Belfast Botanic Gardens

Belfast Botanic Gardens is located just south of Belfast city between the River Lagan and Queens University, close to the junction of Botanic Avenue and Malone Road.

Established in 1828 as 'The Private Royal Botanic Gardens', the Botanic Gardens was opened to the public in1895 when the Belfast Botanical and Horticultural Society sold it to The Belfast Corporation. Today it's owned by Belfast City Council.

The public park covers an area of 28 acres and boasts some fantastic features. These include a diverse collection of tropical and temperate plants, glasshouses, fountains as well as beautiful walks throughout. There's plenty to see and do here and it's also a fantastic spot to relax or spend the day with the family.

The main feature of Belfast Botanic Gardens is 'The Palm House'. The Palm House contains two wings, one that's called 'The Cool Wing' and the other 'The Tropical Wing' which is dominated by a large dome area. Here many tropical plants can reach their full height and it's proudly home to an eleven meter 'Globe Spear Lily'.

The Lily, which is formally a native of Australia, first bloomed in March 2005 after a 23 year wait. As part of the Tropical Wing there's also 'The Stove Wing'. The temperatures are high here, hence the name, and you'll find an abundance of tropical and exotic plants in this wing. The Cool Wing includes seasonal displays from spring bulbs to flamed nettles and much more.

Opening times

April to September

Monday to Friday: 10am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5 pm.

Saturday/Sunday: 1pm to 5 pm

Bank Holidays: 1pm to 5pm

October to March

Monday to Friday: 10 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm.

Saturday/Sunday: 1 pm to 5 pm.

Bank Holidays: 1 pm to 5 pm.

The gardens also contain another glasshouse called The Tropical Ravine House, which was built in 1889 by the then head gardener, Mr. Charles McKimm. The glasshouse features a sunken ravine that runs through the middle of the building and includes a beautiful balcony at each side for viewing.

Other attractions at the Belfast Botanic Gardens include an alpine garden, a beautiful and colourful rose garden, a pavilion, flower beds, specimen trees, sculptures, fountains, rockeries bowling green, and a great children's playground.

Admission to the gardens is free and there's also free car parking available as well as wheelchair access.

How to get here

The gardens are located on Botanic Avenue which is just off Belfast's Shaftesbury Square.

If you're taking the bus then you can hop on any metro number 8 and get off at Queen's University. You can also take the metro number 7 and get off at College Park.

The Gardens are just a short walk away. Head along Bedford Street, continue onto Dublin Street and then onto University Road.

Mairead Foley writes for the Ireland travel and accommodation website http://www.GoIreland.com where you can book quality approved Belfast accommodation including Belfast hotels.