Peter Pan Statue
the boy who never grew up, where the book says
The 1912 bronze of the boy who never grew up, hidden in Kensington Gardens on the exact spot from the story.
Free to visit · Kensington Gardens · Lancaster Gate · W2 2UH
Opening: Daily, daylight hours
J.M. Barrie loved Kensington Gardens and set part of Peter Pan here, so in 1912 he secretly commissioned a statue of his creation and had it installed overnight on the exact spot where, in the story, Peter lands after flying out of the nursery. Children woke to find it as if by magic, which was rather the point.
The bronze shows Peter playing his pipes on a tree stump alive with fairies, rabbits and squirrels worn shiny by generations of small hands. It is free, a little hidden, and well worth seeking out on a walk by the Long Water, a piece of storytelling planted quietly in the park.
Getting there: On the west bank of the Long Water in Kensington Gardens, near Lancaster Gate.
Best time to go: A quiet morning to find it among the trees without the crowds.
Insider tip: It is on the west side of the Long Water, not signposted from far off, so follow the path north from the Italian Gardens. Look low on the base for the tiny fairies and animals climbing up toward Peter.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide