Eden Project, Botanical garden and greenhouse complex in Bodelva, Cornwall, England
The Eden Project is a botanical garden and greenhouse complex inside a former clay pit in Cornwall, England. Two giant geodesic domes shelter Mediterranean and tropical plant life, while outdoor temperate gardens surround the site.
The site is a china clay pit worked for over 160 years, exhausted by the mid-1990s; in 1981 the BBC used it as the planet Magrathea in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Conceived in 1996 and begun in 1998, the visitor centre opened in May 2000, and the full site opened on 17 March 2001.
The Eden Sessions bring well-known performers to Cornwall each year during summer months, combining music with environmental themes. This turns the site into a gathering place where people come together to enjoy open-air concerts while visiting the gardens.
Visitors can explore both domes on their own or join guided tours that explain the different plant environments. The visitor center called The Core offers exhibitions and restaurants that use regional produce.
The rainforest dome reaches a height of four stories and is considered the largest covered rainforest in the world. Over 1,000 plant species thrive beneath hexagonal panels made from recyclable plastic.
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