Central Park

Good to know

• Amusement park
• Open daily11 AM–8:30 PM
• 4 kmfrom Almaty center
• Wheelchair accessentrance
• Parking
• Restroom
• Official site
• 4.7 / 532,788 reviews
• Almaty

A garden born as Verny

The park's story begins before Almaty was really a city at all. In 1856 the scientist-gardener G. Krishtopenko laid out a public garden—then called the "Kazenny Sad," or Government Garden—in the floodplain of the Malaya Almatinka River, partly as a strolling ground for officers of the Verny garrison. Drawing on experience from the Crimean coast, he planted the area's first deciduous and coniferous trees and proved that Central Russian species, not just Central Asian ones, could thrive here; seedlings later arrived from the Nikitsky Botanical Garden and Tashkent.↗↗

Under the forester Karl Baum, who took charge in 1874, the grounds grew into a venue for public festivals, with buffets, dance floors, gazebos and even a yurt for billiards. After a sweeping 1934 reconstruction it became a recreation park for workers of Alma-Ata, with attractions added along the deepened reservoir and the city's first zoo opening in the eastern section. Named for the writer Maxim Gorky in 1935, it has carried the label "Central Park" ever since, and a major 2018 modernization—funded privately—brought new lighting, benches, an amphitheatre, workout and ball-sport areas and a sculptural fountain complex created with the architect Roman Shneiderman and sculptor Sergei Kulikovich.↗

The lake, the fairground and the fountains

The water is the heart of the place. Hire a rowboat or a pedal catamaran and drift across the central lake toward the little island restaurant, passing the sculptural fountain where jets and a small waterfall catch the evening light. On dry land, the promenade is lined with café tables, street portrait artists and benches beneath elms, oaks, maples, pines and birches—planting that gives the park its old-garden atmosphere and a shady refuge from Almaty's summer sun.↗↗↗

For pure amusement-fair energy, head to the rides. The Ferris wheel lifts you in cozy cabins high enough to take in the whole park and a slice of the city beyond; the chain carousel, "Dancing Cups," "Space Station" and "Voyager" cover the gentler end, while the Extreme Park serves adrenaline with coasters like the "Matterhorn" and the dizzy "Pirate," plus a Panic Room escape. If you simply want a better angle on the skyline and the fountains, rent a bicycle and loop the park's cycling routes.↗↗

Built for the kids (and the water)

Central Park leans heavily into family fun, and several ticketed attractions cluster inside the gates. The Dinopark walks you past life-sized models of T-rex, stegosaurus and triceratops; the Children's Town runs a miniature train that chugs through a fairytale cave, along with pony rides, canoes and trampolines; and the Nemo Dolphinarium stages dolphin and seal shows, with optional photo-and-swim sessions afterward. For a hot afternoon, the Eighth Wonder water park—set off the lake with indoor and outdoor pools, big thrill slides and a dedicated kids' zone with its own waterfall—is the park's most popular summer magnet.↗↗↗

Adjacent to the grounds sits the Almaty Zoo, a natural add-on for a day out; it descends from the animal collection that opened here in the park's eastern section back in the 1930s.↗↗

Visiting

The park opens onto Gogol Street 1 in the Medeu District, handy to the Gogol–Furmanov area and an easy walk or short ride from the old city and the Green Bazaar; buses and trolleybuses stop near the entrances, and taxi apps drop you at the gates. The grounds themselves are freely open to the public, with the main working day generally running from late morning into the evening—ride schedules are weather-dependent, and the outdoor fairground operates mostly from March through October. Entry is free; the water park, dolphinarium, dinopark, boat rentals and thrill rides each charge separately.↗↗↗↗

Come in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October) for the gentlest strolling weather; in summer the shade avenues, the lake breeze and the water park make it bearable, but the best light for photos and boat rides is early or late in the day. Weekends bring the full crowd—fairground noise, graduates, wedding photo shoots—so visit on a weekday morning if you want the quieter, more atmospheric side of the park.↗↗