Crystal Palace Park

The Park is open daily from Monday to Sunday from 7.30am to half an hour after dusk.

Three entrances which are closed at night are:

• Boundaries gate
• Penge entrance
• Sydenham gate.

The Penge entrance is the location for the Information Centre and Park rangers office. Penge entrance leads visitors down the grand centre walk. On the right is the Information Centre, toilets and children's playground. On the left visitors can find the Cafe and tidal lake.

National Sports Centre and Athletics Stadium

The National Sports Centre (NSC) was built in the centre of the Park, on part of the former grand prix circuit, in 1964.

The NSC and Crystal Palace Stadium have since become one of the traditional homes to British athletics. The stadium hosts the IAAF British Athletics Grand Prix and the London Youth Games. The NSC caters for over 100 sports and activities.

In the past the centre was run on behalf of Sport England as one of the five National Sports Centres. Today it's owned by the London Development Agency (LDA), who took over the building in 2006. The sports facilities are now operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) on behalf of the LDA. GLL is a not for profit social enterprise, meaning any financial surpluses are re-invested into sports services.

With a capacity of 16,500 permanent seats, stadium capacity can be increased to 20,000 with temporary seats. The stadium has hosted many international athletics meetings and since 1999 and is once again home to the British Athletics Grand Prix and the London Youth Games.

The NSC also includes a 144 bed lodge which provides accommodation for athletes and schools visiting the Park and using its sporting facilities.  For further information on using the lodge to stay or for meetings see contact details below.

Over 100 different sports clubs use the NSC in addition to the local and regional population. The NSC houses one of only two 50m swimming pools in London.

After the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, the facilities will be revamped as part of the Olympic Legacy. This means the NSC will be reconfigured to a low key use with a landscaped athletics stadium that will house dry sports such as 5-a-side football and a new 50m swimming pool.

The current athletics stadium is built on the site of the old football stadium, which from 1895 to 1914 hosted the FA Cup finals. Wanting a professional club to play at the venue, the owners set up Crystal Palace Football Club in 1905.

More information

You can visit the National Sports Centre website for more details and news or you can write to the following address:

General Enquiries
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
Ledrington Road,
Upper Norwood
SE19 2BB

Tel: 020 8778 0131

The Dinosaur Area

When Crystal Palace Park was constructed in the 1850s, it was arguably the world's first 'theme park'. The giant Palace held technological wonders of the modern world, while walking along the central pathway took the visitor to the prehistoric landscape of the lower lakes and dinosaur park.

The dinosaurs caused a sensation when the Park was opened as they were designed and built before Darwin's 'Origin of Species' was published. They were the first life sized replicas of the prehistoric reptiles ever built.

The dinosaurs were recently restored by Bromley Council following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The £4 million programme brought together a team of palaeontologists and landscape architects. Original colours were restored, replacements made and models reconstructed to match historic records of the original designs.

The Farm

Further information about the farm is to follow. Capel Manor College who will be operating the farm when it re-opens are a leading animal husbandry and horticultural college in London and they have plans to reopen the farm in January 2008.