Top things to do at Eden Project in Cornwall

The Eden Project story began in 1995 when a china clay pit was nearing the end of its life. Tim Smit, who had restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan, along with architect Nicholas Grimshaw and a team of engineers & consultants started working on the design for the Eden Project biomes. Over the next few years after overcoming several engineering challenges, the Eden Project opened its doors to visitors on 17th March 2001. Since then Eden has welcomed millions of visitors and is today one of UK's top attractions that is as entertaining as it is educational.

There is lots to see and do at the Eden Project - the two biomes (with two different habitats), outdoor gardens, exhibitions (in the Core building), adventure activities, play area for kids, a tropical-style bar inside one of the biomes, a restaurant in the Mediterranean Biome, guided tours, weekly parkruns, year-round family events, refreshment joints (juice bar, ice cream parlour, snack bar etc.) and a gift shop. Listed below are some of our favourite parts of Eden.

Rainforest Biome

The Rainforest Biome with its tropical temperature is the larger of the two biomes covering nearly 1.5 hectares. It is said to be the largest indoor rainforest in the world and is home to over 1,000 varieties of plants including palms, sugar, banana, coffee, giant bamboo, rubber, cacao, baobab, cashew, vanilla, betel plants, pepper and a number of other nuts and spices. There are many interactive exhibits in various parts of the biome which tell you about different plants, their cultivation, uses etc. My favourite was the 'Wild rubber' exhibit which was very interesting and informative.

Also interesting was to see a waterfall inside the biome. Fed by rainwater that falls on the biomes, the waterfall flows from the very top of the biome! It was beautiful. Another surprise was a number of beautiful roul-roul partridges living in this biome. You will spot them foraging for food on the biome forest floor.

Rainforest Canopy Walkway

With spectacular views across the Rainforest Biome, the treetop walkway includes among other things a rope bridge and a cloud bridge. As you walk along the walkway you'll learn about rainforests and their importance to us. The Rope Bridge stretches across the canopy between two of the tallest trees in the Rainforest Biome. It was an amazing experience walking across it. The Cloud Bridge was also very interesting. You can walk through swirling clouds on this bridge and get an understanding of how rainforests help cool the planet. Other exhibits on this section include a Rainforest Research Camp, Climate Platform and Weather Station, the Carbon Platform, the Transpiration Tree etc.

Mediterranean Biome

The Mediterranean Biome at Eden features landscapes of the Mediterranean, South Africa, California and Western Australia. So you will see plants that grow well in warm temperate regions like olives, grapes, aloe, citrus plants, kangaroo paw plant, poppies and a range of fragrant plants to name some. Also in the Mediterranean Biome is a collection of sculptures by Tim Shaw. Depicting Dionysus (Greek god of the vines) and his followers the sculptures are placed aptly amid the grapevines.

Outdoor Gardens

The outdoor gardens at Eden have a variety of plants, a few sculptures, some play equipment for kids and best of all offer lovely views of the Biomes. The key things to see in the gardens apart from the varieties of flowers is the Giant Bee (located near the entrance to the Biomes), the Nest (a climbing frame for kids), the giant wooden ship and a secret garden called Myth and Folklore which tells stories about plants.

Hangloose Adventure

For the adventure lovers, Eden has a number of fun and thrilling activities - zip wire ride, giant swings, free-fall drops etc. These are run by Hangloose Adventure and you don't actually need an entry ticket to Eden to take part in any of these activities. You can book your ride directly on Hangloose's website or simply drop in when you are visiting Eden.

The Eden Project is great for families and makes for an excellent day out. It is sure to interest kids and adults alike and there is something for everyone. This summer, there are two special events - Expedition Space (21 July – 2 September 2018) which includes space-themed activities and Glass Microbiology (25 May - 8 July) featuring exquisite blown glass artworks of microbes. If you are visiting Cornwall or live in the area, we recommend you plan a visit to Eden.

Related - The best gardens to visit in the UK.

Eden Project | Bodelva, Cornwall, PL24 2SG
Telephone | +44 (0)1726 811911

Good to know

- There is ample parking at Eden. If you are using public transport, you can get buses to Eden directly from the train/bus station at St Austell.
- The Eden Project is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day and a few days (for maintenance works) in January.
- The last entry to the Biomes is half an hour before the day's closing time.
- Adult entry ticket is priced at £27.50. You can get up to 10% off full ticket price if you buy an Advance Pass or Ticket (works out to £25). Adults arriving by public transport or by walk or cycle can get an entry ticket for £23.50 (Green travel discount).
- A full price standard ticket for children (aged 5-16) is £14.
- You can get up to 10% off entry to Eden and The Lost Gardens of Heligan with the combined ticket offer.
- Eden has accessible parking spaces and toilets.
- Manual and powered wheelchairs available to borrow.

*Thank you to Eden Project for arranging our visit. All views, as always, are solely our own.