Lagos Mainland is often overlooked as a tourist destination, but it has so much to offer visitors.
From bustling outdoor markets to serene nature resorts, you’ll find many fun places to visit in Lagos Mainland, with unique experiences you won’t find elsewhere.
I’ll highlight the 10 best places to visit in Lagos Mainland based on popularity, uniqueness, amenities, and overall experience.
For each place, I share key details like address, opening times, standout features, and reasons you won’t want to miss them on your next Lagos holiday.
Nice Places to Visit in Lagos Mainland
Here are the top places you don’t want to miss in Lagos Mainland
Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Mainland
Ikeja City Mall
- Address: Alausa, Along Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja
- Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm daily
Ikeja City Mall is the largest mall in Mainland Lagos, spanning over 22,000 square meters. It houses over 100 stores, including fashion boutiques, restaurants, a skating rink, salons, a cinema, and more.
You can literally spend an entire day here eating, shopping, catching a movie, and being entertained without getting bored.
It’s almost like a tourist destination on its own.
The mall also hosts events like fashion shows, product launches, craft fairs so there’s always something exciting happening here.
Kalakuta Museum
Address: 7 Gbemisola Street, Ikeja
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm daily
Once the home and studio of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Kalakuta Museum is now a museum dedicated to his life’s work and lasting impact on Nigeria.
This unassuming yellow building holds so much history within its walls. You’ll find Fela’s room preserved just as he left it, along with his instruments, costumes, personal items, and artworks.
The museum does an excellent job portraying Fela’s anti-establishment music and activism through photographs, exhibit captions, and visual arts.
To truly understand the essence of Fela Kuti, Lagos, and the birth of the global Afrobeat phenomenon, a visit to the Kalakuta Museum is a must.
National Museum Lagos
Address: Awolowo Road, Onikan, Lagos Island
Opening Hours: 9am – 4pm Tuesday – Thursday, 9am – 12pm Friday
The National Museum is another fun place to visit in Lagos Mainland for history lovers. This museum houses important cultural artifacts chronicling Nigerian history from its earliest civilizations, like Nok and Benin, to the modern era.
Spread across two floors, the museum showcases lots of amazing artifacts like:
- traditional carvings
- ceremonial masks
- ancestral statues
- traditional musical instruments
- excavated terracotta figurines
- historical photographs
- rock paintings
- festival artifacts and more.
Freedom Park
Address: Old Prison Ground, 1 Hospital Road, Central Business District, Lagos Island
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm daily
Once home to Nigeria’s oldest colonial prison built in 1911, Freedom Park is now a cultural hub and memorial to Nigeria’s history. It is now a symbol of freedom and hope, helping visitors understand and reconcile Nigeria’s complex past.
Walk along the promenade lined with arts and crafts shops and eateries before entering through the iconic Freedom Gates. Inside, you’ll find open event spaces, food courts, gallery exhibits, and souvenir shops bordered by the ruins of the former prison walls.
New Afrika Shrine
Address: 1 Nerdc Road Agidingbi, Ikeja
Opening Hours: 6pm – 12am Thursdays
New Afrika Shrine is the center of Afrobeat music in Nigeria.
This outdoor music venue was rebuilt and is run by Femi and Yeni Kuti, Fela’s children. On Thursday nights, you’ll find Femi Kuti and the Positive Band deliver electrifying performances.
Just like in Fela’s day, you’ll find Lagos youth, artists, activists, and culture vultures getting down to hybrid jazz-funk fusion, silky vocals, and eye-opening political rhymes.
For first-timers and die-hard Fela fans alike, New Afrika Shrine is the ultimate place to experience the maestro’s enduring legacy.
Say no more, just go there!
Hi-Impact Planet
Address: Kilometer 12, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm daily
If you’re seeking thrills and family fun in Lagos Mainland, Hi-Impact Planet amusement park delivers.
Just 10 minutes from Berger on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, this entertainment park spans 10 acres with over 30 exciting rides and attractions.
Get your adrenaline pumping on roller coasters like Fury, Butterfly, and Crazy Coaster. Or take a tamer train, carousel or horse carriage ride. Between rides, refuel at their cafes and restaurants, offering everything from local to international cuisine.
If you’d rather relax, outdoor tents have TVs showing sports. And the massive wave pool is perfect for splashing about with kids.
With rides suited for all ages plus party rooms and event halls, Hi-Impact Planet guarantees nonstop excitement for the whole family.
Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park
Address: Off Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja
Opening Hours: 7am – 7pm daily
As one of the most fun places in Lagos Mainland, Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park offers outdoor activities galore within its leafy 11 acres.
Have a kickabout on the mini soccer pitch or shoot hoops on their well-lit basketball courts. Rent bikes and pedal karts then race friends around the loop trail. Let kids unleash energy in the playground while you picnic under trees.
And gather your squad at sundown for games under floodlights.
Whatever your fancy, this lively community park was designed for healthy recreation and chilling with friends.
Ilashe Private Beach
Address: Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area
Opening Hours: By prior booking only
Craving beach vibes without lengthy travel? The splendid sands of Ilashe provide a quick mainland escape alongside the Atlantic Ocean.
Unlike crowded public beaches, Ilashe offers a tranquil resort-style experience minutes from home.
So skip long commutes to the Island. Charter their premium speedboat and start soaking up sea breezes and panoramic coastal views in no time.
Better still, book an overnight tent or beachfront villa with full hospitality to completely detach from city life.
The Orchid Bistro Cafe
Address: 112 Opebi Road, Ikeja
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm daily
Orchid Bistro Cafe’s gorgeous al fresco garden sets it apart as an urban sanctuary with chill vibes. It is a lush botanical oasis with a historic facade where you can enjoy peppery ginger tea and pastries.
You can turn up with your friends in the evening to enjoy cocktails amid fairy lights. However you while away the hours, Orchid Bistro Cafe feels worlds away while remaining central to the mainland action.
Vault Resto Lounge
Address: 11 Kofo Abayomi Road, Victoria Island
Opening Hours: 3pm – 3am daily
Come nightfall on Lagos Mainland, fun lovers flock to the legendary Vault Resto Lounge.
Their trendy garden lounge makes the perfect hideaway for enjoying chill house DJ beats while residents mix exotic bulbous cocktails.
Small chops sizzle from the grill before the parrrrty erupts on the dancefloor.
So whether relaxing or ready to get lit AF, Vault Resto Lounge remains Mainland’s plug for catching true Lagos nightlife vibes.
Where Will you Visit in Lagos Mainland Next?
I hope this detailed review showed you a new side of Lagos Mainland with unique places to get your groove on.
Beyond the malls and entertainment hot spots, Mainland Lagos overflows with nature, art, history, and music once you know where to look.
So next time you visit, escape the familiar Lagos Island and Victoria Island tourist sites. Head to the Mainland and let your heart enjoy the vibrant sights, sounds, and flavors it has to offer.
