10 Reasons to Visit the Eden Project in Winter

Advertisement Feature - We were provided with a press pass. 

The Eden Project is somewhere which has been on my list of places to visit for years. I remember driving past the quarry site when I was on holiday in Cornwall as a child and the project was in its very early phases of development and I'm delighted that I was finally able to visit with my own children during February Half Term 2019.

First impressions of the Eden Project are that it's huge. Kind of like a mini town.

There are multiple car parks and it's so vast that there's a complimentary shuttle bus from the car park to the entrance (not needed on the way down but will save you climbing the hill on the way back).

Despite its size, the Eden Project did not feel busy or overcrowded and although we visited in school holidays, I am guessing it's quieter in the winter months than summer.


We visited Eden Project with children aged 8, 9 and 12 and I think to get the most out of it, its better if your children can read (as there's loads of info to soak up).

However, children of all ages will enjoy it here. There are indoor play areas, climbing frames and sensory gardens and the project is very accessible for pushchairs. You can read about visiting Eden Project with 3 and 5 year olds over on Dear Bear and Beany here. 

10 Reasons to Visit the Eden Project in Winter 

1 - Visit the Meditteranean

A lot of the Eden Project is indoors making it an ideal place to visit when the weather's not so good. As you step into the Meditteranean biome your body is almost tripped into thinking you've visited the continent.

The warmer climate, orange trees and vineyards alongside lush green and colourful plants cannot fail to lift your mood in a way in which only nature can.

I'd suggest taking at least 30 minutes to explore all of the different areas here, read all of the info and relax into the surroundings. 

2 - Learn about sustainability and the world we live in

I wasn't prepared for just how much I'd learn at Eden Project. If there's a chance to educate, they've taken it and my brain was swimming with new-found information throughout the day.

It was all super interesting and not dumbed down yet suitable for all ages too. I learned about bees and how we can do our bit to save them, finally understood why palm oil should not be boycotted and instead, sustainable sources used instead (the yield from palm oil is huge compared with alternatives), read all about bananas, about the Cornish climate, recycling, coffee bean production and why sourcing ethical and fair trade products is really important.

The learning was interactive and hands-on too and I honestly learned so much more spending 4 hours here than I ever would have in a classroom. 

3 - Visit the Rainforest

You'd probably need to spend at least £1k to visit a real rainforest in winter, well Eden Project has the next best thing. The tropical biome at Eden is so similar to the real deal that I wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

It's hot, hot, hot here and I'd highly recommend taking a bottle of water (there are re-fill stations dotted about) and dressing in layers. You can leave outer layers in the cloakroom outside. I was wearing jeans and ended up very wet faced and sweaty.

H, H and J have never visited anywhere with a tropical climate (unless Florida counts) and it was fascinating for them to witness this kind of climate first hand.

We walked to the top of the biome and felt the force of the waterfalls we passed, heard birds fly above our heads and spotted tropical fruit and plants growing around us. Crossing the rope bridge was a definite highlight. Of course, there were lots of opportunities for learning along our journey through this biome too. 

4 - Understand mass extinctions

Mass extinction is something I haven't really thought about. I mean I've heard about an asteroid wiping out the dinosaurs but that's about it.

One of the most interesting parts of the Eden Project for us was on the walk down to the biomes. There is a huge timeline of Earth's history and call me naive but I had no idea that there has already been 5 mass extinctions (plus a secret one) in the history of our planet.

This provoked lots of debate including when the next one will be. We've decided with the rate that other animals and plants are becoming extinct and global warming etc... that the 6th mass extinction has actually already started. Yikes!

The Eden Project really puts life into perspective and it was great to have debates like this with the kids and listen to their ideas and thoughts. 

5 - Fantastic events programme

The Eden Project has a fantastic programme of events throughout the year including Cornwall's largest indoor ice rink in winter. During February Half Term in 2019, there was a passport to the world event running with lots of little workshops from across the globe - all included with admission too.

We enjoyed taking part in a carnival, learning how to play various musical instruments, watching flamenco dancers and listening to tales from the Arctic. All lots of fun and something a little different.

We also visited a special bee exhibition in the exhibition space (which ends in March) which is worth catching if you can. 

6 -  Use your senses

The Eden Project is one of those places which really is a feast for the senses. There are several sensory gardens dotted about the site and we enjoyed trying to guess what various plants were in the sensory gardens in the Mediterranean biome.

As well as the biomes, there are sensory gardens outside too alongside a beautiful water garden and touch pods across the site too.

We also enjoyed feeling the force of the biggest waterfall in the Tropical biome on our skin and the droplets of water filling the air as we walked past offered some much-needed refreshment. 

7 - Understand microbes

A huge section of the Eden Project is like a mini science museum where you can learn all about plants, microbes, medicine and food. Information is shared via displays, simple experiments and live exhibitions and kids are encouraged to take an interest.

Harry was especially enthusiastic to spot a display about a new type of microbe which has been discovered (or created??) and was super excited to explain it all to Steve and Jack. His brain blows my mind at times!

There are different displays and activities dotted about for all ages and it would be impossible to get bored here, no matter what age you are.

8 - Try your own experiments

The Eden Project has it's own science lab and you can check out various experiments and look at cells under a microscope. There was a bit of a wait in this area but something we enjoyed doing - again it's all indoors so perfect if the weather is bad. 

9 - Enjoy lots of gorgeous plants and flowers

Winter is bleak in England but you'll find plenty of colour inside of the Eden Project. I loved the flowers in the Tropical biome most of all.

There's a special Orchid Garden towards the end which is not to be missed and if you're not too hot by then, I'd definitely recommend taking a few moments to sit here and take in it's beauty. 

10 - Your ticket is valid for a year

Visiting in winter is lovely but as an added bonus, if you donate your admission cost to the project (at no additional cost to yourself), you can turn your ticket into an annual pass and return again to experience the gardens in spring, summer and autumn. How fab is that?? 

Visiting the Eden Project was Harry's (aged 12) favourite day out during the week we spent in Cornwall. I really enjoyed it too and think that everyone should visit at least once.

For me, winter is an ideal time to visit Cornwall as it's quieter and as I've mentioned before, the Eden Project is mostly indoors so perfect for those days where the weather's not great. It's the kind of place you leave feeling inspired and wanting to learn and do more to help our planet.

We spent 4-5 hours here exploring everything but could have stayed longer if we'd visited more of the special events taking place and tried ice skating too.

You can find out more and buy tickets online here.

Is a trip to the Eden Project on your bucket list? (hint - it should be).

Disclosure : We were provided with a complimentary press pass in return for this post. We have not been paid to write/share this and have retained full editorial control. 

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