A complete guide to must-see places and things to do in Crystal Palace, a South East London neighborhood filled with historical and artistic hidden gems!
The 19th century marked an important time in Crystal Palace’s history, a hidden neighborhood in South East London.
Indeed, 1851 is the very year in which Crystal Palace became the site of the Great Exhibition, which was housed in a huge palace all made of glass and iron.
That is a place that also marks a turning point in London’s history, since the Crystal Palace was actually destroyed by fire in 1936.
Finding new historical sites in London is something that I feel Londoners and tourists alike should pay attention to, for the simple fact that London boasts all types of influences, from medieval and Roman ruins to paths, courtyards and streets still used today.
If you’re visiting London for the first time, or if you’ve been living in London for a while but still haven’t seen all of the city’s hidden gems, Crystal Palace and the adjoining park are great places to get lost in nature and history for a while.
London’s Crystal Palace: The Best Things To Do and Discover
The Crystal Palace neighborhood is not all about the park and its quirky dinosaur statues – there, you can find plenty of secret coffee shops and restaurants as well as really beautiful streets that make you feel like you’re inside an English village in London.
In addition, if you love shopping but would like to find something different than the famous department stores London boasts at all corners, Crystal Palace is an it-neighborhood to visit.
Granted, if you’re looking for budget shops and other second hand books, that won’t really be the place.
But it’s important to note that Crystal Palace hosts some of London’s best vintage shops, and well, while visiting London, vintage shopping is something you absolutely have to do if you’re into fashion.
Anyhoo.
In this new London Neighborhood guide, I’ll share with you all the best things to do in Crystal Palace, which I’ve come to know over my years living in London – I hope you enjoy it, and it makes you want to visit this village-like area as soon as possible!
Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace London: Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs
Designed and sculpted in the middle of the 19th century by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and commissioned by the Crystal Palace Company, the Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs are probably one of the most exciting sights in this part of London.
Today, a short walk from the Crystal Palace station will lead you to the park, in a corner of which you will find an educational trail situated around a small, picturesque lake.
One of my favorite places to enjoy some pretty nature in London, the Crystal Palace Park and its dinosaurs make for a great moment out with kids, and provide a striking glimpse into prehistoric life.
Read: 15 Themed London Itinerary Ideas Off the Beaten Path
Best Hidden Gems in Crystal Palace: Crystal Palace Museum
Located a short walk from the Crystal Palace Park, the Crystal Palace Museum is a completely free museum which traces the history of the Crystal Palace and its role in the Great Exhibition of 1851.
From its construction to its relocation and destruction by fire at the beginning of the 20th century, the Crystal Palace was one of London’s most beautiful buildings, and a collection of pictures, documents and artifacts explain all about its legacy.
If only a few items from the original structure were salvaged, sculptures and ruins are visible in the small garden at the entrance of the museum, and you can find pieces of ironwork and glass inside.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace London: Crystal Palace Park Sphinxes
Originally part of the Egyptian Court for the Great Exhibition of 1851, a space which displayed artifacts and replicas from ancient Egypt, the Crystal Palace Park Sphinxes are one of the only remaining sights from this era.
The pair of sculptures, located along the Grand Terrace, were cleaned and restored over the years, and right behind them, visitors of the Crystal Palace Park are able to enjoy some of the prettiest views of London in the distance.
But that’s not all; along the terrace are located some other sculptures moved to the park, and well worth a glance while you’re strolling around the winding paths.
Read: How to Spend 3 Days in London: A Fun Itinerary
Best Hidden Gems in Crystal Palace: The Italian Terraces and Its Sculptures
The Grand Terrace, also called Italian Terraces, are located right in front of the pair of sphinx sculptures I mentioned right above, and some of the most beautiful ruins in London, if I may.
Designed in the style of classical Italian gardens, and one of the only pieces of Italy in London, the Italian Terraces were relocated like the few sculptures still adorning them, including that of a Turkish man and a Hollow Lady.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace London: Sculpture of a Seated Lady
Located a few minutes’ walk from the Sphinx and Hollow Lady sculptures near the Italian Terraces, you will find a couple of other hidden gems in Crystal Palace Park, on the edge of the park and closer to Norwood.
The Seated Lady, a beautiful headless female sculpture depicted in a calm position with draped clothing, is another one of the unexpected sights you’ll come across when walking around the park.
Then, as you pass an ancient amphitheater and leave the park, you will find the Vicar’s Oak, another historical site we’ll see right below.
Read: The Old London: A Historic Itinerary in the City of London
Best Hidden Gems in Crystal Palace: Vicar’s Oak
When you leave the Crystal Palace Park by the door leading to Westow Hill, the Vicar’s Oak welcomes you, whose history dates back several centuries.
Believed to be one of the oldest trees in Crystal Palace Park, it used to mark the meeting point of the parishes of Croydon, Lambeth, Camberwell and Battersea.
While the Vicar’s Oak was cut down, the small square still bears its name, with a really cute garden around the remaining piece of the tree.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace London: Westow Hill, Norwood
Part of the Crystal Palace Triangle, which is made of three very aesthetic streets dotted with vintage shops, small cafes and other delicious restaurants, such as Yard Sale Pizza, Westow Hill is one of the cutest places to visit in Crystal Palace.
We’re actually on the shores of the Crystal Palace Park, and as soon as we enter Westow Hill, we’re arriving in the Norwood area, which is often mistaken for Crystal Palace.
Along Westow Hill, you will find a few of my favorite places to eat some good breakfast in the area, which include Colairo’s we’ll see further down this guide, but also the oh-so-instagrammable The Vaults Collective, that I’ll show you right below.
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Best Hidden Gems in Crystal Palace: The Vault Collective, Westow Hill
The Vault Collective on Westow Hill is, in addition to one of the most unique shops in London, a gorgeous place to have a vegan breakfast when you’re spending some time in the Crystal Palace/Norwood areas.
The Unicorn Poop Blondie, which I’ve mentioned several times on the blog, is so good, so tasty, with its beautiful shades of blue, pink and yellow, that I didn’t realize it was vegan until after I talked to the staff.
There are some really pretty flower shops in London I love, which include Forest in Deptford.
Well, The Vault Collective, with its collection of gorgeous homeware, plants, and gardening books, is one of the places to visit absolutely to get a feel of the local life.
Find here my full review of The Vaults Collective to learn more about this wonderful cafe, plant and homeware shop.
Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace London: Maltpress Trading
Then, once you’re done having breakfast, you can follow on my footsteps with some serious vintage shopping – a favorite of mine is the Maltpress Trading shop.
Located on Westow Street, just off Westow Hill, Maltpress Trading is one of the only places to find antiques, vintage clothes, and retro billboards in London.
Old photographs, retro tights, scarves, and all kinds of bits and bobs are to be found there.
A collection carefully curated by owner Sally, a kind woman so passionate about her selection that you can easily spend hours wanting to talk to her about the treasures at Maltpress Trading.
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Best Hidden Gems in Crystal Palace: Haynes Lane Market
Open from Thursday to Sunday, Haynes Lane Market is located only a short walk away from Westow Hill, and makes for a curious sight hidden just off a quiet road with village-like houses.
There, from ceramics to vintage jewelry, paintings and a myriad of colorful clothing-clad racks, you can find pretty much anything the vintage lover in you might be wishing for.
I found a good handful of gorgeous silver, gold, and various costume jewelry pieces when I last visited Haynes Lane Market, and the small market, tucked inside a quaint courtyard, is a really interesting place to visit for unique pieces.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace: Visit Picturesque Church Road
Facing the Vicar’s Oak, Church Road, like Westow Hill, is part of the Crystal Palace Triangle, and that is where you will find vintage shops like Bambino (perfect for leather goods, vinyls and even retro makeup containers!) and independent cafes like Four Boroughs.
Pictured above are the sides to the now closed Cambridge pub, at the corner of Church Road and Westow Hill, which makes for a very secret – and unexpected photo spot.
To visit all the corners of the Crystal Palace Triangle, walk down Church Road, strolling along the gorgeous shops, then take a right on Westow Street, and another right to discover other shops and cafes on picturesque Westow Hill.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace: Crystal Palace Antiques
Housed in a Victorian warehouse, the Crystal Palace Antiques is a huge vintage and antiques shop in which you’ll find anything from paintings to sculptures, and from homeware to mannequins.
I’ll admit to having been blown away the first time I strolled around the shop, nestled in an impressive building on Jasper Road – everywhere I looked, there seemed to be interesting antiques to decorate my place.
Once you’re done browsing the racks at Bambino and Maltpress Trading, and the stalls at Haynes Lane Market, this is another shop to pop by for a carefully-curated selection of bring-me-back-in-time bits and bobs.
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Best Things to Do in Crystal Palace: Colairo’s Cafe Deli for an Instagrammable Moment
While I’ve always been interested in anything related to secret cafes in London, it’s only a few months ago that I came across Colairo’s in one of Norwood’s main streets, just off the Crystal Palace Park.
Norwood is but one of the lesser-known neighborhoods in London, filled with vintage shops and cute floral cafes like Colairo’s, and the latter is a place you should have on your bucket list if you’re planning on visiting Crystal Palace.
There, colorful doughnuts, including a decadent red velvet doughnut, along with other brownies, cookies and even Italian food specialties are all available, and Colairo’s also preps some of the best chai latte in London.
Upstairs, the aesthetic cafe vibe made me fall in love with Colairo’s as soon as I reached the top of the stairs, and if you’re planning a romantic date or a girl’s day out, they also offer gorgeous afternoon tea bites.
Find here my review of Colairo’s Cafe Deli for gorgeous floral and vintage vibes, red velvet doughnuts and delicious chai latte.
London’s Crystal Palace: The Best Things To Do and Discover
These are some of my personal favorite places to visit in Crystal Palace and the Norwood area, located so close you can easily walk from one to the other.
Whether you’re looking for a breath of fresh air, for places to spot gorgeous autumn colors or have a gorgeous cup of chai latte, you’ll find all you need – and more – around the Crystal Palace Park.
Then, if you’re interested in discovering more of South London’s hidden gems, why not hop on a bus and make your way one of my favorite free museums in London – the Horniman Museum, with its beautiful gardens?
Or, if you’d rather just spend some more time in a secret garden not too far from Crystal Palace, the Streatham Rookery Gardens, with their pergola and fountain, are another great spot to relax, read, or have a picnic!