Abuja’s master plan mapped out the state as Nigeria’s best. Despite being one of the tiniest states in the country by landmass, FCT already has the best road network, hosts the seat of government, and houses nearly all the Nigerian agency headquarters.
Something else you’ll commonly find in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory is an amusement park. There are several amusement parks in Abuja, from the insanely popular Millennium Park to the fast-growing Jabi Recreational Park.
If you’re visiting or living around Abuja, you shouldn’t leave without checking out some of the popular amusement parks around the state. To help you with that, this article will list ten fun amusement parks in Abuja, complete with suggestions of what to do when you find yourself in one of them.
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Fun Things to Do in Amusement Parks in Abuja
If you tend to visit parks a bit more often than the average person, you may someday find yourself wondering what to do on your next visit to one. Thankfully, there’s an abundance of fun things you can do at an amusement park, and this section is an excellent chance to introduce you to some of them.
Without further ado, here are some fun things to do at amusement parks in Abuja.
1. Play a sport
Football is one of the most popular sports in Nigeria, as it requires no more than an open field and a football to play. As long as there are no rules banning the sport in your choice of amusement park, playing football is an excellent and fun activity to do in an amusement park in Abuja.
Parks like the Turf Arena are specifically designed for football, and several other parks also allow visitors to play varying sports, including basketball and volleyball, among others.
2. Organize a picnic
There’s no better way for a group of friends to spend time together than by organizing a picnic, and I believe pretty much all amusement parks in Abuja allow picnics. Like football, a picnic requires no sophisticated facilities—just an open field and a group of happy friends.
Parks City Park and The Secret Garden have table and chair setups that make picnics easy and fun; even if your chosen park doesn’t have that, just show up with a mat and you should be good to go.
3. Go swimming!
Abuja has its fair share of water parks, and if you choose to visit one, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to have a dip in the water. Of course, this activity is only possible if you can swim in the first place, but swimming isn’t the only fun activity you can do at a water park.
Apart from swimming, you can try canoeing at the Julius Berger Water Front Park, among the numerous fun water-based activities they tend to have at any given time.
Best Amusement Parks in Abuja
Being Nigeria’s capital, you can’t run out of amusement parks in Abuja. Here are the 10 most popular for folks looking for a place to unwind and have fun:
1. Millennium Park
Any longtime Abuja resident would know the Millennium Park, Abuja’s largest public amusement park dedicated to preserving nature at its finest. Inaugurated two decades ago, Late Queen Elizabeth II graced its opening, on December 4, 2003.
The acre lies on a wide expanse of land that’s 80 acres in total, situated near the former Presidential Palace at Usuma Street, Three Arms Zone, Abuja. A river divides the park rectilinearly, with each side dedicated to different causes. With the park bringing thousands of people together daily, it’s not an overstatement to describe it as one of the most significant amusement parks in Abuja.
2. City Park Abuja
City Park Abuja is an open-air amusement park for picnics and other similar outdoor events, but you don’t need a picnic to hang out at this amusement park. With facilities for a futuristic cinema, an island, and a village, there are plenty of fun activities you can carry out at City Park Abuja without needing tons of people.
However, the most fun activities involve a gathering; like playing a soccer match with your old mates from secondary school for example. City Park is no Turf Arena, but it can handle minimal pressure, like a simple sports game.
3. Jabi Recreational Park
Jabi Lake is undoubtedly the most popular lake in Abuja, so the idea of creating a recreational park around it only comes naturally. The park is open 24 hours daily and has facilities for several outdoor games, including volleyball, cycling, badminton, and horse riding.
Entry to the park itself is free, but you’ll have to buy access to most of the fun facilities. Refreshments are also abundant at Jabi Park, with vendors selling a variety of refreshments like smoothies, foods, and snacks, among others. If you’re going on a date or hosting a get-together with a group of friends, Jabi Recreational Park is an excellent option.
4. Julius Berger Water Front Park
Despite its relatively young age compared to other amusement parks in Abuja, Julius Berger Water Front Park’s unique advantage as a water park makes it stand out, earning it a well-deserved place among the best amusement parks in Abuja.
This park is excellent for individuals looking to engage in fun solo or small group activities like outdoor work, picnics, dates, and birthdays. Thanks to the free entry, serene environment, and amazing Jabi Lake view, it’s hard not to include this park among the best amusement parks in Abuja.
5. The Garden by L’Epicure (The Secret Gardens), Abuja
Don’t worry, there’s nothing discreetly dangerous about The Secret Gardens in Abuja; that’s no longer its name even, it’s now The Garden by L’Epicure. Unlike most other amusement parks in Abuja, it’s not an open park with numerous facilities for play and sports; it’s more of a destination for adults to have fun alone or with friends.
It’s more of a bar, so not a place for children, but where the garden shines is in its food. It serves some of the best pizzas in Abuja, and it also has a chicken burger that can be a hit or miss depending on who’s preparing it.
If you’re only after a place to eat, drink, relax, and unwind, the Garden by L’Epicure is one of the best amusement parks in Abuja.
6. MagicLand Park (formerly Wonderland)
MagicLand is one of the most popular amusement parks in Abuja, housing tons of fun rides and activities you can participate in by buying an insanely cheap ticket. Entry to the park is only N500, but you may have to buy separate tickets to engage in certain activities within the amusement park.
Enclosed by a high stone fence, the park is a very secure and fun destination for picnics, get-togethers, and events. If you’re after one of the best amusement parks in Abuja, MagicLand Park (formerly WonderLand) is one of your best bets.
7. Eden Parks and Gardens, Abuja
Eden Parks and Gardens is one of the largest amusement parks in Nigeria purposely built for activities like picnics, shows, and get-togethers. If you frequently attend shows hosted in Abuja, you must have had to show up at the amusement park at some point or the other for one of them.
The park has a restaurant, conveniently named Eden Parks and Gardens Restaurant that serves a collection of Nigerian dishes to visitors. From Isi Ewu to goat meat pepper soup and even Ukwobi, there’s every Nigerian fun dish possible at this restaurant to make your stay at the park eventful.
8. Happy Island Park, Abuja
The main point of Happy Island Park, Abuja, is to create a fun environment for families looking to have a great time and provide an affordable facility to celebrate children’s birthdays. So, you should expect most of the facilities in this park to be geared towards children, although there are also provisions for adults to have some fun too.
The park is located in Dakibiyu District, CAD Zone B10, in Abuja Municipal Area Council. Happy Island Park opens Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and for children’s birthdays and similar events, it’s one of the best amusement parks in Abuja.
9. Boulevard Park
Boulevard Park is located in the heart of Maitama, right at the city center of the Federal Capital Territory. The park operates an open atmosphere with wooden chairs and tables where visitors can sit, relax, and enjoy a meal alone or with friends.
There are a couple of restaurants serving foods from both Nigerian and foreign cuisines, including a special Suya spot that regulars describe as one of the best they’ve ever consumed. For an open-air picnic or get-together, the Boulevard Park in Maitama is unarguably one of the best amusement parks in Abuja.
10. Turf Arena
As its name implies, Turf Arena is an open field in Wuse where teams can engage in an interesting game of football. Visitors to the arena describe it as one of the best natural football pitches in Abuja, and it’d be unfair to exclude it from a list of the best amusement parks in Abuja.
Football isn’t the only sport you can play at Turf Arena; there are facilities for basketball, netball, handball, and table tennis, among others, and every playing facility is well-maintained, complete with a dressing room for both men and women. If your goal is to play a sport in one of the best amusement parks in Abuja, look no further than Turf Arena.
Conclusion
Abuja has its fair share of parks for a city that’s Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, from the age-old Millennium Park to the kids-centered Boulevard Park in Maitama. If you’re looking to have a fun time, here are the best amusement parks in Abuja to consider.
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