Tucked into Golders Hill Park on the western edge of Hampstead Heath, a completely free zoo houses flamingos, fallow deer, meerkats, wallabies, and exotic birds. It is one of London's great underrated secrets.
The first thing visitors say when they discover Golders Hill Park's animal enclosures is some variant of: why doesn't anyone know about this? A zoo — with flamingos, fallow deer, meerkats, wallabies, exotic pheasants, and a rotating cast of unusual animals — tucked inside a North London park, completely free of charge, open every day of the year. It is one of London's most genuinely surprising pleasures, and one of the least publicised.
Golders Hill Park is technically a separate park from Hampstead Heath, though they are continuous — there is no fence, no entrance gate, and no obvious boundary between the two. Managed by the City of London Corporation as part of the broader Hampstead Heath estate, the park covers 36 acres and includes formal gardens, a café, a tennis court, a children's playground, and — the feature that makes it uniquely appealing — a small but remarkable collection of animals that most Londoners have never visited.
What Animals Live at Golders Hill Park?
The animal collection at Golders Hill Park is more ambitious than the "free zoo" description might suggest. Current residents include:
Flamingos — the park's most eye-catching residents, a flock of pink flamingos in an enclosure near the main garden. Flamingos in a North London park feel surreal and remain genuinely surprising regardless of how many times you see them. They are active throughout the year.
Fallow Deer — a herd of fallow deer in a substantial paddock adjacent to the flamingo enclosure. Fallow deer are native to the UK (though originally introduced from the Mediterranean in the Norman period) and the Golders Hill herd includes both the classic spotted fawn-and-white colouration and darker melanistic individuals. The deer are habituated to visitors but wild in behaviour — particularly the stags during the autumn rut.
Meerkats — a sociable group of meerkats whose enclosure is positioned for excellent viewing. Meerkats are intensely watchable: the sentinel standing upright while others forage; the frequent grooming; the occasional territorial disagreements. They are at their most active in the mornings and on warm afternoons.
Wallabies — Bennett's wallabies in a large naturalistic enclosure. Seeing wallabies at close range in a London park is one of those experiences that never entirely loses its incongruity, even on a tenth visit. The joeys (juvenile wallabies) periodically visible in the females' pouches are particularly popular with children.
Exotic Birds — the bird aviaries house a rotating selection of pheasants (including the spectacularly ornate Lady Amherst's pheasant, native to China and Myanmar), peacocks, and other exotic species. The peacocks roam freely through the park, and the sight of a male peacock displaying in full on a spring morning is genuinely extraordinary.
Small Mammals and Reptiles — additional enclosures house smaller mammals and occasionally reptiles. The collection changes periodically as new animals arrive and the park's welfare and housing standards evolve.
The Formal Gardens
Beyond the animal enclosures, Golders Hill Park's formal gardens are among the finest in North London. The Hill Garden — a wisteria-covered pergola on the park's southern edge, accessible from the Heath — is separately spectacular (see our Hill Garden and Pergola guide). Within Golders Hill Park itself, the parterre garden near the café features carefully maintained seasonal plantings: tulips and narcissi in spring, roses and dahlias in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn. The herb garden provides an educational and fragrant addition. In summer, the park holds free bandstand concerts — a tradition going back to the Victorian era.
Facilities and Practical Information
The café at Golders Hill Park is one of the better park cafés in North London — a full hot food menu (sandwiches, jacket potatoes, and hot meals), a good selection of cakes, and reliable coffee. It is housed in a Victorian building adjacent to the formal gardens and has outdoor seating overlooking the grass. Open daily from 8am.
Parking: Golders Hill Park has its own car park off North End Way, NW3. Parking is charged at peak times on weekends. The park is a 15-minute walk from Golders Green Underground station (Northern line) or a 20-minute walk through Hampstead Heath from Hampstead Underground station.
Access: All main paths in Golders Hill Park are pushchair and wheelchair accessible. The animal enclosures have viewing areas accessible to all.
Entry: Completely free, year-round. No booking required. The park opens at dawn and closes at dusk.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (March to May) is the finest time for Golders Hill Park. The formal gardens are at their most colourful with spring bulbs; the wallabies may have joeys in pouch; the flamingos are active and their plumage is most vivid; and the garden is not yet at peak summer crowds. Early weekday mornings year-round offer the tranquillity to properly watch the animals without competition from crowds.
More free days out: Hampstead Heath playgrounds · Kenwood House — free art and gardens · Burgh House — free museum in Hampstead
