Basildon also has a Leisure Park, which is called The Festival Leisure Park. It includes clubs, resaurants, gyms, a cinema and a bowling alley. Some of the resaurants are Aroma, Frankie and Bennie's, MacDonald's and many more.

The first historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Belesduna'

The name 'Basildon' means 'Beorhtel's hill' and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Beorhtel' and the Anglo-Saxon word 'dun', meaning hill. In historical documents, this name had various forms over the centuries, including Berdlesdon, Batlesdon & Belesduna.

The constituency of Basildon is considered a barometer of public opinion in General Elections. The results of the constituency elections have been the same as the overall result of general elections since 1974.

History and politics came together in 1989 when the newly re-opened Towngate Theatre commissioned a community play from Arnold Wesker for the town's 40th anniversary. He chose to create a potted history of Basildon called "Beorhtel's Hill", which referred either to a Saxon hero Beorhtel or, more likely, to a version of the word "bright". (then see "dun" = "hill", above). It was generally very positive about the place and the way it has always been a haven and a "bright hill" for different generations, and to "strangers in our midst". It was quite gentle, a little sentimental, tremendously heartfelt (by the 100 or so members of the community who put it on). But it also said some uncomfortable things about the dyed-in-the-wool racism of politicians in the 1970s and this inevitably led to some controversy.