Union Terrace Gardens
🏟 Playground & park · City Centre, Aberdeen
Union Terrace Gardens
Aberdeen's historic sunken city-centre gardens, reopened in 2022 after a £28m refurbishment, now with a children's play area, water feature and cafe.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Open public park accessible year-round; no stated closing hours. Cafe and restored Victorian toilets keep their own daytime hours. · Free · No booking needed
About Union Terrace Gardens
Union Terrace Gardens is Aberdeen's historic sunken park in the heart of the city centre, first opened in 1879 and managed by Aberdeen City Council. After a major £28 million refurbishment, delayed by the pandemic and supply issues, the gardens reopened in December 2022 with a host of new family-friendly amenities while retaining their heritage character. Chief among the additions for children is a new play area, which includes a large slide, alongside a new water feature that is popular on warm days. The redesign also brought generous seating and terracing, a bespoke lighting scheme, and enhanced ramped, accessible pathways to make the steep sunken site far easier to reach for buggies and wheelchairs. The scheme carefully restored Victorian features, including the ornate Arcade Arches and historic public toilets, and preserved the gardens' mature, protected elm trees. A cafe serves visitors on site, and new event spaces host activities through the year. Set below street level between Union Terrace and the city's main thoroughfares, the gardens are a convenient free stop for families exploring central Aberdeen.
⭐ What makes this place special
- New water feature
- Restored Victorian arches (the Arcade Arches)
- Generous seating and terracing
- Bespoke lighting design
- Mature protected elm trees
- Event spaces
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Toilets on site
- Café / refreshments
- Accessibility: Enhanced, ramped and accessible pathways were added in the 2022 refurbishment to make the sunken gardens more inclusive.
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's play area (added in the 2022 refurbishment)
- Large slide
📍 Nearby places to play
- Victoria Park · approx 0.8 miles · Rosemount
- Westburn Park · approx 0.9 miles · Rosemount
- Duthie Park · approx 1.2 miles · Ferryhill
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Union Terrace Gardens free?
Yes. Union Terrace Gardens is a free, public park in Aberdeen city centre, managed by Aberdeen City Council.
Is there a playground?
Yes. A children's play area, including a large slide, was added as part of the £28 million refurbishment completed in December 2022.
Is it accessible with a buggy?
Yes. The refurbishment added enhanced, ramped and accessible pathways to make the sunken gardens much easier to reach for buggies and wheelchairs.
Are there toilets and a cafe?
Yes. There is a cafe on site and restored Victorian public toilets as part of the upgraded gardens.
What else is new?
The refurbishment added a water feature, new seating and terracing, bespoke lighting and event spaces, while restoring the Victorian arches and preserving the historic elm trees.