Figueres old prison gardens to open on 3 October

The gardens of Figueres' former prison will officially open to the public on Saturday 3 October, with a ceremony starting at 5pm.

Figueres City Council (the Ajuntament) announced the date. It is organising a public event to mark the end of the works on the site, and residents are invited to attend.

The project has turned the grounds of the old prison into a park. Alongside the green space, the site now includes a new children's play area, a basketball court and table tennis facilities.

Walls and fences come down

One of the biggest changes on the site is the removal of barriers. Fences have been taken away, and part of the existing wall has been demolished. This opens up a space that had long been closed off from the surrounding streets.

Not everything has gone, however. The mural by Grup 69 has been kept as part of the new layout, so a recognisable feature of the old site stays in place within the new park.

How to get there

The gardens can be reached from three points:

• Plaça Vila d'Ordis
• Carrer Albert Cotó
• Carrer Sant Pau

The number of entrances reflects the aim of the project, which is to connect the former prison grounds with the neighbourhood around them rather than keep them sealed off.

What to expect on the day

The Ajuntament has described the event on 3 October as a public celebration of the completed works. The council has not yet released a detailed programme, so anyone planning to go may want to check the city's official channels closer to the date.

For families, the play area is likely to be the main attraction. The basketball court and table tennis tables will add options for older children, teenagers and adults. For those who simply want a quiet place to sit, the park itself offers a new green space in the city.

A new public space for Figueres

Figueres is the capital of the Alt Empordà. Many people from Empuriabrava and Castelló d'Empúries go there for shopping, appointments and services, and a new park in the city could become a useful stop for families on those trips.

The key point of the project is simple. A space tied to confinement has been turned into one designed for leisure, play and open access. Keeping the Grup 69 mural means the change does not erase the site's past completely, and it gives visitors a link to what was there before.

Why It Matters

This project suggests a clear direction in how the council wants to use former institutional sites: open them up, remove physical barriers and give them back to residents. Taking down fences and part of a wall is more than a practical step. It changes how people move through the area and how they relate to a place that was once off limits.

For residents of the wider Alt Empordà, the opening adds another public space in the region's main town. Play areas and sports facilities that are free and open to all tend to matter most to families and young people, who often have fewer low-cost leisure options outside the summer season.

The decision to keep the Grup 69 mural is also worth noting. It shows an effort to balance renewal with memory, rather than starting from a blank slate. Other towns in the area face similar choices about what to do with old buildings and plots, and how to involve residents in those decisions. In Castelló d'Empúries, for example, the participatory budget gives residents a direct say in which local projects move forward.

What to watch next is how the gardens are used once the opening ceremony is over. It is worth watching whether the park becomes a genuine meeting point for the neighbourhood, how the facilities are maintained, and whether the rest of the former prison site sees further changes in the future.