The park was designed to include significant sporting provisions, along with formal gardens, a boating lake and woodland area.

The park's largest gardens feature a fountain built with Italian marble and a number of statues including a pair of Medici Lions.

The Italian gardens are overlooked by a cafe, designed by Mawson and built in a traditional Art Deco style, and include steps down to the boating lake.

Due to large growth of Blackpool's population between 1870 and 1900[1] the council decided that an outdoor attraction was required,[2] to "appeal to all ages and all classes".

[1] The land previously consisted of "the most heterogeneous collection of hen runs, pigsties, stagnant ponds, caravan dwellings and stables we have ever come across.

[7] When the park came to be built in the 1920s, the provision of sporting activities for the middle classes was an important theme for British resort towns.

The park is located between the residential areas of Great Marton and Layton[16] and is surrounded by housing except on the east side.

[12] At the steps leading to the cafe from the Italian Gardens, there are two Medici lions statues which were produced, by Rupert Harris Conservation, using casts from the former sculptures which were returned, on loan, to Stowe House in 2013.

[22] The original lions, and shepherds and shepherdesses (probably from the Grecian valley, after 1749), were donated by John Magee in 1926[21] after being purchased during the sale of Stowe House in 1921.

Three of the Four Shepherd statues in the Italian Gardens were stolen, probably for scrap metal, in 2011 which prompted Blackpool Council to ensure the safety of the lions.

[23] In return for the loan Stanley Park received exact copies (but with steel armature), new plinths and secured free access for Blackpool residents at Stowe House.

[26] Due to financial strains this was re-designed, as it now stands, as a cafe in an art deco style which was designed to appear larger than it was.

[34] In 1927, the lake was covered by 8 cm (3 inches) of ice[35] which the council embraced and lit the area for late night ice-skating.

[36] Mawson proposed a war memorial for the park[37] which led to a competition by the Blackpool Corporation offering a prize of 100 guineas.

[39] The inscription on the tower reads: “This tower was erected in the year 1926 the jubilee of the incorporation of the borough of Blackpool in honour of William Henry Cocker esq jpmrcs eng lsa 1st mayor of the borough a man of ideas wide vision and sterling ability Dr Cocker rendered eminent service to the municipality he was elected mayor on six occasions and was a member of the council for 35 years during a long career of unselfish devotion to public duty it was his constant endeavour to increase the popularity of Blackpool as a health and pleasure resort.

The jubilee marked the realisation of the wonderful developments/ which he advocated with steadfast faith and confidence”[39]It used to be possible for visitors to climb the tower for the view’ until the mid-1970s.

The rose gardens are surrounded by the hedging of the bowling greens[30] In a bungalow style of the inter-war era the building has had multiple uses such as facilitating tennis equipment hire and as a tearoom.

[44] It has a number of attractions including: rocking horses, see saws, slides, climbing frames, swings, roundabouts, interactive surfboard, rota web, play vehicle and 3D spring ride-ons.

The greens are regularly used by the Blackpool Bowling Club[30] Constructed in 1987, and updated in 2008, the all-weather pitches host a number of sports including five-a-side football, hockey, and basketball matches.

There is an annual Blackpool Hockey Festival held on the sports pitches[47] which has been at Stanley Park since it was organised by Warrington banker manager, George Greaves, in 1952.

The arena houses an "eight-lane outdoor synthetic track, 60-metre (66 yd) 6 lane indoor synthetic track, full range of field event facilities, UK Athletics-qualified coaches, covered stand with seating for over 300 spectators, Clubhouse and changing rooms with disabled provisions".

[40] Blackpool F.C., the town's professional football club, had its home at the athletic grounds on the same site between 1897 and 1899, prior to moving to its current Bloomfield Road address.

Sir Lindsay Parkinson donated the ground, valued at £10,000 to the club shortly before it was renamed Stanley Park.

1935 saw a ladies pavilion and an extension built to the existing stand in an attempt to encourage more county games to be held at the ground.

[53] It continues to facilitate local and county games[40] The competitive hobby of slot car racing has a group based in the scout huts at the Cricket Ground.

[8] Alister MacKenzie designed the golf course for the park and he reported that the 21 ha (51 acres) he was originally given to plan was not sufficient for the quality course he would have liked.

[63] The 0.12 ha (0.30-acre) northern island within the lake has, since 1993, held Lancashire County Biological Heritage Site status due to its heron nesting population.

[78] Waterfowl, including mute swans, great crested grebes, geese, moorhens, tufted ducks, shovelers and coots are also regularly sighted at the park.

[78] Blackpool's Countryside Experience, which includes Salisbury Woodland, Heron's Reach and Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve allows plants and animals to transverse between sites.