Freedom Park Lagos

A cultural park on Lagos Island, built on the site of the old Broad Street Prison.

Last checked: 27 Oct 2026

White two-storey building with a red tiled roof at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, with a bronze dancing figure statue in front and an old brick wall to the right — Photo: Olusola David, Ayibiowu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and compressed.

Quick facts

State: Lagos State
City: Lagos Island
Category: Landmarks
Location: Broad Street, Lagos Island
Former use: Broad Street Prison
Opened as a park: 2010 (to mark 50 years of independence)
Designed by: Architect Theo Lawson
Operator: Managed by LORK Enterprises LLP, per The Guardian Nigeria

Freedom Park is a cultural park on Lagos Island, built on the site of the old Broad Street Prison.

From prison to park

Broad Street Prison stood on the site in the colonial period and was rebuilt in brick in 1885. Detainees included Herbert Macaulay and Obafemi Awolowo. After it closed, the site became a dumping ground until the 1990s.

The park was built to preserve Nigerian history and to mark the 50th anniversary of independence in October 2010.

What you will see

The park keeps 52 preserved cells, a colonial-era gallows, a museum complex in the former records office, and life-size statues commissioned by the Omooba Yemi Shyllon Foundation. There is also a food and drinks area.

Events

Freedom Park has hosted arts and culture festivals, live music, exhibitions, readings and theatre. Check the venue's own channels for current listings.

Visiting

Opening times and entry prices change and are not confirmed here, so check before you go.

Lagos is not named in the UK Foreign Office's advice against travel to parts of Nigeria (page updated 22 Oct 2026). For the wider picture, read is Nigeria safe to visit?

Visiting in the holiday season? See Detty December in Lagos and where to stay in Lagos.