Stadtgarten Gelsenkirchen, Urban park in Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Stadtgarten Gelsenkirchen is a large park with winding paths, long avenues, and different sections for visitors to explore. It features exotic trees, colorful flower beds, and open meadows throughout the green space.

The park opened in 1897 as Kaiser Wilhelm Park on former farmland and expanded significantly over the following years. Multiple enlargements between 1901 and 1918 transformed it into one of the city's major green spaces.

The 1963 concert-shell pavilion in the southern part of the park has hosted the open-air "SommerSound" series since 1990, with free admission; since 2006 the focus has been folk and world music. It also served city festivals and political gatherings. A fire in late March 2026 badly damaged it, and the roof structure must be dismantled.

The park has multiple playgrounds, tennis courts, and walking trails for different visitors. An on-site restaurant offers refreshments and meals if you need a break while exploring.

The park's nickname, Simonsberg, honours garden director Ludwig Simon, who gave it its present shape in 1933; he died the same year. Three memorial sites stand in the grounds, including a stele for German prisoners of war and a memorial to the victims of National Socialism.