Stanley Park Visitors Centre

The Stanley Park Visitor Centre opens its doors on 24 August 2005. The ceremony is led by Edward Richard William Stanley, the 19th Earl of Derby, who cuts the ribbon and formally inaugurates the new facility. The centre is funded by the National Lottery and provides a permanent base for the Friends of Stanley Park, the volunteer group who now manage the building. Constructed on the footprint of an old, disused joinery workshop, the centre is staffed by volunteers and serves as both an information point and a hub for community engagement.

The visitor centre continues the connection between Blackpool and the Stanley family, a bond that dates back to the official opening of Stanley Park itself. On 2 October 1926, the 17th Earl of Derby presides over a double ceremony: the opening of the park and the unveiling of Blackpool’s new marine promenade. The promenade, costing £320,000, is declared open when the Earl cuts through a black and white ribbon with gold scissors, before pressing a half crown into the mayor’s hand — a playful gesture to counter superstition surrounding the ribbon colours.

Attention then shifts to the park gates, where the Earl uses a golden key to unlock the entrance to Stanley Park. From there he is driven to the Italian Gardens, where he addresses the assembled crowds. He speaks of Blackpool’s civic motto, Progress, and praises the town for continuing to invest in its future. The park, named in honour of the Stanley family, has cost an estimated £250,000 — a figure equivalent to more than £18 million in today’s money. News of the opening travels across the Atlantic, with American newspapers describing Stanley Park as a place built “for the recreational needs of the modern generation.”

Today the visitor centre ensures that the park’s story remains visible to the public. It preserves the link with the Stanley family and provides a focal point for volunteers who care for what remains one of Blackpool’s most significant civic landmarks.