East Park opened in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and is the largest of Hull's public parks at about 53 hectares. It has a long boating lake, an animal education centre (free, with goats, donkeys, monkeys, and an aviary), formal gardens, and one of the country's only operating Victorian-era splash boats — a chute ride installed in the 1920s that still runs on weekends in summer.
The park sits east of the river in the Holderness Road area and is easy to reach by bus from the centre. The skate park near the lake is popular with locals. A traditional bandstand, a children's playground, and a refurbished cafe near the main gates make it a good place to spend an afternoon.