List of 19 Famous Parks In Chennai To Visit

Explore the city's parks and gardens for amusement and relaxation amidst nature.

Written by Mitha Shameer
Last Updated on

Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city in India. The city is unique in that it is both modern and traditional, and if there’s something that every person living in the city takes pride in, it’s the parks. The famous parks in Chennai include Dizzee World, VGP Universal Kingdom, Jeeva Park, and many more.

Since the city has been taken over by a green revolution, the government has put in a lot of effort in converting them into theme parks. Besides, many of these places serve as green lungs for the city and are also viewed as primary places of entertainment by the city’s residents.

Read on as we have listed some of the best and most famous parks to visit in the city of Chennai.

Top Amusement Parks And Gardens In Chennai:

1. Dash-N-Splash:

Housed in a sprawling 21-acre campus, Dash ‘N’ Splash is one of the most popular and top amusement parks in Chennai. The park is a huge hit with children because of the different kinds of rides. The facilities offered by the park include a pure vegetarian cafeteria, toiletries, souvenir shops and deposit lockers. The park also has a good ample shaded seating area.

2. Dolphin City:

Dolphin City, located at a distance of 45 kilometers from Chennai is one of the most visited amusement parks in Chennai. As the name suggests, Dolphin City has a large water tank with dolphins living in it. The American Sea Lion performance is the highlight of this park. The sea lions are trained to perform several tricks.

The other popular activities include boating, sliding, swimming, disco scooter, animal simulation, chuck wagon and so on. There’s also a multi-cuisine restaurant catering to a variety of tastes. You can also purchase gifts, articles and electronic accessories from Notty Nutty Curious.

3. Kishkinta:

Kishkinta, famous park in Chennai
Image: Credit: KISHKINTA

Kishkinta, located five kilometers from Tambaram Bus Stand is a hot spot for both young and old alike. The park is spread over an area of 120 acres and is dotted with scenic landscapes, designs, and bushes. Along with this, the park also has adventurous rides like Wave Pool, Space Shuttle and the Kiddies Kingdom. Did you know that Kishkinta is named after the mythological simian kingdom in Ramayan?

4. Little Folks:

Little Folks is an amusement park made exclusively for children. Yes, no oldies allowed there. Rides like Toy-Rain, Rainbow Fountain, Slide-into-Pool, Paddle Pool and Cartoon Show are a huge hit. There is also an open-air theater and a giant piano in Little Folks that will appeal to the young musicians in your house.

5. Dizzee World:

Dizee World, famous park in Chennai
Image: Credit: MGM DIZZEE WORLD

Summers in Chennai can be very steamy, with temperatures skyrocketing. So if you want to take a break, then pay a visit to the Dizzee World. Dizzee Worlds is an entertaining spot for young and old alike. With an amphitheater, water kingdom, and thrilling rides, children are sure to enjoy their day spent here. It has a variety of dry, water-based rides to keep you, and your little one entertained. Toy trains, roller coasters, Ferris wheel and toddler safe water zones are the chief attractions here. And water sport is a huge hit with the teens and tweens. Spider Spin, Log Flume, Roller Coaster, Dashing Cars, Funny Mountain rides are equally entertaining. The Artificial Snow Shower, complete with snow capped mountain and snowman is a popular attraction here. You can also dine at the Park FS restaurant after having a day full of entertainment and adventure.

6. Nageswara Rao Park:

Located about a half kilometer from the Luz Church Road, Nageswara Rao Park is an oasis of peace and tranquility. This serene park is a morning walker’s paradise. People of all ages drop here in the morning to feel the freshness of the air. There’s also a separate area for kids. So children won’t feel bored even for a minute here. There’s also a badminton court to keep the teens and tweens entertained.

7. VGP Universal Kingdom:

VGP Universal Kingdom, famous park in Chennai
Image: Credit: VGP Universal Kingdom

The VGP Universal Kingdom is an exciting amusement park with the endearing Bay of Bengal Sea in the backdrop. The whistling of the winds and breaking of the waves are music to the ears. So if your child still has some stamina left after playing in the amusement park, then you can go for a bath or a short swim. The amusement park authorities provide adequate services to help people enjoy.

The VGP Universal Kingdom gives special preference to children, with over 50 rides and games just for them. Toy train, Baby Train, Merry-go-Round, Trampoline, Baby Train and the Statue Man are the most popular rides here. But there are some rides for you and your spouse too, like Break Dance, Balloon Racer, Giant Wheel, Roller Coaster and more.

The Aqua Kingdom housed in the VGP Universal Kingdom has underwater caves and structures, which is unique. There are plenty of food stalls along the 45 acres of the parks to refuel you and your child. During the weekends, the park also organizes folk dances on traditional music, music and light show, and even debates.

8. Guindy National And Snake Park:

Guindy National Park in Chennai
Image: Photo by Masatran / CC BY 2.5

The vast green of Chennai is dominated by a 2.71 square kilometer stretch of Guindy National Park, the only national park in Chennai situated in the middle of the city. Guindy National and Snake Park is one of those places where every member of your family can enjoy thoroughly. This eighth smallest National Park of India is the extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan, the headquarters of the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

This Chennai park is home to over 60 species of butterflies, 60 species of mammals, a wide variety of reptiles and 130 species of birds. Children can even feed the deer and ducks here. The park in Chennai gets a footfall of 700000 visitors every year.

The Guindy Snake Park, formerly known as the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, houses 30 different species of snakes like Vipers, Adder, Indian Rock Python and Reticulated Python. Romulus Whitaker founded the park in 1972 to conserve endangered species found in the Indian sub-continent. Today, the zoo is recognized as a Medium Zoo and is maintained by the Madras Snake Park Trust.

Guindy National and Snake Park is open on all days except Tuesday. It opens at 9:30 am and closes at 6 pm. Note- the forest personnel must authorize the food you or your kid serves to the deer.

9. Jeeva Park:

Jeeva Park, located on the GN Getty Road, is a haven for joggers and morning walkers. Given the popularity of this park among the joggers, there’s also an active walker’s association based out of the park.

During the daytime, Jeeva Park is a favorite hangout for youngsters. There are plenty of places of interests near Jeeva Park like Kalikambal Temple, Sri Parthdarthy Temple, Anna Centenary Library, Crocodile Band and San Thome Church. So after visiting the park, you can head to any of these places.

10. Huddleston Gardens of Theosophical Society:

Chennai’s secret garden, the Huddleston Gardens of Theosophical Society look like it has picked up from the pages of the Frances Burton’s novel. This getaway is a favorite with the locals for escaping the mundane of their lives. Carpeted with blooming flowers and greenery, the garden is filled with sounds of birds chirping, bats lurking about, squirrels playing peekaboo and mongooses and wild cats hovering around the mahogany tree.

Stately and majestic 450 years old Banyan Tree is the great-great-grandfather of this garden. Its aerial roots cover a range of 60,000 square meters. The society is very particular about the timing, so visit here only at the specified time.

If time allows, you can also check out the Theosophical Society. It’s a great place to acquaint with the country’s culture and customs.

11. Semmozhi Poonga:

Semmozhi Poonga park in Chennai
Image: Photo by Balajijagadesh / CC BY 1.0

Semmozhi Poonga is a beautiful botanical garden set up by the horticulture department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The park is divided into two eight sub-gardens, each with its own theme. The Golden Garden, displaying a variety of flowers in shades of gold is the most beautiful sub-garden of this park.

The park boasts of over 500 species of trees and plants, some being more than 100 years oil. Apart from the conventional plants and trees, the garden also has plants and medicinal herbs. There is also an artificial pond in the garden. The sight of ducks swimming in the lake is just splendid. This is the best kids park in Chennai.

12. Tholkappia Poonga:

Tholkappia Poonga park in Chennai
Image: Photo by Aravind Sivaraj / CC BY 3.0

Tholkappia Poonga, also known as the Adyar Eco Park is an ecological park, conceived by the Tamil Nadu Government. This tropical dense evergreen forest constituting the park’s ecosystem is home to 160 species of trees. Named after Tholkappiar, a renowned Tamil Scholar opened to the public in the year 2001 to give an in-depth study of eco-restoration, study of wetland conservation and water management.

13. Arignar Anna Zoological Park:

Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai
Image: Photo by Rasnaboy / CC BY 3.0

Arignar Anna Zoological Park, country’s first and perhaps the largest zoological park, is one of the best places in Chennai to visit with kids. The zoo seeks to promote wildlife conservation by educating public and fostering appreciation of wildlife among them. The 160 enclosures of the zoo house 1500 species of endangered and wild animals. The elephant, deer, and lion safari, an aviary and the aquarium are highlights of this zoo.

There is also a separate section for nocturnal animals. Children will enjoy catching the vibrantly colored butterflies in the butterfly house.

14. Secretariat Park:

The Secretariat Park, located near the Chennai Port is an 18.5-acre park sprung from an undeveloped plot of land. The park is ornamented with a grand circular fountain in the center and has well-laid pedestrian walkways.

You can also take your children for a walk in the park on the weekends. Children can do yoga or can take a walk while you practice your meditation.

The park is also disabled friendly, with three lamps to help the disabled connect to all parts of the park. Besides, there are two public rest houses to ensure that your child’s visit to the park is not cut short 😉

15. Anna Nagar Tower Park:

Anna Nagar Tower Park in Chennai
Image: Photo by Acvasagam / CC BY 3.0

Anna Nagar, officially known as Dr. Visveswaraya Tower Park was built in 1968 as a part of the World Trade Fair. The crowning feature of the park is the 135-foot tall behemoth tower standing in the middle of the park. The tower has 12 stories with a cyclic ramp spiraling up to the top. You can reach to the top of the tower by an elevator located at the center.

The other features of the park include a skating rink, amphitheater, badminton courts, a scenic lake and a bird watching deck.

16. People’s Park:

The People’s Park is one of the oldest recreational parks in the city. In its former glory, the park stretched over 112 acres, encompassing 12 lakes. Victoria Lake in the People’s Park is popular for its boating rides.

17. Queensland Amusement Park:

If you want to have a daring and scintillating outdoor experience with your kid, then Queensland Amusement Park is the place to be. Queensland Amusement and Theme Park is a household name in the whole of Chennai. There are loads of amusement rides for children. Take a plunge from the Free Fall Tower or ride the waves at the American wave pool with your daredevil.

18. Children’s Park:

Children’s Park is carved out of the portion of the Guindy National Park. It gained recognition as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority in 1995. Among the wide collection of animals in this park includes spotted deer, black bucks, mongoose, parrot, gray pelicans, bonnet monkey, cormorant, common langur and so on. Children’s park also exhibits fossilized tree specimen that is estimated to be around 20 million years old.

19. Prime Time, Annanagar:

Prime Time is an enchanting indoor amusement park located in Annanagar. The park boasts of exhilarating rides like Play Pen, Bumper Car Rides, and Roller Coaster while adhering strictly to the international safety standards, There are also a number of food stalls found in the park. So you’ll have a perfect family outing with plenty of entertainment.

Whether you recently shifted to Chennai or have been a part of this bustling city for years, these famous parks in Chennai are worthwhile places that you should add to your travel kitty. These parks offer plenty of entertaining and engaging activities for people of all age groups. You can plan a fun-filled outing with friends and family and enjoy some fun time together. Some of these parks are suitable for entertainment while others are for nature walking. Pick a park that appeals to you the most and plan your next family visit there. We bet you will create beautiful memories there that you will cherish forever.

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown

Community Experiences

Join the conversation and become a part of our vibrant community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with like-minded individuals.

Latest Articles