Independence Square
Western Province
About Independence Square
Independence Square in Cinnamon Gardens is Colombo at its most composed. Its centrepiece, the Independence Memorial Hall, commemorates the end of British rule on 4 February 1948 with a design that pointedly looks further back: a grand stone audience pavilion modelled on the Magul Maduwa of the Kandyan kings - the hall where the last Sinhalese kingdom conducted its affairs - raised on a plinth guarded by ranks of carved stone lions. Beneath it, the Independence Memorial Museum honours the independence movement's leaders. Around it, the square has become the city's favourite open-air living room: mornings and evenings fill with joggers, yoga groups, and families on the manicured lawns, while the colonial-era Arcade buildings next door house cafes and boutiques. Between the National Museum, Viharamahadevi Park, and this square, Cinnamon Gardens makes Colombo's most graceful half-day walk.
Top Activities
- ✓The Memorial Hall and stone lions
- ✓Independence Memorial Museum
- ✓Morning jogging and people-watching
- ✓Arcade Independence Square cafes
- ✓Combine with the National Museum quarter
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Early morning brings the square's daily jogging ritual - join in.
The museum beneath the hall is small, free, and worth 30 minutes.
Walk the leafy lanes of Cinnamon Gardens afterwards.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round; early morning or evening
Weather
Hot and humid; mornings and dusk are the pleasant hours.
Estimated Daily Budget
6.9034°N, 79.8683°E
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