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The moment somebody says Bengaluru, you remember the high-rises hoarding top software companies. But do you know that it is also called the Garden City, thanks to its parks and lakes? While you may not be able to visit every park in the city, you would not want to miss the best parks in Bangalore. MomJunction brings you a list of such parks.
Children’s Public Parks
A park is a great place to go with kids. But when you are visiting a place on vacation, a local park is the last thing on your list of places to see. But when you need a break from all the sightseeing and walking, then take them to one of these parks. You can relax while they have a fun time!
1. Nandavana Children’s Park, JP Nagar
The Nandavana Park in the residential hub of JP Nagar is one of the newest parks that the Bangalore city corporation recently built. The park has a play area with swings, playpens and a rock climbing wall that kids can explore. The park also has a fountain which is up at 7pm every day!
Where: JP Nagar, Bangalore
Attractions: The fountain, sand pit
Days open: All days
Hours: 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 8:30pm
Entry fee: Rs. 5 per person
Amenities: Parking, no restroom or canteen
Things to consider: The kids are asked to remove their footwear before entering the play area, to prevent slipping on the equipment. If your children are wearing flip-flops, carry a pair of socks if you don’t want their feet to get dirty.
[ Read: Games To play At The Park With Kids ]
2. Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park
You can visit the Jawahar Bal Bhavan park when you visit Cubbon Park with your family. There is a play area and also a toy train that you can ride along with the kids. Kids will love the swings, mini slides, see-saws and other equipment there.
While you are here, you can also visit the Aquarium in the 300-acre park.
Where: Cubbon Park, Bangalore
Attractions: Toy train, boating, skating rink
Days open: All days
Hours: 10am to 6pm
Entry fee: Rs. 10 per person, free for kids aged less than 10.
Additional charges are applicable for toy train rides and boating.
Amenities: Parking, public toilets, canteen
Things to consider: Plan to visit the aquarium, Bal Bhavan park and the rest of Cubbon Park on the same day.
3. Jaya Prakash Narayan or JP Park
The Jaya Prakash Narayan Park is fun and educational at the same time. The play area has swings, slides, see-saws, merry-go-rounds and other multi-activity systems. The rest of the park has life-size figurines depicting life in the rural areas, the forests and farming. There is also a rock garden, with seating areas made of colorful pieces of broken glass.
The park has a small lake and a musical fountain with two shows, at 7pm and 7:45pm.
Where: Mathikere, Bangalore
Attractions: Musical fountain, rock garden
Days open: All days, except Wednesdays
Hours: 5am to 8:30am, 5pm to 8:30pm
Entry fee: Nil
Amenities: Restrooms, canteen, parking
Things to consider: The fountain is open only during the weekends when the park is very crowded.
4. Science Park, Nehru Planetarium
One of the places to go when visiting Bangalore with kids is the Nehru Planetarium. And when you are in the planetarium, you must take the kids to the science park, which has a lot of interesting and complex science models besides the usual play equipment like slides, multi-activity sets, and swings. You can see a model of the solar system, music pipes, whispering dish and more here.
Where: Sri T. Chowdiah Road, Bangalore
Attractions: Balancing Pipe, Transverse Waves, Whispering Dish, DNA Model and the Optic Tree are just a few of the many interesting objects in the park.
Days open: All days
Hours: 10am to 5:30pm
Entry fee: Rs. 35 per adult, Rs. 20 per child
Amenities: Parking, restrooms
Things to consider: Younger children may not understand the science behind every equipment in the park.
5. Sri Vani Science Park
Sri Vani Science Park, developed by Vani Education Centre, is an attempt to make science fun and exciting for the kids. The park has life-size dinosaurs, a Dino museum and models of different machines, stone carvings, fossils and more that can fascinate your children. The science park is set up over an area of 4.5 acres and is home to a few scientific models and specimens that can teach your kids a thing or two.
Where: Magadi Road, Bangalore
Attractions: Open Museum, rare trees and plants like sandalwood, rudraksha plants, 20 million-year-old wood fossil
Days open: Weekdays
Entry fee: Nil
Amenities: Restrooms, parking
Things to consider: The park is frequented by students and school groups and may not have that holiday feel to it. But visit it anyway for a free science lesson.
Nature Parks
After a long day of touring the city, a relaxing evening at a lush green park can rejuvenate your senses in no time. There are several public parks in Bangalore, maintained by the city’s corporation, where you can enjoy greenery and fresh air amongst serene surroundings. Here are our picks.
[ Read: Beautiful Places To Visit In Bangalore ]
6. Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park is one of the biggest parks located in the heart of Bangalore. This is a place to visit with family. Created on an area of 100 acres, Cubbon Park was initially called Meade’s Park and was renamed as Cubbon Park after Sir Mark Cubbon in the 1870s. Although it was renamed after Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar, during whose reign it came into existence, it is popularly known as Cubbon Park. The natural rock formations and the long bamboo trees in the park, besides other flora, make it a sight to see.
Where: Sampangi Rama Nagara, Bengaluru
Attractions: Toy train, aquarium, Bal Bhavan, and lots of old trees
Days open: All days
Amenities: Parking, restrooms
Things to consider: A beautiful place to spend an evening with the family. If you love nature and photography, go there. The park is also home to the Seshadri Iyer Memorial state library.
7. Turahalli Forest
Photo by Sagar Sakre/CC BY-3.0
For a dose of nature and a little adventure with the family, visit the Turahalli Forest, located 21 Km away from the city. The small forest is known for spotting a few wild animals like the monitor lizard, jackals, and mongooses in the wild. The forest is also a popular destination for cyclists, trekkers, hikers and rock climbers. If you are looking for a mini adventure with the family, a trip to Turahalli Forest can be an excellent idea.
Where: 20km from Bangalore, Off Kanakapura Road
Attractions: Hiking or cycling here can be fun, view of the city from the top
Days open: All days
Hours: Best to visit early in the morning, after daybreak and leave before sunset.
Amenities: Parking, viewpoint
Things to consider: The cycling trail has a few steep curves, which can be difficult to get around for kids.
[ Read: Best Amusement Parks For Kids In India ]
8. Kokkare Bellur Bird Sanctuary
Photo by Koshy Koshy/CC BY-2.0
Kokkare is Kannada for painted stork, which migrates to the region during the end of the monsoons. The small, forest-like area is also home to the spot-billed pelicans. Both the birds are in the ‘near-threatened’ zone and are protected by the villagers, who consider it their heritage. The bird sanctuary is a serene place to spend time with kids, watching the beautiful birds in their natural habitat.
Where: 87.1km from Bangalore in Mandya district
Attractions: Bird watching
Days open: All days
Hours: Early morning or evening to see the birds
Amenities: Parking, you will find hotels in the Kokkare Bellur village near the sanctuary
Things to consider: This is a great place for bird watching. So, if you are not into nature or birds, you can skip it.
9. Bugle Rock Park
Located next to the Bull Temple in Basavangudi, the Bugle Rock Park is a small park with a large rock formation, abruptly rising on the peninsula. One of the main attractions of the park is the watch tower built by Kempe Gowda I, from where a soldier would blow a bugle to warn of an impending danger to the city.
Where: Basavangudi, Bangalore
Attractions: Watchtower, Flying Fox (you can often find the endangered bat species here)
Days open: All days
Hours: 5am to 10am, 4:30pm to 7pm
Entry fee: Nil
Amenities: Parking
Things to consider: The place is ideal for nature lovers, photographers, and fun lovers too.
[ Read: Remarkable Places To Visit In Hyderabad ]
10. Lalbagh Botanical Garden
Lalbagh is the biggest of all parks in Bangalore. The park was created by Haider Ali and later expanded by Tipu Sultan and is home to the largest collection of tropical plants. The park has two glass houses and hosts the annual flower festival. It park has a lotus pond, and the Lalbagh Rock, on which one of Kempe Gowda’s watch towers is perched.
Where: Mavalli, Bangalore
Attractions: The Peninsular Gneiss, the glass houses, bird watching
Days open: All days
Hours: 6am to 6pm
Entry fee: Rs. 20 per person
Amenities: Guided, vehicle tour of the park, parking, restrooms, canteen, nursery (plants)
Things to consider: Lalbagh is a 240-acre park. So do not plan to cover it all in one day.
11. Bannerghatta National Park
The Bannerghatta National Park is one that you must visit with your kids. Skip the zoo (animals put in cages) and go for the safaris, see the lions and the tigers in their habitat for the best experience. Bannerghatta park also has a butterfly park and a snake park. The park houses several elephants, sloth bears and other animals rescued from circuses. There is a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a toy train to tour the park.
If you have the time and are keen on visiting the national parks and reserve parks in Karnataka, you can also consider visiting these:
- Bandipur National Park (224km from Bangalore)
- Anshi National Park (509km from Bangalore) – This is the natural habitat of the Indian black panther.
- Kudremukh National Park (350km from Bangalore)
- Nagarhole National Park (236km from Bangalore)
Where: Bannerghatta
Attractions: Lion and tiger reserve safaris
Days open: All days, except Tuesdays
Hours: 10am to 5pm
Entry fee: Rs. 80 per person, separate charges for safari
Amenities: Parking, restrooms, restaurants, souvenir shops
Things to consider: The zoo is not in a great condition and might give the kids the wrong idea about treating animals. Safari is a good idea, though.
[ Read: Famous Parks In Chennai ]
12. Big Banyan Tree or Dodha Aladha Mara
Photo by Krishansubudhi/CC BY-3.0
Want to show a really old, big tree to the kids? Take them to the Big Banyan Tree in Taverekere Hobli, Bangalore. The tree is said to be 400 years old and spreads over three acres. The tree is home to hundreds of birds and a few monkeys in the region. More than anything, spending just a few hours under the shade of the tree rejuvenates you.
Where: Taverekere Hobli, Bangalore
Attractions: The tree
Days open: All days
Hours: 6:30am to 6pm
Amenities: Parking
Things to consider: The tree itself is a wonder, something your kids will love seeing. Take them one evening; start early enough to be there by early evening.
Amusement And Theme Parks
One of the things that make Bangalore a great place for families is the number of fun or entertainment places and amusement parks it has. So, here is our list of the best.
13. Wonderla
Photo by Prathyush Thomas
A few years ago, when people thought of Bangalore and amusement parks, they thought of Wonderla. That’s how popular the themed water park in Bangalore is. The Bangalore Wonderla is the flagship park of Wonderla Holidays, which has its theme parks in Kochi and Hyderabad too.
It also has a resort, where you can stay and explore it at leisure. This park is one of the best water places in Bangalore with dry rides, water rides, high thrill rides and a selection of fun rides just for the kiddies.
The Bangalore center also has a resort, where you can stay and explore the theme park at leisure. The park has dry rides, water rides, high thrill rides and a selection of fun rides just for the kiddies.
Where: 28th km, Mysore Road
Attractions: Water rides and kids rides
Days open: All days
Hours: Monday to Friday -11am to 6pm, Saturdays and Sundays – 11am to 7pm
Entry fee: Starts from Rs. 920 per adult, Rs. 740 per child
Amenities: Parking, restrooms, restaurants, first aid, cloakroom, dormitory
Things to consider: The ticket price gives you access to just some rides. For access to all, you can buy tickets that cost a little higher.
14. Snow City
Snow City is a place to visit in Bangalore in summer. Thanks to places like the Snow City, you can now experience snow even in tropical areas. Snow City is an indoor snow theme park that is open 365 days a year for those who like having fun in subzero temperatures. There is a snow castle, snow slices, snow animals and even igloos that you can explore inside the amusement park.
Where: JC Nagar, Bangalore
Attractions: Snow wall climbing
Days open: All days
Hours: 10am to 8pm
Entry fee: Rs. 390 per person, per session. Each session lasts 45 minutes
Amenities: Parking, external clothing/garments to keep visitors comfortable inside
Things to consider: The temperatures inside can be between 15 and 10 degrees Celsius.
[ Read: Water And Amusement Parks In Jaipur ]
15. Fun World
An amusement park that started off as a small entertainment place in the 1990s, Fun World is one of the best theme parks and fun places in Bangalore. The theme park has separate rides for kids and adults, as well as rides that the entire family can enjoy. Some of the things you should try include are the Mini Bumper Boats, Mini Pirate Ship, and the Carousel.
Where: JC Nagar, Bengaluru
Attractions: Carousel, NFS Car Race, Mini Dragon Train for the kids and the Yahoo Slide, Surf Up and Double Arm Boomerang for adults.
Days open: All days
Hours: 11am to 7pm
Entry fee: Rs. 550 per person
Amenities: Cloakrooms, parking, restrooms and cafeteria
Things to consider: If you go to Wonderla, there is no point going to this amusement park.
16. Lumbini Gardens
Located along the stretch of the Nagavara Lake in Hebbal, Lumbini Gardens is a mini-amusement park for kids and teens. The park has a wave pool, boating facilities, kid’s rides and other amusement rides for a small price. Here, you can choose to enjoy the tranquility that comes with proximity to nature or dive into the artificial beach for some fun with the kids.
Where: Hebbal
Attractions: Boating, 12,500 sq. ft artificial beach with wave pool, a floating restaurant
Days open: All days
Hours: 11am to 7pm
Entry fee: Rs. 50 per person
Amenities: Parking, restaurant, restrooms
Things to consider: Don’t expect this to be as impressive as Wonderla or any other amusement park in Bangalore.
17. Neeladri Amusement and Water Parks
Image: Shutterstock
Neeladri Amusement and Water Parks was the first ever amusement park in Bangalore. Although it is not as fancy as some of the latest entertainment places in the city, it is still a favorite among the locals. The park has a separate aqua zone and dry rides as well. There are several rides and simulation games designed for kids in the theme park.
Where: Hosur Road
Attractions: Formula 2, Water chutes, Zyclone and Family Slide
Days open: All days
Hours: 11am to 6pm on weekdays, 11am to 7pm on weekends
Entry fee: Rs. 40 per adult and Rs. 30 per child for amusement park; Rs. 70 per adult and Rs. 60 per child for the water park
Amenities: Parking, restrooms, restaurant
Things to consider: Not all the rides are accessible with the entry ticket. For some, you may have to pay more.
[ Read: Water Parks In Pune ]
18. Innovative Film City
Unlike the other destinations in this category, Innovative Film City is more of a themed entertainment place than an amusement park. While there are a few fun rides and activities, the film city has other attractions such as the scary house, a Dino Park, mirror maze, teddy bear museum, mini golf, wax museum and Cartoon City, among others that the kids will love.
Where: Bidadi, Bangalore
Attractions: Aqua Kingdom, Dino Park, Toddler’s Den, Bungee Jumping
Days open: All days
Hours: 10am to 7pm
Entry fee: Rs. 600 per person
Amenities: Parking, restaurant, restrooms
Things to consider: If you plan to visit it, allocate an entire day to spend here.
19. Freedom Park
Freedom Park, as the name says, is a theme park depicting the freedom struggle of India. The park has different sections with scenes from the Indian freedom struggle recreated with life-size figurines. There is a prison, a watch tower, and a statue of a prison guard on the premises. The park also has an area allocated for protests and rallies by civilians.
The park, usually, serves as a platform for public meetings and rallies. Cultural shows are organized on a few weekends.
Where: Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore
Attractions: Cell’s yard and the watch tower
Days open: All days
Hours: 6am to 6pm
Entry fee: Nil
Amenities: Parking
Things to consider: There is not much to see or do here unless there is an event or show.
[ Read: Places To Visit In Gurgaon With Kids ]
20. Ranadheera Kanteerava Park
The Ranadheera Kanteerava park was created to tell the people about the heritage and history of Karnataka state. The park has several beautiful sculptures of the kings who once ruled Karnataka, it also has a few other giant figurines of just faces, and one of a giant baby (which is not so great to look at). A blue tree man, a small pond with a fountain and a play-gym are some of the other attractions here.
Where: Jaya Nagar, Bangalore
Attractions: Kids’ play area with sand pits, swings, slides and more
Days open: All days
Amenities: Parking
Things to consider: You can go to the park if you are in the vicinity and want to take a walk and breathe some fresh air.
Besides these, Bangalore also has nature camps and themed resorts such as Guhantara, Our Native Village, Nature Adventure Camp, Jaladhama Resort and Fantasy Golf Resorts. The best way to experience nature in and around Bangalore is to visit these nature parks in the evenings, after a hectic day of sightseeing and fun. Bangalore parks can have that calming, soothing effect on people.
What’s your favorite park in Bangalore? Tell us about it here.
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