Mile End Park

Enjoy the riverside views and activities at Mile End Park, a lovely place to spend an afternoon in East London.
Discover the brilliant wildlife of the ecology park, home to hundreds of different species of animals and plants.
Experience the fantastic art exhibitions that regularly take place in the park’s Arts Pavilion.
Relax while the kids play in Mile End Park’s innovative children’s playground.

Mile End Park, which stretches over 79 acres alongside the Regent’s Canal in East London, is a brilliant place to take part in sports activities, relax in beautiful surroundings, and discover exciting public art and events. This superb London park has something to offer for everyone.

Mile End Park is absolutely unrecognisable from what it once was just a few decades ago. The area that is now the park was one of the most targeted places in London for German bombing raids during WWII as it was an important industrial site. For many years following the war, the area was derelict and forgotten.

At the end of the 20th century, work began to transform the area into the fantastic community park it is today. Since then, the park has become a hub for artistic activity and a place for families from all across London to relax and enjoy the canal-side views.

Mile End Park is a haven for wildlife in London. The Ecology Park is a section of the wider park by the canal and has a fantastic range of animal and plant species that have made their homes there. Many types of bird and insect live in the park; it’s a perfect place to hunt for mini-beasts in London.

The park is also home to incredible artwork. The Arts Pavilion at the park hosts many brilliant exhibitions throughout the year and is tucked away inside a grassy bank to emphasise the park’s connection to nature. All of the exhibitions at the park are free and open to everyone. The park was even the site of artist Rachel Whiteread’s House artwork, which won the 1993 Turner Prize before the park had been unveiled.

Mile End Park has many brilliant ways to get active. South of the park, you can find the Mile End Stadium and Leisure Centre. This impressive area includes a 400m running track, indoor gym, and sports pitches. There are loads of sporting activities available to get involved with at this purpose-built stadium.

At Mile End Park, you’ll find a fantastic play pavilion and children’s park. This playground has been imaginatively designed to appeal to children’s curiosity; the sandpit at the playground is formed from a dry riverbed and includes boats and bridges for kids to explore. There is also an abundance of play equipment for kids to use, including a castle climbing frame and fun water fountains.

There are tons of great things for older kids to get involved with at Mile End Park too. The park’s climbing wall is a very popular attraction and a great challenge for adventurous kids. There’s also the Mile End Park skate-park, which attracts local skateboarders from all across Tower Hamlets and is a fantastic place to try out skateboarding for the first time.

Mile End Park is a fantastic example of an urban park that has been able to blend in seamlessly to the local community. The park’s location made many supporters worried it would become fragmented by roads and lose the sense of connection between the different areas of the park.

The park’s designers tackled this problem by creating an impressive 'green bridge' which stretches above Mile End Road, connecting parts of the park. The urban location of the park also makes it easy to explore the borough’s local shops, cafés, and restaurants during a visit to the park.

What to know before you go

Mile End Park is open 24 hours a day. The children’s playground at the park opens at 10am each day and closes at 5pm.
There’s no Mile End Park café inside the park, but there are plenty of great places to grab a bite to eat nearby. The Coffee Room café is a local favourite, or you could dig into a juicy burger at the Greedy Cow restaurant on Mile End Road. There are also lots of popular places for snacks and food nearby, including Starbucks, Costa Coffee, and Nando's.
There are toilets available at Mile End Park, and they are located in the Ecology Pavilion. There are accessible toilets here, and there are also baby changing facilities.
As a relatively new park, Mile End Park was designed to be as accessible as possible. The paths through the park are wide and smooth, making it easy for buggies and wheelchairs users to enjoy the park.

Getting there

There is no parking for Mile End Park specifically, but you can park in the nearby Mile End Leisure Centre.
Mile End Park is easily accessible by public transport. The nearest Tube Station is Mile End, which is in Zone 2. Mile End Station is a two-minute walk from the park and is on the District, Hammersmith and City, and Central lines.
Several bus routes have stops just a short walk from the park. These buses include the 25, 277, D6, and D7.