The biomes at Eden are the largest greenhouses in the world and are utterly stunning. As you enter the biomes your breath is truly taken away. These massive structures are impressive from the outside, but it is from the inside that you really come to appreciate their majesty. They are truly mindboggling structures. The first thing that hits you as you enter is the heat, particularly in the tropical biome. Once you get in and start walking around, it is fascinating how they have actually used the space, and the amazing collection of plants they have assembled.

The Eden Project is a global garden for the 21st Century, a gateway to a sustainable future and a dramatic setting in which to tell the fascinating story of mankind’s dependence on plants. It is a top international visitor destination and it is rapidly becoming a unique resource for education and home to our Foundation. Most visitors find that they need at least four hours to fully enjoy the site.

There is a choice of reasonably-priced cafes, snack bars and also a restaurant, all offering a range of delicious food (most of it sourced in Cornwall). In spring, visitors can enjoy the fantastic display bulbs (daffodils, crocuses and tulips) which start to bloom from February. On most days throughout the summer there are extra events –theatre, workshops, art displays, gardening talks, children’s events, music and much more. Please check our website for current details. Hidden within a 60-metre deep, 15-hectare former China clay pit (quarry) and surrounded outside by a dramatic horticultural landscape, Eden is home to the two largest conservatories (known as ‘Covered Biomes’) in the world.

This spectacular global garden is a "Living Theatre of People and Plants" – dedicated to the appreciation and study of human dependence on plants. The Rainforest Biome houses plants from the Tropical Islands, Malaysia, West Africa and Tropical South America. This Biome (which could hold the Tower of London) is 50 metres high, 110 metres wide and 240 metres long. There are plants and crops from tropical environments and rainforests, including bananas, coffee, balsa, mahogany, bromeliads (orchids), spices and tropical ferns.

Each plant has its own story and the innovative signs and guides help visitors to enjoy those stories to the full. The ‘smaller’ Mediterranean - 35 metres high and 140 metres long - showcases the cradle of civilisation around the Mediterranean (citrus, olives, herbs and vines), the rich variety of the South African regions (proteas and aloes), drifts of colourful Californian annuals (poppies and lupins) and shrubs of the Chapparal. There are also banks of fruits, vegetables and other crops. Wherever possible, bio-pest control is used.

The Rainforest Biome is currently home to a number of mini predators, including Sulawesi White Eyes (tiny birds), tree frogs, geckos and bullfrogs, together with praying mantis and tiny predator insects. The Plants The Biomes indoors and out contain over one million plants, more than 5,000 different species from around the world – some common and some rare. They are, however, all plants that we depend on every day. Where did the plants come from? Most were already in cultivation in Europe and came to us from other botanic gardens, research stations, private individuals or from commercial nurseries. Very few were collected from the wild. Many plants arrived as seeds or cuttings and were (and still are) grown at Eden’s own nurseries.

Any rare plants that live at Eden are there to tell a story and are gathered with the full support of governments, together with conservation and development organisations. All have a part to play in telling the story of the relationship between mankind and plants.