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family · Saturday 4 July 2026 · 11:00am - 4:00pm 
Herbert Park Summer Family Days
At Herbert Park · Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
At Herbert Park · Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
A free Saturday afternoon in one of Dublin’s finest parks - this is the kind of summer day that costs nothing and lingers in memory. Herbert Park’s Summer Family Days, run by Dublin City Council, bring organised fun to Ballsbridge on 4 July from 11am to 4pm, with no tickets, no queues to join online, and no charge at the gate. It suits families with young children especially well, but the park itself is calm enough that grandparents pushing a buggy or older kids looking for a kick-around will all find their place.
The 32-acre park becomes a natural playground on these days. Dublin City Council lays on structured activities for children - nature trails, sports coaching sessions, and community events alongside the park’s permanent attractions. The playground is a proper one, with equipment pitched at different age groups rather than one-size-fits-all apparatus. The duck pond is the other constant draw: resident ducks and carp have clearly grown accustomed to small visitors, and it tends to be the first stop for any child under six. On a fine day the wide lawns fill with families setting up picnics, and the Lolly and Cooks café (open from 9am) is handy for a coffee or a bite if you do not want to pack your own. The perimeter path runs a flat mile around the park, good for a stroll between activities.
Herbert Park sits in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, roughly 4km south of the city centre. The DART stops at Lansdowne Road station, a five-minute walk from the park gates. Dublin Bus routes 4, 7, 7A, and 18 all serve the area. If you are driving, paid parking is available at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road and at the APCOA car park on Simmonscourt Road - both are a short walk from the park entrance. On-street parking nearby is metered and tends to fill early on a summer Saturday.
Ballsbridge is a pleasant part of Dublin 4 to wander - tree-lined roads, the Dodder riverbank a short walk east, and the RDS a few minutes away. There is more to see in Ballsbridge and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Herbert Park in Ballsbridge? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Ballsbridge area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.