5 Best Parks and Gardens in Johannesburg (2026)

The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens sit on 81 hectares in Emmarentia, established in 1969 on what was once a bare golf driving range and now hosting a Shakespeare Garden, a Rose Garden, a Herb Garden and a full arboretum. It overlooks the 7.5-hectare Emmarentia Dam, popular with canoeists, and the grounds are used for everything from casual picnics to concert seasons and kite-flying competitions.

James & Ethel Gray Park in Melrose is a city park now fully enclosed with security fencing, maintained through a dedicated foundation partnered with Joburg City Parks & Zoo and local residents' associations. Reviewers consistently mention it as a go-to for dog walks and relaxed family time, with a nearby coffee shop and the Acrobranch treetop course sharing the grounds.

Gillooly's Farm in Bedfordview is a large park with a dam, playground, walking trails and multiple braai areas, also used as a banquet and wedding venue. Reviewers describe it as a relaxed, free-entry family spot, though several note the facilities need more consistent maintenance than the park's scenery deserves.

Beechwood Gardens in Hyde Park is a private three-and-a-half-acre garden laid out in 1945 by landscape architect Joane Pym, featuring a water lily lake, five ponds, a formal rose garden and what's believed to be the largest tree in Johannesburg. It's primarily an events venue for weddings and functions rather than a public walk-through park, and it's wheelchair-friendly with a smooth connecting pathway.

Mushroom Farm Park, also known as Hyundai Sky Park after the branded balloon that rises above it, sits in the heart of Sandton with a children's play area, an outdoor gym, an amphitheatre and a duck pond. Its name traces back to a mushroom farm and cannery that operated on the site in the 1950s and 60s, and it remains free to enter with security guards on site.