Land was set aside in East London in 1880, for the establishment of a botanical garden. Gardens were planted, and carriage drives and pathways were laid out. In 1890 the visiting Cape governor, Sir Henry Loch, officially opened the park, naming it Queen's Park, in honour of Queen Victoria who was in the 53rd year of her reign.

When road markers threatened to construct a road the through the park, it was proclaimed a national monument, with hopes of preserving the valuable exotic, and indigenous vegetation which were housed there. Wrought iron gates were donated to the park in 1894, by three prominent businessmen of the area Sir Donald Currie, John Stroyan and James Georgeson.

Today the park is the location of the only zoo in the Eastern Cape, The East London Zoological Gardens, also known as The Queen's Park Zoo. The zoo is situated on the edge of a stretch of coastal forest which covers an area of 45 ha.

Queen's Park Zoo encompasses roughly ten hectares of land, and the natural vegetation of the region features widely at the zoo. The most common and outstanding plants to be found in the region are perhaps the numerous endangered cycads which are kept under careful management to ensure their survival. The park features a variety of animal life which includes 47 species of mammal, 38 species of bird and 7 species of reptile. These include most of the big cats, chimpanzees, nyala, suricates, marmosets, bushbuck, blue duiker, leopard tortoises, koi fish and a variety of snakes. One of the Queens Park Zoo’s most outstanding features is their collection of rare white lions.

Another popular attraction at the Queen's Park Zoo, is the Smartie Train, an East London tradition, which has been relocated to the Zoo from Marina Glen and is enjoyed by adults and children alike. The miniature train runs at specific times during the week and all day on weekends and public holidays. There is also a jumping castle at the zoo, which is run by the Round Table, as well as rides on the small boats and Ferris wheel. The entrance fees are very reasonable and the Zoo is accessible to wheelchairs and prams. There is also a private baby room where moms can feed and change their babies. The centrally situated kiosk offers visitors a wide variety of light meals and refreshments, specializing in "Tea and Scones", they also serve breakfasts between 09:00 and 11:00am. Pensioner receive a special rate for tea and scones, and the kiosk also caters for children's birthday parties.