At the beginning of July 2025, we visited The Eden Project in Cornwall, twenty-four years after our first visit. We expected to see changes, but we were not prepared for the jaw-dropping transformation that we found.
Beginnings
The Eden Project opened its doors to the public on 17 March 2001.
It had taken a decade to transform the exhausted, steep-sided, 60m-deep clay pit from a soil-less, water-less basin into a space age showcase for biodiversity, regeneration and sustainability; a window into what’s possible in a symbiotic relationship between nature and humankind.
The things that really stood out for me back then, apart from the biomes themselves, were the Mediterranean gardens; the rainforest; the performance arena where a folk band were playing; and the Cornish pasties.
In the August of that year, Jack and I, along with our friend Sarah, were on a camping holiday in St Ives and decided to visit. Like everyone else that day, our first sight of the huge biomes took our breath away; we had literally never seen anything like them. I remember how strange it felt to be inside the domes where the temperature and humid atmosphere felt tropical, as opposed to the cloudy and slightly chilly day outside.
Twenty-four years later
Parking the car on a swelteringly hot July day in 2025, we were immediately struck by the differences. For one thing, the parking area was now enormous with multiple zones and a very efficient streaming system to keep traffic moving.
The second thing that amazed us was not only could we not see the biomes from the car park as we had been able to on our first visit, but we couldn’t even see the site. From the moment we got out of the car until we reached the vast entrance, we were engulfed in lush planting. Where, in 2001 everything had been barren clay pit workings; now it was all a vibrant green paradise.
It wasn’t until we emerged from the entrance area and onto the viewing platform that we were finally able to see the biomes in their spectacular setting. Back in 2001 (above image, LHS), from the car park they had appeared as stark, Martian-esque constructions in an overgrown clay pit with the walls of the quarry, and the surrounding fields and hills clearly visible. Cut to 2025 (above image RHS) and the biomes rise from the lush vegetation as if they’ve grown there.
A true Eden
One of the most surprising things for me, was the size and beauty of the gardens, not just within the biomes themselves but throughout the site. The long, sweeping walk down from the entrance to the biomes is through acres and acres of stunning gardens featuring Chelsea-worthy displays of planting. There are also whole swathes of market gardens, allotments, woodlands, wildflower fields, crops and herb gardens.
Within the biomes themselves, the young saplings and newly established plants imported from across the globe and nurtured in conservatories until they were hardy enough to be planted back in 2001 (below, LHS) now fill every inch of space, reaching to, and scraping the vast ceilings of the domes (below, RHS). The rainforest is now a dense, humid, energy sapping, eye popping amalgam of exotic and spectacular trees and plants; the Mediterranean biome feels more real than much of the actual Mediterranean; it looks more like what the Mediterranean would look and feel like if so much of it hadn’t been bought up for tourism development.
New installations
Many of the attractions that now comprise the 30-acre site have been added since our first visit. The entire Core installation is new and features fascinating interactive displays and sculptures that tell the story of the invisible world which exists beyond our senses. We spent ages trying to catch smoke rings from the giant Infinity Blue sculpture that emulates the critical contribution one of the world’s smallest organisms makes to the functioning of our world.
The Treetop Walkway and the Weather Maker in the Rainforest Canopy Walkway have both been added since our first visit, and I don’t recall seeing the food producing gardens that now feature thousands of varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices, all beautifully labelled and hugely informative. I found this section very difficult to drag myself away from.
And then there are the zip lines that spasmodically shoot bullet-shaped bodies over the site at treetop level, emitting a strange whistling sound laced with whoops from the human missiles.
The only thing that hadn’t changed since our first visit was the quality of the Cornish pasties; they’re still excellent.
I don’t remember how long we spent in The Eden Project the first time we visited but this time we spent around six hours there, and we only left when the intense heat of the late afternoon became too much to bear.
For me, the visit represented great value for money, and I can’t recommend it highly enough for families, gardeners, travellers, and anybody who’s curious about the amazing world we live in.
I will not be leaving it another twenty-four years before I return.
Getting to The Eden Project.
The Eden Project is in Bodelva, close to the Cornish town of St Austell. The nearest railway station is St Austell which is on the main line from London Paddington, and a direct bus runs from the station to the Eden Project.
Drivers will find extensive free parking on site, along with electric recharging points. Caravans and motorhomes are also free to use the car parks but there’s no overnight parking allowed. For green travellers who arrive on bikes or on foot, there are bike racks and luggage lockers. For the lockers you’ll need a £1 coin which is returned on exit.
Booking and Prices
We bought our tickets online which meant no waiting in line at the ticket booths and a saving of £4 each on the price on the door.
Tickets cost £38 per adult if bought in advance; £42 on the day. Students and young people (17-25) are £32.50 in advance, £36.50 on the day; children £12 in advance, £16 on the day; under 5s are free.
If you live in either Cornwall or Devon, you can get a Locals’ Pass which entitles you to up to 35% discount and unlimited entry for one year. Prices from £24.80
