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Diana memorial playground in Kensington Gardens reopens after £3m restoration

A pirate galleon on a sandy beach, a treehouse with a 4-metre tunnel slide and a new water play area are among the additions.

Diana memorial playground in Kensington Gardens reopens after £3m restoration
Photo: Secret London / Kensington Gardens, The Royal Parks

Key facts

  • Playground in Kensington Gardens reopened after a £3 million restoration
  • It first opened in 2000 and closed earlier this year for the work
  • New pirate galleon, Treehouse of Dreams with 4-metre tunnel slide and water play area
  • Open from 10am all year, closing at 6.45pm in September

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens has reopened after a £3 million restoration. The playground next to Kensington Palace had closed earlier this year for the work.

It first opened in 2000, and the renewal set out to make it easier for all children to use, while keeping the Peter Pan theme of the original. The redesign is meant to help children develop physically, creatively, socially and in their learning.

New features at the Kensington Gardens playground

The centrepiece is a new pirate galleon moored on a sandy beach. Children can climb up to its crow’s nests, come down a slide, look through a telescope or play in several areas on board.

A new Treehouse of Dreams has three towers and a tunnel slide 4 metres long, reached by an accessible walkway with games and interactive features along the way. There is also a new water play area built around an oversized crocodile sculpture, and the section for younger children has been redesigned with smaller copies of the big attractions and a large sandpit.

Diana memorial playground opening times

The playground is open all year from 10am, but closing times move with the seasons:

  • May to August: until 7.45pm
  • April and September: until 6.45pm
  • March and early October: until 5.45pm
  • February and late October: until 4.45pm
  • November to January: until 3.45pm

It is on the Broad Walk in Kensington Gardens, W2 4RU. Queensway is the closest station.

Key questions

Is the Diana memorial playground open again?

Yes. It has reopened after a £3 million restoration.

What time does the Diana memorial playground close?

It opens at 10am all year. It closes at 6.45pm in April and September, 7.45pm from May to August, 5.45pm in March and early October, 4.45pm in February and late October, and 3.45pm from November to January.

What is new at the playground?

A pirate galleon on a sandy beach, a Treehouse of Dreams with a 4-metre tunnel slide, a water play area with a crocodile sculpture and a redesigned area for younger children with a large sandpit.

What is the nearest station to the Diana memorial playground?

Queensway. The playground is on the Broad Walk in Kensington Gardens, W2 4RU.