A guide to Golders Hill Park — the free animal enclosures, the playground, the walled garden, the butterfly house and the café, on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
Golders Hill Park: The Complete Guide to Hampstead Heath's Quiet Corner
Most visitors to Hampstead Heath never make it this far. Golders Hill Park sits at the north-western edge of the Heath, near Golders Green, and while everyone else is crowding Parliament Hill and Kenwood, this compact, beautifully kept park stays relatively calm, even on a sunny weekend. It packs a surprising amount into a small space: formal gardens, free animal enclosures, one of the best playgrounds in North London, a butterfly house and a genuinely good café. For families with young children especially, it's often a better day out than the wider Heath. Here's everything worth knowing.
Where It Is and How to Reach It
Golders Hill Park is a short walk from Golders Green tube station (Northern line), or you can reach it on foot from the main Heath via North End, which makes for a lovely approach. Because it's tucked away from the famous central areas, it never feels as busy, and that is much of its appeal.
Entry is free, and the park is open daily.
The Animal Enclosures (and the Free Zoo)
The biggest surprise for first-time visitors is the animals. Golders Hill Park has a small free zoo within the grounds: fallow deer, wallabies, ring-tailed lemurs and a range of exotic birds, including flamingos and rheas. It is nothing like a full zoo, more a gentle, low-key encounter, but for young children the chance to see deer and wallabies up close, for nothing, is a real treat. It's also one of the very few free zoos anywhere in London.
The Playground
For a lot of local families, the playground is the main reason to come. It's large and well equipped, with climbing frames, sand areas and equipment suited to a wide range of ages, and it has a reputation across North London as one of the best of its kind. Families travel from well outside the area for it, and it's worth the trip on its own.
In summer there's also a paddling pool, which becomes the busiest spot in the park on a hot day.
The Walled Garden and Butterfly House
The walled garden is the quiet counterpoint to the playground: a formal space with well-tended beds, mature planting and a calm atmosphere that's easy to lose half an hour in. In the warmer months a butterfly house opens within the grounds, home to several British species, and it's a particular hit with children. The butterfly house is seasonal, so check before relying on it out of summer.
The Café
The park café has earned a strong local following, helped by good coffee, proper food and a setting that looks out over the gardens and the animal enclosures. The ice cream is something of a local institution. It gets busy at weekends in good weather, but the quality is worth a short wait, and there are plenty of pleasant spots nearby to sit with a picnic if the queue is long.
A Half-Day with Young Children
The park's compact layout makes it easy to plan around. A typical visit runs: the animals and the gardens first, then the playground to let off steam, then lunch or an ice cream at the café. For families with toddlers who'd struggle with a longer Heath walk, it gives you the pleasure of the Heath with far less of the legwork, and a free zoo thrown in.
*See our family day out in North London guide for a fuller day built around it.*
Practical Tips
- Go on a weekday if you can. Weekends, especially in fine weather, draw crowds to the playground and the café.
- Walk in from the main Heath via North End for a scenic approach on foot.
- Check the butterfly house season. It usually opens only in the warmer months.
- Bring a picnic as a backup. If the café is heaving, the gardens have plenty of good spots to sit.
- Facilities: Toilets, the café and the playground are all on site; the park is buggy-friendly on its surfaced paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Golders Hill Park free?
Yes — entry to the park, including the free zoo with its deer, wallabies, lemurs and exotic birds, costs nothing. Only the café charges.
What animals are at Golders Hill Park?
A small free zoo with fallow deer, wallabies, ring-tailed lemurs and exotic birds such as flamingos and rheas, plus a seasonal butterfly house.
Is Golders Hill Park good for children?
Very — it has one of North London's best playgrounds, a free zoo, a summer paddling pool and a butterfly house, all in a compact, manageable space, which makes it ideal for families with young children.
How do you get to Golders Hill Park?
It's a short walk from Golders Green tube station (Northern line), or on foot from the main Heath via North End.
Does Golders Hill Park have a café?
Yes — the park café serves good coffee, food and locally famous ice cream, overlooking the gardens. It's busy at weekends but worth it.
Is Golders Hill Park part of Hampstead Heath?
Yes — it sits at the north-western edge of the Heath, near Golders Green, and is managed as part of the wider Heath estate, though it feels distinct: more formal and far quieter.
