You’re visiting Québec City with your children and the kids need their usual playground time. More than likely you’re staying in or near Old Québec. So, are there playgrounds that you can walk to when visiting Old Québec?
Yes.
I did some Googling prior to our trip to Québec City. Our little one was 2 years old at the time and we needed to break up the day and let her get some play time in.
There are at least two playgrounds that are walkable when visiting Old Québec:
- In Esplanade Park – around a 15 minute walk (maybe more for the kids!) from Château Frontenac – just inside the old city walls
- Parc Scott: around a 25 minute walk (maybe more for the kids!) from Château Frontenac – just off Rue Saint-Jean – outside the old city walls
Esplanade Park
This playground is just inside the city gates, and is part of the Esplanade Park (Parc de l’Esplanade). Your most likely route, I believe, is walking west along Rue Saint Louis and just before Porte Saint-Louis turn north (right) along Rue d’Auteuil. Tucked in behind the buildings, you’ll find the playground around the mid-point of the park (between Rue Saint Louis and Rue Dauphine). The playground is not super crazy, but decent-enough for the kids to get some energy out.
The park contains:
- four swings: 2 little; 2 large
- a small slide
- other random play items
- a basic splash pad
- plenty of grass to run around in (and a hill to climb!)
- benches for the parents to sit on and watch
- washrooms (inside the little building right beside the playground)
Parc Scott
Park Scott is located a block south of Rue Saint-Jean (a few blocks past Boulevard Honoré-Mercier). When walking on Rue Saint-Jean there’s a little side street (Rue Scott) right where St. Jean Baptiste Church is located. Take Rue Scott a block south and you’ll see the playground. It has a full play structure with multiple slides and climbing areas. It’s also fully gated. For those looking to try some nice Québec beer, a block away (on Rue Saint-Jean) there’s a little beer shop (The Duchess D’Aiguillon – 469 Rue Saint-Jean) that stocks Québec’s finest craft beer. Hit that up if looking to take something back to the hotel room.
Bonus: City Hall of Québec City
No playground per se, but City Hall (Hôtel de ville de Québec) has a splash area that can provide fun for the kids – and cool them off as well. It’s a quick 5 minute walk from Château Frontenac — near the corner of Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue Pierre Olivier Chauveau.
These are the three play areas that we found when visiting Québec City with our two year old. They are all walkable – especially if ‘little-one’ is in a stroller. If you happen to visit any of these playgrounds, feel free to provide your comments below.