Kingston Parks and Gardens

(Kingston, Surrey, Jamaica)



Photo of Redemption Song sculpture at Emancipation ParkAround Kingston are a number of important green spaces and parks, offering recreational areas for the locals and visitors alike. The Hope Botanical Gardens are the Caribbean's largest gardens, covering almost 50 acres / 20 acres and being called home by many colourful and fragrant exotic plants.

Also worth mentioning is the William Grant Park, the National Heroes Park and the Emancipation Park, the latter of which resides in New Kingston and only officially opened as recently as 2002, being reclaimed from the jungle and now a popular place to hang out and exercise.


Close-up picture of Emancipation Park's Redemption Song sculpture of slaves

Emancipation Park

Address: Knutsford Boulevard / Oxford Road, Kingston, Jamaica, JM
Located within the New Kingston area and alongside both Oxford Road and Knutsford Boulevard, Emancipation Park immediately became a major recreational space in this part of the city. This park features trails suitable for jogging, stylish fountains, plenty of benches and a huge statue depicting two naked slaves, entitled 'Redemption Song'. Families will be sure to enjoy a round of miniature golf at the resident 18-hole Putt 'n' Play course.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Hope Botanical Gardens

Address: Old Hope Road, Kingston, Jamaica, JM
Tel: +1 876 927 1257
Dating back to the early 1880s, the Hope Botanical Gardens take their title from Briton, Richard Hope, being beautifully maintained with great attention to detail, and residing near to the College of Arts, Science and Technology. There is also a small zoo and aviary onsite, as well as an orchid house, sunken gardens, a hedge maze and the popular vegetarian restaurant named the Ashanti Oasis.
Open hours: daily, May to August - 06:00 to 19:00; September to April - 06:00 to 18:00 (gardens); daily - 10:00 to 17:00 (zoo)
Admission: free

William Grant Park view

William Grant Park

Address: Between North Parade and South Parade, Kingston, Jamaica, JM
The William Grant Park lies directly between the North Parade and the South Parade, and was once the site of an imposing late-17th century fortress. After the fort was demolished, the Victorian Garden was laid out, opening in 1870 and featuring a centrepiece Queen Victoria statue. This statue is still here, although now on the eastern side of the park, being replaced by a small bust of National Hero of Jamaica, Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (1884 to 1977), whose face adorns one side of the Jamaican dollar coin.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

National Heroes Park image

National Heroes Park

Address: East Street, Kingston, Jamaica, JM
The National Heroes Park is a major landmark in downtown Kingston. This is a huge, 74-acre / 30-hectare area that was previously the Kingston Racecourse and nowadays contains many monuments and statues in the southern portion, while the northern end is less developed. Sir Alexander Bustamante's marble tomb in the National Heroes Circle is a particular highlight, as is the 1865 Memorial remembering the Morant Bay Rebellion. Also here is the Manley monument, and the graves of both Jamaican journalist Marcus Mosiah Garvey and famous reggae singer Dennis Emmanuel Brown (1957 to 1999).
Open hours: daily
Admission: free