Belfast Botanic Gardens

Belfast, United Kingdom

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Belfast Botanic Gardens in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was established in 1828 by the Belfast Botanic and Horticultural Society, initially as a private garden for members.

The gardens cover approximately 20 acres and include significant Victorian-era structures such as the Palm House, one of the earliest examples of a curvilinear cast iron glasshouse built by Richard Turner and designed by Charles Lanyon, completed in 1840. The gardens also feature a Tropical Ravine, which was constructed starting in 1887 and restored between 2013 and 2018, housing ancient seed plants, ferns, and exotic species like bananas and cinnamon trees.

The site was purchased by Belfast City Council in 1895, transforming it into a public park that attracts many visitors for its diverse plant collections, herbaceous borders, rose gardens, and statuary, including a notable statue of Lord Kelvin.

The gardens have played a significant role in Belfast’s Victorian social and scientific history, serving as both an educational space and a place of leisure for the city's residents, and continue to be a cherished green space renowned for its horticultural and architectural heritage.