The Pavilion Gardens is a Grade II-listed, historic venue that superbly shows off the Victorian splendor of Buxton. Situated in the heart of the spa town, it is a beautiful example of the heritage that runs throughout the town.
Set in the 23-acres of award winning, Victorian Gardens, there is plenty to keep little ones entertained. From large open picnic areas and playgrounds, to their Miniature Railway and Inflatables. Inside the main building you will find a Winter Conservatory with botanical garden and fishpond, a flower shop, retail area, art gallery, a cinema in the Pavilion Arts Centre and the amazing Octagon Hall which houses all their large events.
Top Info
🌼 Gardens
☕ Pavilion Kitchen & Tea Rooms
🍦 Ice Cream Parlour - Open weekends & events
🛝 Adventure Play Area
🫖 Adventure Play Area Kiosk -Open Weekends & holidays
🏰 Inflatable slide and bouncy castle
🍺 Buxton Brewery Shop and Bar
🎨 Art Gallery
🛥 Boating Lake
Weekly markets
🥳 Lots of events throughout the year
👶 Pushchair/ Wheelchair friendly
🚻 Toilets
🚗 Parking
🌎 St Johns Road, Buxton, Derbyshire. SK17 6BE
The Pavilion gardens is a lovely place to visit on a warm summers day. We headed over on a Sunday and spent the day exploring the 23 acres of gardens, playing on the playground, driving around the lake on a pedalo, enjoying a live brass band playing while enjoying our picnic and an ice cream.
Our Visit
We brought a football with us, and the girls really enjoyed playing pass on the open grass, but when they found the small ball court next to the play area, they were in heaven. There is a goal area which is perfect for a little game of football or a penalty shoot out.
The girls enjoyed a play on the play areas. There isn't a lot of equipment and sadly the zipwire was broken on our visit. But the added bonus of 2 inflatables in the play area made it a lot of fun. There was an inflatable slide and an inflatable bouncy castle. For £2.50 you got 10minutes (May 24) which i think is actually really good value as the girls got a really good go on it and were quite happy to come off after 10minutes as they managed about 100 slides in that time.
Our favourite activity was hiring a pedalo on the lake. It was just £10 a boat for 30 minutes. The lake is lovely to pedal around as it is so picturesque with a small island in the middle and plenty of ducks and wildlife to spot as your travel round.
We set down our blanket and enjoyed a picnic next to the lake. But there are lots of place to purchase refreshments including Pavilion Kitchen and Tea Rooms as well the Coffee Van. We visited the Ice Cream Parlour to get an ice cream while watching the live brass band in the bandstand. There was plenty of people sat on benches and blankets on the grass watching and listening. It had a lovely atmosphere and was so nice to sit and relax.
🥪Food & Drink
There are also several different areas for refreshments: the Ice Cream Parlour, Pavilion Kitchen and Tea Rooms as well the Coffee Van, Play Area Kiosk and pop up outlets on the promenade.
🥾Discover Buxton Tours
The complex also hosts the Discover Buxton Tours booking office opposite the main entrance off the promenade (open most mornings April – September).
This would be a really interesting tour as Buxton has so many beautiful buildings which are full of history.
🪑Promenade
On the promenade, you will find plenty of seating where you can sit and enjoy your refreshments with beautiful views across the river, gardens, bandstand and bridges.
🛝Children's Play Areas
There is a specific area for younger children to play safely which including a small climbing frame, a balancing assult course and swings
There is another area more suited for older kids which has a larger activity space which includes a five piece outdoor gym area for the fitness enthusiasts. There are hours of fun to be had on the swings, slides, climbing frames. Next to this area is a small ball court, a versatile area which can be used by anyone who fancies shooting some hoops, playing a one-on-one half court game, or just using it for a kick about.
🎈 Inflatables
Outside there were two inflatables which you could have a go on for an extra cost. For £2.50 you got 10minutes which i think is actually really good value.
🚣♂ Boating Lake
Open April - Sept
The boating lake has 6 rowing boats and 5 pedalos.
We hired a pedalo for 3mins, it was great fun and such a nice activity to add to our time at the gardens.
The cost is £10 per boat for up to 4 people for 30 minutes, or £14 per boat for up to 4 people for 45 minutes.
🎉 Events
Throughout the year The Pavilion Gardens host over 100 fairs and events in their Octagon Hall. Their events range from local markets, antique fairs, bazaars and fetes.
Here are some of the events they hold :
• Easter Extravaganza
• Comic Con
• Summer Fete
• Eat in the Park
• Family Fun Trails
• Inflatable Fun Sessions
• Christmas Party Nights
• Santa's Grotto
Inflatable Fun Sessions
One of their events is The Inflatable Fun Sessions which is when the Octagon Hall is Filled with inflatables and you just pay £6 per child for 2 hours. This is great for when its a rainy day, but also just loads of fun for any day. This normally runs during school holidays.
Costs @ £6 per child plus booking fee
Advance booking is essential to guarantee entry
Sessions are for children age 2 years to 10 years only
Visit May 2024
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