The Top 10 Parks in Liverpool for Greenery, Scenery and Activities

Alongside Liverpool's many landmarks and cultural attractions, parks and green spaces take pride of place among the city's charms. Whether you want active days out, leisurely picnics, spring cherry blossoms or autumn leaves, Liverpool's parks appeal to all tastes. You can also experience Liverpool's cultural heritage through its parks. Historical sights, literary meetings and botanical collections all feature – just as long as you know where to look.

You could spend a full day in Sefton Park, and Liverpudlians often do. Breathe in the scents of spring as you admire daffodils around the boating lake, or bring your camera to photograph the captivating Gothic Fountain and colourful bandstand. Sefton Park Palm House, a graceful Victorian glasshouse, features rare plants, and the conservatory houses one of two cafés in the park. Statues in Sefton Park include Charles Darwin, Prince Henry the Navigator and even Peter Pan. The 3-km walking and running route provides a scenic way to exercise, and kids can get active in the play area.

• Address: Sefton Park, L17
• Parking: There are a number of parking points around the park
• 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 30 minutes by bus from Liverpool ONE bus station

Visit leafy Calderstones Park to see a collection of six sandstone monoliths from the Neolithic period. They're a delightfully unusual thing to find in a city park, and not the only unique feature at Calderstones: The Reader Café is a charitable enterprise offering literary activities alongside its comfort-food menu. The café is inside Mansion House, an elegant mansion dating from the 1800s.

• Address: Calderstones Road, L18 3JB
• Limited parking is available inside the park
• 20 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 48 minutes by bus from Liverpool ONE bus station

A little east of the city centre, Wavertree Botanic Gardens is another Liverpool park that combines nature and history. On a crisp, clear autumn morning, hear the crunch of leaves underfoot and glance up at the red and orange foliage still clinging to the trees. In spring, cherry blossoms fill the park with pink. This 19th-century park is also home to an ornamental fountain, a fish pond and a curator's lodge dating from the 1830s.

• Address: Edge Lane, Innovation Boulevard, L7 9PL
• Parking: A small car park is available on site, accessed via Botanic Road off Edge Lane
• 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 25 minutes by bus from Liverpool ONE bus station

Picturesque Newsham Park is known for its large, tree-lined lake – the perfect place to go for a stroll and see swans gliding across the water. Victorian architecture adds to the park's aesthetic appeal, particularly Newsham House, which is now a lodging for judges. The park has plenty for children, including Newsham Park Skatepark, the playground for younger kids, and maybe a treat from the kiosk. In summer, you might hear the sound of cork on willow from the pitch at Newsham Park Cricket Club.

• Address: Gardner's Drive, L6 7U
• 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 25 minutes by bus from Liverpool Queen Square bus station

As the largest park in Liverpool, Croxteth Country Park has lots of different things to see and do. Although the green space is less than 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre, it feels like the countryside and is filled with woodland. There's a fully accessible play area for children, as well as an outdoor gym and a running route. Croxteth Park Farm offers experiences for kids, like animal feeding and education mornings, and the café menu includes local produce.

• Address: Muirhead Avenue East, L11 1EH
• Parking: Parking is available in designated car parks
• 18 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 35 minutes by bus from Liverpool Queen Square bus station

Spend time at this natural area with varied habitats like reedbeds, ponds, grassland and groves. The perfect place for birds and butterflies to flourish, as well as being a setting that provides the relaxation that comes with a day among nature. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs along one side of the park, which is also close to Crosby, one of the many beautiful beaches near Liverpool. The park has well-maintained pathways for walking among the various habitats.

• 29 Parklands Way, Liverpool L22 3YX
• Limited parking is available inside the park
• 20 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 45 minutes by bus from Liverpool Queen Square bus station

Chavasse Park is a 2-hectare green space right in the centre of Liverpool, and it's part of the Liverpool ONE shopping and entertainment complex. Fittingly, plenty of entertainment takes place in the park, with events like chess tournaments and dog shows. The park was also an Olympic Fanzone in 2024. Nature is always the focal point, with pollinator-friendly flora and a living green wall contributing significantly to biodiversity in the city. If you need a spot for lunch during your day out in Liverpool, you could bring a picnic to enjoy on the grass or dine at one of several restaurants lining the park. Why not add Chavasse Park to your itinerary if you're staying at a central hotel like Novotel Liverpool Centre, just a minute's walk away?

• Address: Liverpool ONE, 5 Wall St, Liverpool L1 8JQ
• Parking: Plenty of parking is available in Liverpool ONE

Liverpool has lots of fun things to do with kids, and in good weather, Otterspool Park is one of them. This green space along the noble River Mersey has a playground, a skate park and a promenade that's a popular spot for kite flying. Don't miss the indoor and outdoor activities for families at Otterspool Adventure, including a petting zoo, go-karts and diggers that help kids learn about construction. There's a café along the promenade, so you can enjoy river views over cake and coffee. Alternatively, grab a treat from the ice cream parlour and savour it during a stroll as a refreshing breeze drifts in from the river.

• Address: Otterspool Drive, L17 5AL
• Multiple parking areas available in the park
• 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 40 minutes by bus from Liverpool ONE bus station

The wonderful thing about parks in Liverpool is their variety. While some offer untamed nature, Festival Gardens' appeal is the landscaped feel complete with waterfalls and ponds. Bring a camera or sketchbook to capture the colourful pagodas. After a lot of work from dedicated volunteers, the park is now a popular spot to have picnics amid picturesque surroundings. Nature is present here too, with woodland areas, and herons often visiting the ponds.

• Riverside Dr, Liverpool L17 7EG
• Parking available inside the park
• 12 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 27 minutes by bus from Liverpool ONE bus station

Not far from Otterspool, Clarke's Garden is a hidden gem of a park in Liverpool that offers a tranquil escape from the city bustle, with simple pleasures like strolling among trees, lawns and flowerbeds. The green space is close to residential areas a few kilometres southeast of Liverpool city centre, and locals often visit to walk the dog or spend time with children. A pub inside the park offers roasted meats and other classic pub fare.

• 1 Springwood Ave, Allerton, Liverpool L25 7UN
• Parking available in the park
• 15 minutes' drive from Liverpool city centre; 18 minutes' walk from Liverpool South Parkway metro station