The park is having a makeover but we are still open!
Impacts on your visit
While the park remains open for the duration of the project you will notice impacts to your typical visits and routes. The main construction sites and their impact can be found below.
As this is a large and complex programme there may be changes to the programme. We will be sure to keep you up-to-date.
All works will complete in Summer 2026.
Dinosaurs and Tidal Lakes (point 10 on map): 11 July 2025 to December 2025
Your usual routes to visit the Dinosaurs will be impacted during the restoration project due to construction hoardings. Footpaths in key areas around the Tidal Lakes will be closed for 7 months.
The Italian Terraces (points 1-5 on map): mid-July 2025 to June 2026
Closed for 11 months for major restoration and the creation of new step-free, accessible routes.
The fenced-off picnic area near the park cafe (point 8 on map): 9 June 2025 onwards
Permanently closed for the construction of the new playground.
Grand Centre Walk (point 7 on map): December 2025 to April 2026
Major works to improve footpath quality and prevent flooding lasting four months. Before December you will see an increase in construction traffic in this area of the park and the Information Centre will be under hoardings for demolition prior to the build of the new Visitor Centre.
Footpath and pedestrian gate closures
Footpaths around a significant area of the Dinosaurs and Tidal Lakes (point 10 on map): Closed for 7 months. End of June 2025 to December 2025. There will still be access from Crystal Palace Station through to Penge Gate
Thicket Road Gate pedestrian entrance (point C on map): Closed for 7 months. 11 July 2025 to December 2025. Please use Penge Gate as your nearest alternative
Sydenham Gate pedestrian entrance (point E on map): Closed for 5 months. 30 May 2025 to October 2025. Please use Fisherman's Gate or The Vale as your nearest alternatives
Car park closures
Sydenham Gate car park (point E on map): Closed for 13 months. 30 May 2025 to July 2026. Your nearest alternative car park is at Penge Gate.
All other car parks remain open as normal.
Other major works
Demolition of the old lodge at Sydenham Gate/ Construction of new park maintenance depot (point 9 on map): Starting 30 May 2025
Demolition of the Information Centre/ Construction of new Visitor Centre (point 6 on map): Starting 23 June 2025
What work is happening?
Over the coming weeks and months we'll be sharing lots more information about this phase of the park’s makeover. The key elements of the scheme include:
- restoration of the 30 Grade I-listed Dinosaur sculptures and their surrounding landscape, including the Tidal Lakes
- the creation of a new dinosaur-themed playground
- restoration of the Grade II-listed Italian Terraces
- the creation of two new step-free routes from the centre of the park to the top near Crystal Palace Parade
- a new Visitor Centre to replace the dilapidated Information Centre, and a new maintenance facility for the grounds maintenance team
- a new feature entrance at Penge Gate
- improved footpaths, lighting and wayfinding around the Tidal Lakes and Italian Terraces
- the introduction of sustainable drainage systems in key areas of the park to improve water management
- New meadows, paleo-inspired planting and wildlife friendly shrubs will help create new habitats
You can read more here.
Illustration by: HTA Design
Major works to restore and improve the park started on 19 May 2025 and will last 15 months.
The works are part of an ambitious, park-wide Regeneration Plan being co-delivered by Bromley Council and the Trust.
The park remains open to all visitors however you are likely to notice a difference to your typical visits, with footpath redirections, gate and car park closures.
To stay up to date, bookmark this page, sign up to our monthly e-newsletter, The Transmitter, and follow the Trust on social media. There will also be on-site signage to help you navigate around the park during this exciting period.
Despite the works taking place, there will still be lots for you to see, experience, and enjoy during your visit! Take a look at our What's On page for the latest from our programme including walking tours, speaker events, and fun activities.
The park toilets and Changing Places toilet, Brown & Green Life cafe, boat hire, and The Concert Cafe will remain open throughout the project.
There will be a new dinosaur-themed playground created as part of the park regeneration project, the current playground will continue to be available for use during your visit for the duration of the project.
Map of work locations
You can see the main areas of the park where the works are taking place on the map below.
Watch this space for up-to-date information about the project and what you will see when complete.
Close up of the Tidal Lakes area of the park
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Live updates
July 2025
If you've been out and about in the park, you'll have seen some of the most noticeable changes taking place. They have included:
- Demolition of the Information Centre to make way for a brand-new Visitor Centre which will be a place where you can learn about the story of this unique and historic park, as well as creating a new space for workshops, talks, and activities.
- Demolition of the old Ranger's Lodge next to Sydenham Gate car park, to make way for a new Grounds Maintenance depot for the team who work 365 days a year to keep the park clean, tidy and vibrant.
- The water in the Tidal Lakes surrounding the dinosaur islands has been drained. This is to allow the team to restore the banks of the islands which are eroded. It will also allow us to remove layers of accumulated silt which will improve the water quality and mean the lake doesn’t dry up so significantly during hot summers.
- The old picnic ground area has started to be dug up to make way for the new dinosaur-themed children's playground (we will be sharing the designs very, very soon so you can see what is coming!)
- Clearance of overgrown vegetation on the Italian Terraces to allow for restoration of the stonework, which has also revealed another spectacular staircase that had been hidden from view for a very long time.
June 2025
Work across the park continues this month with the demolition of the Information Centre, paving the way for a new Visitor Centre. The dinosaurs begin to hide behind fencing, meaning the pathways around them may look different as important restoration works takes place. There are also changes to entrance/ exit points at Thicket Road, Penge Gate, and Sydenham Gate.
May 2025
You may have seen the removal of vegetation around the Dinosaurs and their surrounding Tidal Lakes landscape. This is to allow access for the specialist construction and heritage restoration teams.
As Spring is a sensitive time for the park’s flora and fauna, this work has been undertaken extremely carefully. For more information on the Trust’s approach to vegetation clearance, please see our gardening updates page.
You will also begin to see the team from Maylim in and around the park as they begin to set up the site and begin preliminary works.
Project team, partners and donors
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This project has been made possible by major grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, as well as major donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, London Marathon Foundation, and the Pilgrim Trust.
