Grade II* listed Crystal Palace Park has just finished its most significant regeneration in nearly a century: extensive landscape and accessibility improvements have been made, and a new visitor centre and playground have opened. 

We contributed £5m to the project which was delivered by Bromley Council and Crystal Palace Park Trust with help from partners Historic England and Friends of Crystal Palace Park.

Saving the dinosaurs

The Grade I listed Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and Geological Court have now been removed from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register as a result of the project. They were added in 2020 due to their deterioration.

The 30 sculptures were created in 1854 as the world's first life-sized models of extinct creatures, designed to showcase Victorian palaeontologists' ground-breaking fossil discoveries. They have been expertly restored and repainted in colours that closely reflect their original appearance 174 years ago. 

Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, Co-CEOs, Historic England, said: “These sculptures were built by the Victorians to model how they understood prehistoric animals to look at a time when they were asking big questions about the origins of life on Earth. They are internationally important in the history of science and loved by people around the world.”

A historic restoration

The project has helped secure the 200-acre park’s future as an internationally significant heritage and cultural destination. It also:

• created a visitor centre with a permanent exhibition exploring 170 years of the park and a new dinosaur-themed playground
• restored the Grade II listed Italian Terraces, once the setting for the Crystal Palace itself, and the Grand Centre Walk, a key feature of the park's original design
• returned the bust of the park's founder, Sir Joseph Paxton, to its historic location
• improved paths, lighting, signage and accessibility, including two new accessible routes
• added planting to boost biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife
• organised a weekend of events and performances for the community to celebrate the completion of the project

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Crystal Palace Park has been a much-loved part of London life for generations, connecting people and communities with nature, culture, sport and outstanding heritage. 

“We are incredibly proud that our funding has helped secure the future of its world-famous dinosaurs, restoring these remarkable Victorian landmarks and ensuring that they can be valued and enjoyed by future generations.”

Our support for urban green spaces

Since 1994 we have awarded over £275million of National Lottery and other funding to landscape, nature and parks projects across London alone.

Discover more stories from some of these projects on our landscapes, parks and nature hub.

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