Springbank Park, Park in London, Ontario, Canada

Springbank Park is a 120-hectare park along a stretch of the Thames River in London, Ontario, the largest park in the city. It holds 30 km of trails for biking or walking and contains Storybook Gardens, a family attraction open year-round. Paths lead to adjoining parks, allowing a 10 km route from Byron to downtown London without traffic.

Springbank Park grew from a late-19th-century waterworks site around Hungerford Hill, now Reservoir Hill, suggested by Alderman James Egan. The city bought surrounding land and ran steamboats on the Thames. In 1896 the London Street Railway opened a streetcar line to the park. By 1925 it had tennis and bowling lawns, a zoo, a campground, an amusement park and a dance hall.

Storybook Gardens, inside Springbank Park, opened in 1958 and is owned by the City of London. Its eight themed sections include The Castle with a carousel and miniature train, Slippery's Great Escape water play area named for the escaped sea lion, and Old McDonald's Farm with rare breeds. No animals currently reside there after a barn fire.

The park has multiple entry points with playgrounds, picnic areas, and paths for cycling and walking. In winter, visitors can ice skate and toboggan when snow and ice conditions allow.

In 1958, a seal named Slippery escaped from the park and journeyed roughly 400 kilometers to Ohio. The story captured widespread media attention and sparked a citywide celebration when the animal returned.