Parks and the outdoors in Yerevan

29 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Yerevan.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
2,750 fountains of Shahumyan Park
When Yerevan celebrated its 2,750th birthday, this park opened a water feature with a fountain for each year of Yerevan's history.
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Armenian Railways Museum
Museum of Railway Transport of Armenia
Presents the history of the Armenian railway, from 1895. Exhibits are labelled in Armenian and Russian, but not English. Several large exhibits are in an adjacent garden, accessible from the museum. A steam locomotive and carriage stand in the station, and are accessed by crossing the tracks at the Yerevan end of the platforms.
Closed MondaysFree
Do
Botanical garden of Yerevan
The collection includes more than 200 species of endemic, rare and declining plants. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union due to insufficient funds the condition of the park started declining and now it needs a lot of improvements.
See
Cafesjian Museum of Modern Art
Cafesjian Centre for the Arts
A modern art museum, housing the collection of Gerard Cafesjian. It has Arshile Gorky, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and other big names on display. The collection is very rich in Glass Art, has many pieces of the Libenský-Brychtová couple, including specially made 'For Armenia' series. Special galleries display monumental tryptichons or reliefs focusing on Armenian history. Entry can be made at any level, but information desk, shop, study center and facilities are at the bottom. In front of the cascades, there is a sculpture park with some Boteros and other plastics.
Escalators gallery daily 08:00-20:00; special galleries Fri-Sun 10:00-20:00Free
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Cascades, Sculpture Park and Cafesjian Museum
Cafesjian Centre for the Arts
The Sculpture Park is a small green zone in the immediate North of the Opera. Sculptures from Botero and other artists of international fame decorate the park. The park is part of Cafesjian Museum - the Armenian version of Guggenheim. The main part of the museum is in the Cascades - an Art Deco version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon stretching nearly the height of the Empire State Building. It's a massive white stairway up a hillside of central Yerevan, decorated with green stretches, fountains and waterfalls. Higher level of the Cascades give a spectacular view of Mount Ararat and panorama of central Yerevan with its hilariously multi-colour roofs. The first floor and the bookstore of the museum as well as the indoor escalators to the top of the Cascades are free of charge.
Tue-Thu 10:00-17:00, Fri-Sun 10:00-20:00Adults 1,000 dram, children under 12 - free
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Children's Park
շարժապահեստ Մանկական
Yet another beautiful remnant of Soviet urban planning in Yerevan. The park, opened in 1937, is situated in a gorgeous canyon of Hrazdan river and features a children's railway. Though the park and the railway still function, most of the infrastructure is horribly deteriorated. On the other hand the deterioration gives the feeling of a 'ghost park from a fairy tale' even though it is always populated. From Missak Manouchian Park, go northwest through the Kond Pedestrian Tunnel (which is creepy, but seems safe).
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Children's Railway Park
Miniature railway for children to ride in, established in 1937.
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Circular park
Despite its name, the park's shape is semi-circular. You can see several monuments to important Armenian and Russian imperial figures here.
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Climb the Cascades
(or - before 20:00 - take the escalators inside the art gallery, stepping outside at each level) one evening for the great views of the city and Mt. Ararat, then head across the street to the amusement park inside Victory Park for some cotton candy and a ride on the rickety Ferris wheel.
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English park
One of Yerevan's oldest parks, though smaller in size than it once was. It is popular with couples for wedding photographs.
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Fountains of Saryan Post Park
Saryan-Mashtots Park
Tons of fountains - including a huge splash pad that kids love to run through in the summer.
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Freedom (or Theatrical) Square
On the north the square is bordered by the Opera House, followed by a park with a lake and full of open air cafés on the east, and from south it borders the Northern Avenue
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Lover's Park
Boghossian Gardens
One of the oldest parks of Yerevan. Renovated in tradition of Japanese landscaping with Armenian spirit. It often hosts open air art exhibitions and concerts. It is best reached by metro, station 'Marshal Baghramian' - perhaps the most underused building and allegedly the best in Modernist style.
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Lyon Park
Vardavar Park
Surrounding the artificial Vardarvar Lake, this park was renamed Lyon Park to honor France's second city. Lyon is a friendship city of Yerevan and the French funded the renovation of the park in the early 2010s.
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Oghakadzev park
Features the Luna Park amusement park, a couple of small lakes and cafés.
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Opera park
Spend a late night at a café in the Opera park, and outside the Melody Café for some of the best people watching in Yerevan.
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Saryan Park
A triangular park with a statue of the painter Martiros Saryan is where painters gather to sell their work. Many more on the weekend than on weekdays.
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The Swan Lake park
Karapi Lich
ends with the popular statue of the composer Arno Babajanyan, which brings attention to his famous nose and long fingers. The Swan Lake park usually hosts various open air art exhibitions. Ice-skate with many locals at the Swan Lake (next to the Opera House) during winter months.
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Vernissage
A walk through the weekend Vernissage open air market through the park between Aram and Buzand Streets is a must. From rugs, souvenirs, instruments and paintings, to pets and chemistry supplies, this outdoor market seemingly has everything.
Sat Sun
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Victory Park
- Amusement park. Features a huge monument of Mother Armenia as well as some Soviet military equipment on display. Very nice view of the city centre.
See
Walk of Fame
Stars, embedded in the pavement, commemorating twelve Armenian actors and musicians.
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Yerevan Water World
Water park "AquaWorld"
A water park popular with the locals in the summers, it consists of a big open-air water park and a much smaller indoor one. Anybody can cool down there as in total it offers 7 outdoor and 3 indoor pools. There are also wall-climbing facilities. During winter time, the largest pool of the park is turned into an ice skating rink.
12:00–21:00, indoor water park "Aquatek" is open all year round without holidays
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Yerevan Zoo
Zoological Garden of Yerevan
Zoo is home to about 3,000 animals mainly representing South Caucasus and Armenia: bears, goats, snakes, Armenian mouflon and black vultures. Also from other parts of the world: lions, tigers, hyenas and an Asian elephants. It was upgraded and renovated to the modern standards back in 2014.
ClosedAdult 800 dram, children 12-16 years - 500 dram, children 3-12 years - 300 dram
Do Not mapped
Catch a concert
on the Cascades or the Lover's Park, and an art exhibition at Swan Lake park or Lover's Park.
Buy
Dalma Garden Mall
Western-style indoor mall with food court and movie theater.
Closed · opens 10 am tomorrow
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Paplavok Park
Chill out in Yerevan Green Belt.
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Park of Komitas Pantheon
Պանթեոն` Կոմիտասի
A cemetery that doubles as a park.
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Tumanyan park
Part of the Tumo Centre for Creative Technologies.
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Yerevan reservoir
Yerevanyan Lake
Built in 1963, total area is 57.45 ha.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Yerevan (CC BY-SA 4.0).