Central Gardens
🏟 Playground & park · Bournemouth town centre, Bournemouth
Central Gardens
A natural, woodland-style play area in Bournemouth's Central Gardens with a zip line, climbing frame, sand pit, play sculptures and a playhouse.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Open access gardens · Free · No booking needed
About Central Gardens
Central Gardens forms the middle section of Bournemouth's famous Lower, Central and Upper Gardens, the ribbon of green space that follows the Bourne stream through the heart of the town. Its children's play area, managed by BCP Council, is one of the most varied in the town and is suitable for toddlers up to teenagers. The space has been designed with a natural feel, combining wooden adventure play equipment with interactive play sculpture and planting. Features include a playhouse, a spinning basket, a toddler swing, a slide, a nest swing, a climbing frame with cargo nets, a cableway zip line and a sand pit, giving children a wide mix of active and imaginative play. The play area sits within landscaped gardens close to the town centre, so it is easy to combine with a wider visit to the gardens, the seafront and the shops. Chargeable parking is available at the nearby Avenue Road car park. Central Gardens is free to enter and is owned and managed by BCP Council, the authority for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, which maintains the wider gardens through the Lower Central Gardens Trust.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Part of Bournemouth Lower, Central and Upper Gardens
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Parking: Chargeable parking at Avenue Road car park
🧒 Ages & play
- Ages: Toddlers to teens
- Wooden adventure play equipment
- Interactive play sculpture and planting
- Playhouse
- Spinning basket
- Toddler swing
- Slide
- Nest swing
- Climbing frame with cargo nets
- Cableway zip line
- Sand pit
📍 Nearby places to play
- Knyveton Gardens · approx 1.2 miles · Boscombe
- Winton Recreation Ground · approx 1.5 miles · Winton
- Churchill Gardens · approx 1.9 miles · Boscombe
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is the Central Gardens play area free?
Yes. The play area is managed by BCP Council and is free to use, as are the surrounding gardens.
What equipment does the play area have?
It has wooden adventure play equipment, a playhouse, a spinning basket, toddler and nest swings, a slide, a climbing frame with cargo nets, a cableway zip line and a sand pit, plus interactive play sculpture.
Is there parking nearby?
Yes, but it is chargeable. There is a pay car park on Avenue Road close to the play area.
Where is the Central Gardens play area?
It is off Avenue Road, Bournemouth, postcode BH2 6EY, in the Central Gardens close to the town centre.
How does it relate to Bournemouth's other gardens?
Central Gardens is the middle section of the Lower, Central and Upper Gardens that run through the town, all managed by BCP Council.