The Palm House
A curvilinear cast-iron glasshouse finished in 1840, among the earliest of its kind anywhere and older than the one at Kew.
Before curved glass on iron ribs became the fashion in Europe's gardens, Belfast's Palm House was already standing here. The foundation stone was laid in 1839 and the two wings were finished in 1840 by Richard Turner, the ironmaster who later made the famous Palm House at Kew, to a design by Charles Lanyon; the dome followed in 1852. It counts among the earliest curvilinear cast-iron glasshouses in the world. From outside the white arched wings look like an upturned glass boat; inside you get tropical planting and seasonal flower displays that change through the year. It takes fifteen minutes to walk through, but they are fifteen minutes in the nineteenth century. The real surprise is the Tropical Ravine a few steps away: a plain building from outside, built by head gardener Charles McKimm in 1889, that hides a sunken glen, viewed from a raised walkway that looks down over a small jungle of tree ferns, bananas and climbers in warm, damp air. It was fully restored between 2013 and 2018 and reopened in 2018, and has a lift for pushchairs and wheelchairs, which makes it the best bet for families on a wet day. The park itself is about 28 acres of level lawns and paths, and the rose garden peaks in June and July. Be clear about what this is: not Kew, not Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, and the botanical content is modest. At heart it is a living city park full of students from Queen's University next door, with concerts and festivals in summer, and a glasshouse can be shut for maintenance without much warning. What makes it worth the detour is the company it keeps: the Ulster Museum, also free and with a café, stands at the main entrance, and Botanic Avenue with its cafés and restaurants, several of them halal, starts at the north gate. Fold all three into one half-day. Practicalities: park and glasshouses are free. The park opens at 7:30am and closes at dusk, meaning 9pm in high summer and 4:30pm in winter. Both glasshouses open daily at 10am; the Palm House closes at 3:30pm and the Tropical Ravine at 4pm, so do not leave them for the end of the day. Botanic railway station is a five-minute walk, and the walk from the city centre is about 25 minutes along Botanic Avenue.
A curvilinear cast-iron glasshouse finished in 1840, among the earliest of its kind anywhere and older than the one at Kew.
A sunken jungle viewed from a raised walkway in warm humid air, restored in 2018 with a lift for pushchairs.
At its peak in June and July, and the prettiest corner of the park for family photos.
College Park, Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1LP
Not a separate trip if your Belfast time is short; the botanical content is small next to Kew or Edinburgh. Paired with the free Ulster Museum at its gate and Botanic Avenue for lunch, though, it makes an excellent half-day, especially with children on a wet day thanks to the Tropical Ravine.
Yes, both open daily year-round from 10am, but they close early: the Palm House at 3:30pm and the Tropical Ravine at 4pm, and either can occasionally shut for maintenance. The park itself closes at dusk, which means around 4:30pm in December.