington Gardens and separated the two parks with a long ditch or ha-ha – the first of its kind. 

Queen Caroline also created the iconic Serpentine by damming the Westbourne Stream. At that time, artificial lakes were usually long and straight. The Serpentine was one of the first that was designed to look natural. It started a trend – and copycat lakes appeared in parks and gardens all over the country. 

The landscape of today’s Hyde Park remains much as it has been since Queen Caroline’s innovative relandscaping.

Hyde Park in the 1800s

The 1800s saw Hyde Park cement its reputation as a venue for national celebrations. In 1814, the Prince Regent organised fireworks to mark the end of the Napoleonic Wars and then, in 1851, the park hosted The Great Exhibition. This major international event celebrated industry, technology and culture from across the globe. 

With 100,000 objects and over 15,000 contributors, the Exhibition was the must-see event of 1851. Six million people flocked to see weird and wonderful items including folding pianos for yachtsmen, a Russian urn twice the height of a man and a single lump of gold weighing 50kg.  

The birth of Speaker’s Corner – and freedom of speech

Until 1783, the infamous Tyburn Gallows sat just outside Hyde Park. Tradition dictated that everyone condemned to die there could make a final speech – and since you were about to die, you could say pretty much what you pleased. After the gallows were closed, the tradition for public speaking remained and the part of Hyde Park known as Speaker’s Corner became a popular place for Londoners to have their say.

Over the year, famous speakers have included William Morris, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Speaker’s Corner also had a special significance to the Suffragette movement at the beginning of the 1900s – Sylvia Pankhurst and her courageous followers held many rallies in this corner of the park.

The wildlife habitats, havens and hideouts of Hyde Park

Hyde Park’s 350 acres are a unique mix of habitats and ecosystems, from the native wildflower Tyburn Meadow to the rustling reedbeds edging the Serpentine Lake, to acre upon acre of rolling grassland, majestic plane trees and sweet chestnuts. The meadowlands are key habitats for boosting biodiversity and growing the numbers of butterflies, bees and wildflowers.

The reedbeds established along the Serpentine Lake, near the Lido Café and Serpentine Bar & Kitchen are natural water purifiers – their root systems improve the water quality. The reeds attract summer visitors such as reed warblers, and provide year-round cover for nesting ducks, geese and swans. In summer, you’ll see dragonflies and the electric blue and purple damselflies, resting amongst the reeds between dazzling displays of aviation.

Grey heron, goldcrests and greater crested grebes – Hyde Park’s birds

Some birds in Hyde Park you just can’t miss. Stately pairs of Egyptian geese promenade up the centre of the paths. Gulls, cormorants and mallards are regular sights as they duck and dive for fish in the Serpentine Lake. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of great crested grebes courting with their ‘weed pattering dance’ (once you see it, the name will make sense!). We’ve even spotted buzzards circling overhead, and an occasional black swan.

Many of the tinier bird species, such as the goldcrest, the wren and many tits, are found in the naturalised gardens around the William Hudson Bird Memorial. Hudson was a founding member of the RSPB and believed passionately that every park should have pockets of wild, naturalised environments. We’re taking action to make this happen; sowing wildflower seeds, leaving some lawns long and creating deadwood hedges. Creating parkland sanctuaries for both people and wildlife can be a delicate balancing act. 

If you’re looking for the herons, look for their delightfully messy nests on to Serpentine Island near the boathouses or spot them perching in the lakeside willows.

Listen out around the shrubs and herbaceous borders, and you’ll hear robins, wrens, great tits and other songbirds, or the noisy chatter of long-tailed tits.

Beetles, bugs and minibeasts – the wildlife at ground level

In a park the size of Hyde Park, it’s easy to miss some of our most valuable wildlife. Beetles, bees, wasp spiders and other invertebrates are all around – and working overtime. It’s amazing how much you see if you lie on the grass and watch for a minute. Children are natural mini-beast explorers – get their love of wildlife started early and join in on one of our Discovery Days at The Lookout Discovery Centre.

These invertebrate creatures are fundamental to the park ecosystem – they’re our conservation partners.

Wildlife and parklife – the delicate balancing act

The Royal Parks are unique urban parklands, where people and wildlife can come together. We have a responsibility to protect and balance the best interests of the people, animals, birds, plants and planet for future generations.