As part of the major regeneration works being delivered by Bromley Council and Crystal Palace Park Trust, a new destination playground is being built.

The design for the new playground takes its inspiration from the park’s beloved Dinosaur sculptures which, when the park first opened in 1856, were the world’s first attempt to depict these prehistoric ‘monsters’ based on the fossils being found by Victorian palaeontologists.  

Now, in 2026, 170 years after the Dinosaurs first delighted, shocked, and awed visitors to the park, children will be able to be inspired by these sculptures all over again.  

Explore the features of the playground

As children play, they will find elements of Dinosaurs everywhere to spark their imagination and creativity! Claw marks carve slides into the embankment, while skeleton-inspired structures create unique opportunities for climbing, swinging, sliding, and balancing. The curve of a Dinosaur’s tail forms a play trail, and a sandpit shaped like a giant Dinosaur footprint gives younger children a chance to enjoy fossil hunting adventures.

With sensory-rich environments, dynamic play equipment, and clear pathways, children can explore, challenge themselves and play together at their own pace.

Map key

1 - Slides and climbing ropes on embankment
2 - Dinosaur play structure with jumping, balancing, sliding and climbing play
3 - Dinosaur play structure with swings
4 - Jumping discs
5 - Play trail with balancing poles
6 - Dinosaur egg play features and seating
7 - Wide slide for younger children
8 - Log scramble
9 - Dinosaur footprint sandpit
10 - Swings for younger children
11 - Picnic area

Accessible play features

12 - Wheelchair accessible roundabout
13 - Accessible swing
14 - Basket swings
15 - Accessible slide within Dinosaur play structure
16 - Tactile games set at accessible height within play structures
17 - Accessible access to sandpit

Community engagement during the design process

The designs for the new playground have been shaped by the ideas and wishes of children living around the park. A series of engagement events were held in the park and at local schools in late 2023 and early 2024. Families, children, and community members were invited to share their ideas, explore the early designs, and take part in creative activities to help shape the future of play in the park.

The community design sessions identified swinging and climbing as the most popular play activities, and these elements have been thoughtfully integrated both within and around the structures (with a good dose of jumping and sliding included too).

The Megalosaurus, Hylaeosaurus, and Iguanodon were crowned as ‘favourite Dinosaurs’, with references to them built in across the playground.

Where is the new playground located?

The new playground is conveniently located near the main park toilets, the new Visitor Centre, the cafe and on route to the Dinosaurs themselves.

The existing playground will remain open for the duration of the construction project.