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Aberdeen · Garden
Duthie Park & Winter Gardens with kids
Duthie Park is a handy free Aberdeen stop when children need space to run around and you want a café and indoor glasshouse nearby. It can be a short local stop or a half-day plan: use the play areas and park in decent weather, then duck into the Winter Gardens if the timing suits. The glasshouses make it useful in mixed weather, but the main visit is outdoors.
- Best ages
- Toddlers, preschoolers & mixed ages
- Cost
- Free park & Winter Gardens
- Weather
- Outdoor play · indoor glasshouses
- Allow
- 1–3 hours
Our family take
Families can set the pace here. Younger children can use the play areas, older children can explore the ponds, paths and all-weather games area, and adults get the glasshouses, plants and Victorian park features. You can make it a quick Winter Gardens stop or let it stretch into a slower park-and-café visit.
- Best used as. A short Aberdeen stop or half-day plan, with no need to build the whole day around it.
- Access catch. Some areas inside the Winter Gardens have uneven ground and steps. Check your route if step-free access matters.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Opening times
- The park is open 24 hours. Winter Gardens: daily 10.30am–5pm March to October, and 10.30am–4pm November to February. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January. Check for temporary changes before travelling.
- Free entry
- Entry to the park and Winter Gardens is free. Events and organised activities may have separate arrangements; check their details before going.
- How long to allow
- Allow 1 to 3 hours. The Winter Gardens can be a short stop; play, park paths and the café can stretch it into a half-day.
- Parking
- Car parks at Polmuir Road and Riverside Drive each have four disabled bays. Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, parking has a three-hour maximum stay and no return within one hour. Read the signs before leaving the car.
- Access and prams
- The Winter Gardens are mostly accessible, but some areas have uneven ground and steps. The park has wide, flat paths as well as slopes and steps. Check your route if you need step-free access with a buggy or wheelchair.
- Food, toilets and baby changing
- There are toilets in the Winter Gardens, including an accessible toilet in the Fern House. The park’s public toilet is open 24 hours and costs 20p, with card payment available. Check ahead if baby changing is essential.
ParkingCafé or restaurantToiletsPlay areaAll-weather Games AreaDisabled Parking
4 October 2026
Check current visitor information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Play, plants and family fit
What children can do
Duthie works because you can change the pace without moving the car. Younger children can head for the play areas, while older children can follow the ponds, paths, all-weather games area and open park space.
The Winter Gardens add a change of scene: tropical, arid, fern and Japanese houses give children things to look at even when the weather turns. Adults get a proper glasshouse and Victorian park setting rather than a play stop that runs out of steam quickly.
Best ages and family fit
Toddlers and preschoolers fit best here because you can play, wander, stop early or add the Winter Gardens without committing to a fixed session. Primary-age children can enjoy the more adventurous play area, ponds, plants and park features if they are happy with a slower outdoor visit too.
It also works for mixed ages: children get room to move, while adults have the glasshouses, café and restored park features to make the visit feel like more than a playground break.
Accessible play
The park has a wheelchair accessible swing, trampoline and roundabout.
Food and bus travel
The Park Café serves food and refreshments with indoor and outdoor seating, or takeaway food for a picnic. Its hours change seasonally; call before visiting in very bad weather. Bus services stop close to the park, so check your current route with First Bus or Stagecoach.
Weather, pacing and alternatives
Weather and visit length
Duthie is easiest in dry or mixed weather. The Winter Gardens give you an indoor change of scene when a shower arrives, but outdoor play and much of the park still shape the visit. Choose a museum or soft play instead if you need a fully indoor day.
Allow 1 to 3 hours. The Winter Gardens alone can be a short stop; play, the ponds, a park wander and the café can stretch it into a slower half-day visit.
Who should choose Duthie Park?
For poor weather, Aberdeen Science Centre gives you a fully indoor, hands-on plan. If the children want soft play, rides, bowling or arcade-style energy, Codona's / Smugglers Cove is the better fit.
Glasshouses, dogs and activities
- Dogs
- Dogs are welcome in the park; only assistance dogs are allowed in the Winter Gardens.
- Events and organised activities
- Check individual event or workshop details for booking and access arrangements.
- Winter Gardens
- The glasshouses include tropical, arid, fern, temperate and Japanese areas, with rare and exotic plants and a large cactus collection.
Plan the rest of your day
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