Overview
Pickie Fun Park stands on the site of the old Pickie Pool, the open-air sea baths where generations of Bangor children learned to swim before the seafront was redeveloped in 2012. It runs along the Marine Gardens promenade beside Bangor Marina in County Down, with Belfast Lough and the Antrim hills across the water. Entry to the grounds, the adventure playground and the splash pads is free; the rides you pay for.
What to see and do
- Pickie Puffer steam train – a narrow-gauge miniature railway that loops the park with open views over the marina and lough. Along with the swans, it’s the ride most worth the money.
- Giant pedal swans – the park’s signature: swan-shaped pedal boats on a shallow, calm pool, stable and easy to steer, with room for an adult and a child.
- Splash pads – free water-play jets and fountains that pull crowds on warm days. Bring a towel and a change of clothes.
- Adventure playground – a large free play area with climbing frames, rope nets and slides, best for roughly ages three to ten.
- Children’s electric cars – battery cars on a paved circuit, in timed sessions.
- Pickie Golf – an 18-hole nautical-themed mini-golf course, flat and easy to move around, with shipwrecks and lighthouses for obstacles.
- Café and Candy Shack – a glass-fronted café over the marina for sandwiches, hot food, ice-cream and coffee, plus a kiosk for sweets and cold drinks.
It’s aimed squarely at children up to about 12; teenagers will be done quickly.
Planning your visit
The park is open daily from April to September, roughly 9am to 7pm and later at the height of summer; from October to March it’s weekends only and weather-dependent. The splash pads and some rides close in poor weather, so a wet forecast can thin out what’s running, worth checking before you set off, especially out of season. Picnics are welcome; barbecues aren’t.
Tickets and payment
Grounds admission is free and you pay per ride. The park phased out its old £1 tokens through 2025 in favour of card and digital payment. In peak season an all-day wristband, around £10 to £15 per child, covers most rides, though a few games are excluded. Some rides carry height restrictions.
Getting there and parking
There’s free parking at the Queen’s Parade car park, a minute’s walk from the entrance, with limited disabled parking off Marine Gardens. Bangor’s train station is about a ten-minute walk, with regular Translink trains from Belfast, and buses run from Belfast too. By road it’s about 25 minutes from Belfast on the A2.
Accessibility and facilities
The park is partly accessible: much of it is flat and easy for wheelchairs and buggies, but some zones have uneven surfaces. Accessible toilets and changing facilities are near the beach huts. Assistance dogs are welcome; other dogs are not.
Nearby highlights
A visit to Pickie easily extends into Bangor’s waterfront and historic centre.
The adjacent Bangor Marina is Northern Ireland’s largest, and the North Down Coastal Path runs right past the park. A short walk inland brings you to Bangor Abbey, founded in the 6th century, its grounds open year-round. Eisenhower Pier, named after the general who reviewed the D-Day invasion fleet from Bangor in 1944, is a few minutes along the front.
Arrive before 10.30am at weekends to beat the queues for the steam train and the swans, and pack a light layer even in July; the breeze off Belfast Lough has an edge to it. For enquiries, the park is on +44 (0) 28 9145 0746.