Open House Festival

Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs – a tour with a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide

walk/tour

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, 1853

Crystal Palace Overground station, Crystal Palace Overground station

Explore the world's first dinosaur models hidden in a south London park. The 30 Grade I listed, life-size statues of dinosaurs and other extinct animals at Crystal Palace Park have thrilled visitors for 166 years. Tour is kids friendly.

Getting there

Train

Crystal Palace, Penge West, Penge East

Bus

249

Additional travel info

Meeting point is Crystal Palace Overground/National Rail station

Access

Facilities

Accessibility notes

The entire walk is step-free and family-friendly

What you can expect

The first part of the tour from the Overground Station is a 5-minute walk downhill that is slightly steep in one place.

Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs
Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs

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Activities

Sun 13 Sep

Walking tour

11:00–13:00

Guided Tour

How to book

Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.

Sat 19 Sep

Walking tour

11:00–13:00

Guided Tour

How to book

Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.

About

Longer description

Explore the world's first dinosaur models hidden in a south London park. The 30 Grade I listed, life-size statues of dinosaurs and other extinct animals at Crystal Palace Park that have thrilled visitors for 166 years. However, they are now in danger and have recently been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

Led by Aaron Hunter who is an academic and palaeontologist.

Nearby

Other

Crystal Palace Subway

civic

Come and join us to explore the beautifully restored Subway. The Subway was opened in 1865 to give train passengers more direct (and less hilly!) access to the famous Crystal Palace. We are delighted to welcome Southwark and District Model Railway Club, who will be bringing their large model of Crystal Palace High Level Station - the first time it's been shown in the Subway!

Guided tour

St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood

religious

St John's is a Grade II* listed church, designed by John Loughborough Pearson

John Loughborough Pearson, 1887

Drop in

Six Columns

housing

Six Columns was selected as the RIBA 2024 House of the Year. The house was designed by the architect owner for their family within their existing neighbourhood, a leafy street in South London. The house is discrete and considerate of the setting, but not meek in character or detail. From a distance it sits comfortably alongside its neighbours, as you approach and enter its character is revealed.

31/44 Architects, 2024

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