Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Dauer Museum of Classic Cars
Peasish (Hrachovina).
‘Hrachovina’
The Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial
The glass mural of old Zacatlán
Vitromurales de Zacatlán
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
about 20 hours ago
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
about 23 hours ago
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
2 days ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London Joseph Grimaldi Park
AO Edited

Joseph Grimaldi Park

An unassuming London park is actually a pilgrimage site for modern clowns.

London, England

Added By
Lex Berko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The park in the fall, with Grimaldi’s grave visible.   Mike Quinn/CC BY-SA 2.0
The park in the fall, with Grimaldi’s grave visible.   Mike Quinn/CC BY-SA 2.0
Islington Museum   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Backside   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Musical Coffin Plates   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
56 Exmouth Market   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  disgrace / Atlas Obscura User
A view of the park.   Don Cload/CC BY-SA 2.0
Pickford’s House Museum, Derby   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Grimaldi’s grave.   Loz Pycock/CC BY-SA 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Off Pentonville Road in London’s Kings Cross neighborhood sits an unassuming park. At first glance, a passerby may not take much notice of this small plot of shrubs and patchy grass. But this park's modest appearance belies the fact that it is an important site in the world of clowns.

Like many London parks, Joseph Grimaldi Park was once a graveyard that has since been repurposed. It's named after one of the people buried here, Joseph Grimaldi, who lived from 1778 to 1837. Grimaldi is considered the father of modern clowning, and his grave, and thus this park, are considered pilgrimage sites for the clowning community.

Unlike the aged monuments stacked around the boundaries of the park, his restored tombstone stands tall in the center, surrounded by a black fence, fronted by the sock and buskin. On any given visit, visitors might find streamers, balloons, and other celebratory leftovers attached to the fence.

On the side of the park closest to Pentonville, a musical installation honors Grimaldi, as well as Charles Dibdin, a British musician who died in 1814. Two coffin-shaped inlays, designed by the artist Henry Krokatsis and unveiled in 2010, rest among the bushes. Visitors can dance atop them—the title of the work is “An Invitation to Dance on the Grave…”—and the bronze plates will make sounds. According to a press release from the time, it is actually possible to play the song “Hot Codlins,” which Grimaldi himself made famous.

The park was redesigned between 2008 and 2010. It consists of four sections, or “rooms” as Latz+Partner, the landscape architecture firm responsible for the park’s transformation, refers to them. Each “room” has its own function, some of which include sports facilities and gardens. So if you aren’t interested in paying tribute to a clown forefather, you can always head to another “room” for more standard park activities.

Related Tags

Clowns Parks Cemeteries Burial Places Pilgrimages

Know Before You Go

The park is open all hours.

Just a 15 minute walk away, at 56 Exmouth Market, is the former home of Mr. Grimaldi.

Community Contributors

Added By

lexberko

Edited By

SEANETTA, disgrace, giordano, lodge89

  • SEANETTA
  • disgrace
  • giordano
  • lodge89

Published

September 26, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.php?ID=ISL043
  • https://www.latzundpartner.de/en/projekte/klassische-landschaften/grimaldi-park-london-gb/
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/01/pictures-day-1-june-2017/mattie-clown-dances-grave-joseph-grimaldi-1779-1837-180th-anniversary/
Joseph Grimaldi Park
11 Collier Street
London, England
United Kingdom
51.532201, -0.115126
Get Directions

Nearby Places

London Underground Labyrinths

London, England

miles away

The King's Cross Ice Well

London, England

miles away

Myddelton Passage Police Graffiti

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Nearby Places

London Underground Labyrinths

London, England

miles away

The King's Cross Ice Well

London, England

miles away

Myddelton Passage Police Graffiti

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Related Places

  • Newcastle upon Tyne, England

    Ballast Hills Burial Ground

    This former burial ground, built atop discarded ballast from cargo ships, is now a public park.

  • Manchester, England

    St. Michael's Flags and Angel Meadow Park

    Contrary to its heavenly name, this tranquil oasis has a dark and tragic history buried with it (quite literally).

  • Savannah Memorial Park.

    Rosemead, California

    Savannah Memorial Park

    Blink and you may miss this rustic pioneer cemetery.

  • The St. Clair monument.

    Greensburg, Pennsylvania

    St. Clair Park

    Originally a cemetery, this city park remains speckled with a handful of scattered gravestones.

  • Bukit Cina, Malacca’s Chinese cemetery.

    Malacca, Malaysia

    Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill)

    The largest Chinese cemetery in the world outside of China dates back to the 15th century.

  • The closed gate at Harmony Cemetery

    Zelienople, Pennsylvania

    Harmony Cemetery

    The first burial place of the Harmonist Society, a utopian community for which the surrounding town of Harmony is named.

  • Addolorata Cemetery.

    Raħal Ġdid, Malta

    Addolorata Cemetery

    Malta’s largest cemetery is a Victorian-era architectural masterpiece.

  • Ahlat, Turkey

    Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery

    Hundreds of medieval Islamic gravestones decorate the mountainous landscape in the largest cemetery in Turkey.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.