History
Until the early nineteenth century this was Battersea Fields, an open and partly marshy stretch of riverside common known for its fairs, its taverns and its duels. The most famous was fought on 21 March 1829 between the sitting prime minister, the Duke of Wellington, and the Earl of Winchilsea; both deliberately fired wide.
The area's reputation led to calls in the 1840s for a public park. Sir James Pennethorne drew up an initial plan in 1845, but the work was carried out from 1854 onwards under the park superintendent John Gibson, with the ground raised using spoil from the excavation of Victoria Docks. The park opened to the public in 1858, and Queen Victoria performed the formal opening in the same year she opened Chelsea Bridge next door.
The park is listed Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
The Festival of Britain, 1951
The northern part of the park became the Festival of Britain Pleasure Gardens in 1951, with a Grand Vista and fountains by John Piper and Osbert Lancaster, flower gardens by Russell Page, a treetop walk, the Guinness Clock, an aviary and the Big Dipper rollercoaster.
Parts of the early park features survive. The Grand Vista's shallow steps and rectangular ponds are still there, along with the Fountain Lake, the aviary on its original site and the bandstand. Russell Page's planting survives in outline as the Russell Page Garden. The Big Dipper burned in 1970 and closed permanently after a fatal accident in 1972.
The Peace Pagoda
On the riverside edge of the park stands the Peace Pagoda, 33.5 metres high, dedicated on 14 May 1985. It was built by monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myōhōji order together with around fifty volunteers.
Its four faces carry gilded bronze Buddha statues representing four stages of the Buddha's life: birth, enlightenment, the first teaching of the Dharma, and parinirvana. Nichidatsu Fujii, the order's founder, whose initiative it was, died in January 1985, a few months before it was completed.
A monk still tends it, the Reverend Gyoro Nagase, who came from Japan in 1978 and moved to the park in 1984 to oversee construction. There is an anniversary celebration in mid-June and a Nagasaki Day ceremony on 9 August.
Battersea Park Children's Zoo
The zoo occupies about two acres in the north-east of the park and holds over a hundred animals, including Asian short-clawed otters, ring-tailed lemurs, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, armadillos, Scottish wildcats and wallabies, plus farm animals and birds.
It is open daily 10:00–17:30 (last admission 17:00) and closed only on 25 and 26 December. Adults are £17.50, children aged 2–15 £13.95, and a family ticket is £53.95. Under-2s go free. There are adventure playgrounds and a Zoo Café on site.
Gardens and landscape
The Sub-Tropical Garden was created in 1863 by John Gibson, the park's first superintendent, and was the first public sub-tropical garden in the country. Neglected after the Second World War, it was fully restored by 2004.
The Old English Garden is a walled garden built in the early 1900s, with a lily pond and fountain at its centre. It was redesigned by Sarah Price and is maintained by the charity Thrive. Dogs are not allowed.
The Pump House Gallery occupies a four-storey Victorian tower of 1861 that once pumped water to the park's lakes and cascades. It is Grade II listed and now used for exhibitions and events. Check ahead for opening hours and what's on.
Things to do
Boating. Pedal boats and rowing boats can be hired from the jetty near the Pear Tree Café. The season runs March to June 10:00–16:30 and July to September 10:00–17:30, generally at weekends, on bank holidays and during school holidays, weather permitting. Prices start at around £6. It's first come, first served as there is no booking.
Go Ape in Battersea Park is the company's only central London site. There are three treetop courses at different heights and difficulty levels, plus a Codebreakers escape game unique to this location. The course was rebuilt in 2025.
Putt in the Park is a 12-hole mini golf course with a licensed café and wood-fired pizza. Adults £14, under-15s £11.
London Recumbents hires out bikes, including recumbents and specialist cycles, daily 10:00–17:30. Winter hours are shorter, so call ahead.
Millennium Arena is the park's sports centre: a 400 m eight-lane athletics track, a gym and 19 floodlit tennis courts. Note: the track is closed for resurfacing from July to September 2026.
The park also has walking and cycling routes, cricket pitches, a basketball court and a long riverside promenade forming part of the Thames Path.
Cafés
The Pear Tree Café by the boating lake is the best known. Others are the café at Putt in the Park, the Tea Terrace kiosk between the fountains and the zoo, snack bars on North Carriage Drive and at the all-weather pitch, and the Zoo Café inside the children's zoo.
Events
Battersea Park Fireworks is one of London's largest displays and takes place every year in early November. In 2026, it’s happening on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. It is ticketed and effectively always sells out in advance; there are no tickets on the gate. The Sunday is a quieter family night with an earlier start.
Outdoor concerts are held in the park in summer, and the Pump House Gallery runs exhibitions through the year.
For the last few years, Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical has been performed at the Evolution London in Battersea Park for eight weeks each summer. It’s a fun, well-organised event we recommend visiting (this year until 13th September).
