Roma Street Parkland is a free, 16 hectare garden park on the edge of Brisbane’s CBD, with seasonal flower displays, a lake, two playgrounds, free barbecues and a cafe. It is open 24 hours a day, sits right beside Roma Street train and bus station and is about a 15 minute walk from the city centre.
Come for the Spectacle Garden, a picnic on the lawns or a morning in the Children’s Garden. Parking is paid, but the train station is next door.
The Spectacle Garden
The Spectacle Garden, in Colin Campbell Place, is the parkland’s showpiece. It is planted seasonally so there is colour all year, and it has water features, artworks, animal-shaped hedges and a Rainbow Serpent. It is free to enter and open daily from dawn until dusk.
Dogs are not allowed in the Spectacle Garden (assistance dogs are), and bikes are not permitted either.
Walks, the lookout and wildlife
You can wander without a plan, or pick up a self-guided map at The Hub. It covers 16 pieces of public art and the Lakeside Precinct. The suggested route runs from The Hub along Foxtail Avenue to the Amphitheatre, then along Weeping Fig Avenue to The Lookout, over Fern Gully Bridge and into Fern Gully, a rainforest-style area of ferns, figs and native plants.
The Rainforest Walk is open daily from dawn until dusk, the same as the Spectacle Garden. Eastern water dragons bask in the sun on warm days, and the parkland is a good place for birdwatching.
Free guided tours
Free volunteer-led tours leave at 10 am on most days. Tuesday and Saturday cover the Spectacle Garden, Wednesday and Sunday cover the parkland highlights, and Thursday covers bush tucker and the rainforest. There are no public tours on Monday or Friday. Check the guided tours page for the current schedule and booking details.
Lawns, picnics and free barbecues
Celebration Lawn faces a tall cascading waterfall that is lit at sundown, and it has free barbecues. The main barbecue area is beside Lakeside Lawn, which is shaded by leafy trees and looks over the lake. For something quieter, try Sunset Glade, secluded at the top of the parkland, or Palm Tree Court, surrounded by large palms and flower displays.
Alcohol is allowed in the licensed areas of Celebration Lawn and the Lakeside Precinct between 10 am and 8 pm daily, with a substantial meal, for people over 18.
Roma Street Parkland playgrounds
The Children’s Garden has two play areas, behind the Amphitheatre and along Weeping Fig Avenue, with a vegetable garden and worm farm between them. The equipment includes bird-house inspired cubby houses, lookout towers, rope bridges, climbing nets, slides, a nest-style swing and a miniature fruit orchard.
The first area is aimed at younger children, with an omni spinner, balance beam and log crawl tunnel for ages 2 to 12, and a tree house, tunnel slide, bridge walk and log climber for ages 5 to 12. The second is for slightly older kids: a basket swing from age 3, an embankment slide from 4, and a climbing structure, connecting nets, bridges and a rope climber from 5.
Xpress Fun Train
The Xpress Fun Train runs through the parkland, including the rainforest and past lawns with lake views, from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and usually in school holidays as well, weather permitting. Tickets are $6 per child and $8 per adult, bought at the ticket office at the departure point. It is suitable for all ages. Check the Xpress Fun Train page for updates before you go.
The Garden Room cafe
The Garden Room is off Parkland Boulevard at the top of Celebration Lawn, at 1 Parkland Boulevard, and serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon bites, dine-in or takeaway. It is open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 3.30 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 4.30 pm. Details are on gardenroom.com.au. You can also bring your own picnic.
Amphitheatre and events
The Amphitheatre is used for events, and the parkland has a year-round events calendar. In the weeks before Christmas it hosts the Enchanted Garden, a ticketed night light trail with tickets sold online and none at the gate. Browse what is on at Visit Brisbane’s Roma Street Parkland page.
Toilets and facilities
- Toilets and baby change: at the Carriage Shed, the Lakeside BBQ area, the Amphitheatre and near the Harry Oakman Pavilion in the Upper Parkland.
- Accessible toilets: three, at the Amphitheatre, by the Lakeside BBQs and in the Carriage Shed near The Garden Room.
- Barbecues and picnic spots: free barbecues at Celebration Lawn and the Lakeside area.
- Bike racks: in The Hub, with a cycle maintenance station where the Normanby bikeway meets Parkland Boulevard and Parkland Crescent.
- Lost property: the security office next to Celebration Lawn, or phone 1300 137 468.
Is Roma Street Parkland dog friendly?
Yes, on a lead at all times. Dogs cannot be one of Brisbane City Council’s identified dangerous breeds, and owners must clean up after them. The only place dogs are not permitted is the Spectacle Garden in Colin Campbell Place. That rule does not apply to assistance dogs.
Planning your visit
- How long: about an hour covers the Spectacle Garden and a loop of the lawns; allow longer if you add a picnic, the playground or the train.
- Best time: daytime for the Spectacle Garden, which is open dawn to dusk, and around sundown for the lit waterfall at Celebration Lawn.
- Cost: free entry. Parking, the cafe and the Xpress Fun Train cost extra.
- What to bring: a hat, sunscreen, water and a picnic rug if you are eating on the lawns.
- Accessibility: the parkland is designed to be accessible for everyone. A lift from platform 10 of Roma Street station goes straight into the parkland, there are signed accessible parking spaces and the three accessible toilets above. Path surfaces and gradients are not published, so phone the parkland team on 1300 137 468 if you need to check a route.
Getting there and parking at Roma Street Parkland
By train or bus: Roma Street train and bus station is directly beside the parkland, and the Brisbane Coach Terminal is next to it. From the station, exit platform 10 and take the lift into the parkland. Brisbane Metro M1 services use the Roma Street busway station. Plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
On foot: it is about a 15 minute walk from the city. The walk uses Albert Street and the Albert Street Walkway, with King George Square at the city end.
By car: the parkland is about 1.3 km and about 5 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD. The car park off College Close has two zones. The green zone allows up to four hours and the blue zone up to 12 hours on weekdays. Parking is $4.50 an hour on weekdays, capped at about $18 for the day, and $2.55 an hour on weekends, capped at about $14. Pay with the CellOPark app; the onsite meter takes payment for the green zone only. Signed accessible spaces are in the College Close car park, at City Saddle View, on Parkland Boulevard and just off Parkland Crescent.
Other options are limited on-street parking along Parkland Boulevard and the Cornerstone Car Park on Parkland Crescent. For taxis and ride share, the closest taxi rank is at the Brisbane Coach Terminal, and drivers can drop off on Parkland Boulevard, entering via Wickham Terrace or Roma Street.
By bike: the main route is the Normanby Cycleway Link along Parkland Boulevard. Paths inside the parkland are shared with walkers, and bikes are not allowed in the Spectacle Garden.
More detail is on the getting to Roma Street Parkland page. Details can change, so check before you go.
A little history
The Turrbal Aboriginal Nation used the site as a meeting place long before European settlement. It later became a railway yard, which moved to Acacia Ridge in 1991, and the parkland opened to the public in April 2001.
Nearby
- The Old Windmill, Brisbane – Australia’s oldest windmill, built by convicts, on Wickham Terrace in Spring Hill.
- Brisbane City Hall – on King George Square, at the CBD end of the walk along Albert Street to the parkland.
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens – another green space in the city centre.
- South Bank Parklands – the riverside parklands across the Brisbane River.
- New Farm Park – a riverside park with a rose garden and picnic areas.
- Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha – if you want a second garden day out.
Browse more parks, public gardens and things to do in Brisbane.
Quick answers
Is Roma Street Parkland free?
Yes, entry is free, including the Spectacle Garden and the free barbecues. Parking, the cafe and the Xpress Fun Train cost extra.
What time does Roma Street Parkland open and close?
The parkland is open 24 hours a day. The Spectacle Garden and Rainforest Walk are open daily from dawn until dusk.
How much is parking at Roma Street Parkland?
The College Close car park is $4.50 an hour on weekdays, capped at about $18, and $2.55 an hour on weekends, capped at about $14. Pay with the CellOPark app.
Is Roma Street Parkland dog friendly?
Yes, dogs are welcome on a lead. They are not allowed in the Spectacle Garden, except assistance dogs.
Is there a playground at Roma Street Parkland?
Yes, the Children’s Garden has two play areas, one for younger children and one for slightly older kids, behind the Amphitheatre and along Weeping Fig Avenue.
Are there toilets, barbecues and a cafe?
Yes. Toilets and baby change are at four spots across the parkland, the barbecues are free, and The Garden Room cafe is open from 7 am daily.
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