Botanic Gardens in south Belfast began in 1828 as the private Royal Belfast Botanical Gardens and became a public park in 1895 when Belfast Corporation bought it from the Belfast Botanical and Horticultural Society. Its most celebrated feature is the Palm House, begun in 1839 and completed in 1840 by Richard Turner, with a dome added in 1852, making it one of the world’s earliest curvilinear cast-iron glasshouses. The grounds also include the Tropical Ravine House, notable plant collections, and later additions such as the Global Medicine Garden. Long central to Belfast life, the park has combined horticulture, culture, and major public events.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain