Sultan Park occupies the grounds of the old royal palace, demolished in 1968 after the abolition of the sultanate. What remains is a small but welcome patch of green in an otherwise concrete city — palms, frangipanis, a pond, and shaded benches where families gather in the evening. The National Museum stands in the centre of the park.
For most visitors the park is a half-hour pause rather than a destination, but it is one of the few places in Malé where you can sit out of the sun without buying a coffee. The park is open during daylight hours; admission is free except for the museum building itself.