The new dinosaur-themed playground in Crystal Palace Park (London, UK) has recently opened and is now ready for local families to enjoy, even as regeneration work on the park continues.
The playground was opened by the Mayor alongside children from local schools, who eagerly tested out the new equipment, including a dinosaur skeleton climbing frame, giant dinosaur egg play features, basket swings, and a footprint-shaped sandpit to encourage fossil-hunting adventures.
New accessible features were also introduced for the playground, including wheelchair accessible roundabout and picnic benches, an accessible slide and swing, and adjustable height games throughout the playground, with a Changing Places toilet also nearby in the park.
HTA has designed the new playground for Bromley Council as part of the Regeneration Plan for the Park being co-delivered with Crystal Palace Park Trust. The bespoke play structures have been provided by PlayEquip and the play area has recently been constructed by Maylim.
Over 170 years ago, Sir Joseph Paxton designed Crystal Palace Park as a ‘journey through time’ beginning in prehistory. His Geological Court is home to the world-famous dinosaur sculptures and geological Illustrations which were the world’s first attempt to bring prehistoric creatures to life for the public.
The play area acts as an immersive paleontological dig site, where layers of geology, fossils and prehistoric creatures are revealed. Large play structures, inspired by the iconic dinosaur forms, emerge from the landscape to spark curiosity, and encourage imaginative play and discovery.
The play area has been shaped through a co-designed process with local children and families. Community events in the park, along with art and play workshops in nearby schools, invited people of all ages to contribute, generate conversation, and help shape the future of play in the park.
“The new play area continues Paxton’s vision for the park as a destination for education and entertainment. Co-designed with the local community and delivered by Bromley Council, and Crystal Palace Park Trust, it enriches the park’s pre-historic narrative and encourages children to discover and interpret the play structures using their own imagination.”
Natalia Roussou, Landscape Design Director at HTA Design
From these workshops, the children’s favourite dinosaurs; Megalosaurus, Hylaeosaurus and Iguanodon, have each been woven into key playground features, while swinging and climbing emerged as the most popular play activities and are thoughtfully integrated throughout the design. Inclusive and accessible play features ensure that children of all abilities can explore, interact, and develop play skills at their own pace.
To bring the play area to life, slides have been carved into the embankment imitating dinosaur claw marks, while dinosaur-spine-inspired structures create opportunities for climbing, swinging, sliding and balancing. A giant Hylaeosaurus skull encourages children to climb and slide through the beast’s open jaws. Meanwhile, a winding dinosaur tail forms a playful route across an undulating mound, leading to a sandpit shaped like an enormous dinosaur footprint, perfect for fossil hunting, tactile discovery, and imaginative play for children of all ages.
Inspired from the Victorian Geological Illustrations within the park, a wall of layered rocks and climbable boulders invites children to explore geology in a playful, tactile way. Surrounding the space, ‘paleo-planting’, drawing on prehistoric plant species, frames the play area and offers opportunities to learn about plant evolution and environmental change through time.
Crystal Palace Park Dinosaur Playground
Landscape Architect: HTA Design
Images: HTA Design