This is a collaborative post: Fast becoming one of the UK’s trendiest destinations, Croydon tips the scales with its vast array of foodie hangouts, eye-catching murals and buzzing atmosphere. Whether you’re day-tripping or planning a city break, there are plenty of things for everyone to enjoy and discover.
Home to Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, the game-changing Boxpark and some unique hidden gems, there are plenty of reasons to explore what this vibrant town has on offer. Whether you’re day-tripping or planning a city break, there are plenty of things for everyone to enjoy and discover. If you’re travelling in a group, hiring a minibus in Croydon can be a great way to visit multiple attractions comfortably and efficiently
Are you ready to visit Croydon? Here are 10 attractions to add to your bucket list:
Croydon’s Arts Corner
You can’t go far in Croydon without facing a jaw-dropping, out of this world mural. The art form has become so popular around St George’s Walk that the area is now known as Croydon’s Art Corner.
What originally started as the Croydon Mural Project, kick-started by RISE Gallery owner Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison quickly swept through the trendy suburb. From mindblowing murials depicting famous actors, musicians and politicians to the recent memorial to the late Chadwick Boseman, visitors and locals revel in the iconic masterpieces.
Boxpark Croydon
No visit to Croydon is complete without sampling the foodie delights found at Boxpark. Not only will you find over 40 unique dining experiences all under one collective roof (figuratively speaking!), but there’s a chance you’ll rub shoulders with Stormzy!
Whether you want to indulge in a delicious dessert at Dum Dums Donutterie, sample authentic Taiwanese food at Bao Bao or try your hand at the world’s biggest urban axe throwing club, Bad Axe Throwing, there’s something for everyone in this vibrant pop-up menagerie.
Keep an eye on Boxpark Croydon’s dedicated and cultural events calendar throughout the year to make sure you catch the hottest live music events, screenings, festival fun and more.
Exciting Escapes
If you want 60 minutes of pure, untapped fun, then its time you discovered Exciting Escapes. Fully immersive, action packed and bursting with a plethora of puzzles and clues for you to solve, Croydon’s escape room experience is one you won’t forget!
With four unique games to choose from including the explosive Cold War-themed, A Hidden Past, and the 1980s horror-based, The Voices We Here, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Whether you go to head to head with your friends or choose “Big Brother Game Mode,” you’ll discover moire about yourself and your teammates than ever before. What’s more, you can raid the fancy dress box and get fully into character for the most immersive experience possible. Where do we sign up!?
Oxygen Freejumping
Jam packed with hundreds of trampolines, the whole family can bounce to their hearts content at Oxygen Freejumping. As well as a giant airbag to launch yourselves into, there is an under 5s play area, a selection of Olympic-sized performance trampolines, and a whole range of activities to get involved in while you are there.
Atomica
Home to a treasure trove of vintage and retro memorabilia, clothes and exquisite past time collectables, you’ll find Atomica. Bursting with everything you could possibly want from decades gone by, you can pick up several real gems from the mid-to-late 20th Century, all under one roof.
Located on a trading estate in Commerce Lane, Atomica stocks one of a kind retro coffee tables, sideboards, paintings, vintage fabrics, vinyls records and more. Whether you want to take a trip down memory lane or find some of the quirkiest, authentic pieces for your home, it’s well worth a visit.
Croydon Airport Visitor Centre
If you’re a lover of quirky museums, then you are in for a real treat at the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre. For one thing, the visitor centre is housed in the world’s oldest air traffic control tower!
Open the first Sunday of every month, you will find a whole host of fun interactive displays, a collection of artefacts and images showing the history of the airport. What’s more, it’s free! With a cute restaurant and gift shop inside, this micro-museum is the perfect rainy day activity.
The Ludoquist
Yes, Croydon is a hotspot of activity in the world of culinary delights, culture, art and music. But, that’s all part of the charming appeal. Then, there’s The Ludoquist. Home to a huge selection of classic and lesser known board games, you can while away the afternoon in one of the hottest venues in town.
While you tackle your opponent in the next round of Exploding Kittens or Risk, order a slice of freshly baked pizza to go with your delicious coffee.
Wandle Park
Just because you are in the city, doesn’t mean you can’t take in all the delights of nature. Wandle Park is Croydon’s answer to a perfect picnicking spot matched with 21-acres of space to freely wander, a space to play, skate and a place to find some peace.
In the summer, you can find live bands, an outdoor cinema and performances from the park’s bandstand, and a whole host of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy and explore.
Flip Out
Flip Out London is home to over 40 pinball machines, which is impressive in itself until you realise that some of the machines date back as far as 1938. Spread around a huge warehouse based at James Industrial Estate on Mill Lane, long term enthusiasts and new players can explore one of the biggest collections in the British Isles.
Surrey Street Market
Croydon has a rich and vibrant history, and as a result it is home to one of the oldest street markets in the London area, Surrey Street Market. Dating back to 1236, the market is home to a diverse range of fresh produce, herbs and spices from Asia and the Caribbean.
Sundays are reserved for artisan food, crafts and entertainment. So make sure you stop by for live music and performance, a range of comedy events and locally made art. You might even grab yourself a bargain!
Croydon is one of the most vibrant and exciting places on the map. Whether you want to take in all the sights and sounds, get lost in a foodie paradise or beat an escape room, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Which attraction made the top of your bucket list?