Falls Park

Falls Park has many fine mature trees, beautiful flowers, horticultural displays and grassland areas. We have installed public access defibrillators for park users at Falls Park.

Improvements to Falls Park

The park has:

• a free outdoor gym suitable for all ages and abilities
• a dedicated youth area suitable for a range of uses, including an outdoor classroom
• a refurbished play park with modern play equipment

Work is also underway on a new 3G pitch, changing pavilion and open space improvements in Falls Park.

Getting to Falls Park

Enter the park at Falls Road. If you are travelling by public transport, take Glider route G1 in the direction of McKinstry Road  from Belfast city centre. Get off opposite the park, beside Milltown Cemetery.

Green Flag awards

Falls Park has been awarded the Green Flag Award every year from 2011 to 2019. This award recognises the best open spaces in the UK.

ParkLife Saturday Club at Falls Park

There is currently a waiting list for this club.

ParkLife is a fun and free educational programme, designed to encourage children and their families to become more active and involved in outdoor activities in parks and open spaces across the city.

This project is run by Belfast City Council in partnership with Ulster Wildlife, aiming to increase children’s interaction with nature at their local park. ParkLife is open to children between the ages of seven and twelve. Children under seven are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

If you are interested in registering for our Saturday Clubs at Falls Park, contact parklife@belfastcity.gov.uk for a registration form or contact the Outdoor Recreation and Education Officer on 028 9032 0202 ext. 3199.

ParkLife education events usually run on one Saturday in every month.

History of Falls Park

In June 1866, Belfast Corporation bought 101 acres of land on Falls Road from the Sinclair family. Some of the land was set aside for the building of Belfast City Cemetery, but the rest was earmarked for a new park.

As the land initially fell outside the Belfast city boundary, the area was not considered a public park until the Public Parks (Ireland) Act was passed in 1869.

The area, now known as Falls Park, was established in 1873.

In 1924, an outdoor swimming pool, known locally as ‘the Cooler’, was added to the park. It cost £3,000 to build and was fed by the Ballymurphy Stream, which still flows through the area today. The pool closed in 1979 for public health reasons.

Park events

To find out about events and activities in Belfast parks, go to Park events.

Map of Falls Park