With well-kept lawns, local wildlife and a large glasshouse filled with exotic flora and fauna, Queen’s Park is the perfect spot to socialise or simply kick back and relax on a sunny day. The park is also a popular place to play sports as well as a venue for live music events.
The 60-hectare public park was opened in the late 19th century and was designed by famous English architect Sir Joseph Paxton. Taking its name from Mary, Queen of Scots, Queens Park offers fantastic views out to the Campsie Fells hills and even further to Ben Lomond mountain when the visibility is good.
There are two Gothic churches located nearby – both the Queen’s Park Church of Scotland and the French-style Camphill Church are often depicted in postcards and famous photographs of the park.
If the weather is good, pack a picnic and relax on the grass or use one of the designated picnic benches. Head to the pond, which is home to mallards, tufted ducks and beautiful mute swans. The lovely rose garden was once used in Glasgow’s World Rose Convention over a decade ago.
If you’re feeling fit, you can make use of the park’s tennis courts, bowling greens and football and cricket fields. Queen’s Park transforms into a winter wonderland when the snow falls, and you can rent a sledge and ride down the hills.
One of the park’s top attractions is the lovely Nursery and Display House, a large glasshouse tucked away in a peaceful part of the park and bursting with subtropical cacti, plants and flowers. The kids will love learning about the snakes, spiders, turtles, snails and lizards in the reptile house, while the Zen garden offers a little Japanese serenity in the heart of the city.
Queen’s Park hosts the annual Southside Festival every spring, and is a regular venue for a variety of different musical and cultural events throughout the year.
It’s a 15-minute drive to Queen’s Park from the city centre, and it can be easily reached by bus or train. If you bring the car, you can park in the free and paid on-street parking surrounding the park. Queen’s Park is open every day. It has public toilets, a shop and a café. The park closes at sunset.
