Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Goa's Daugim Cross
The two 36-inch refracting lenses in the Lick Observatory telescope are among the largest ever built.
James Lick’s Grave
The Lagoda
Human figures at Miculla Petroglyphs
Miculla Petroglyphs
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
19 minutes ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
about 21 hours ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
3 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London Barbican Conservatory
AO Edited

Barbican Conservatory

This hidden green space is the city's second largest conservatory.

London, England

Added By
AmunyAnkhesenra
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Barbican Conservatory’s Arid House.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
The Barbican Conservatory’s Arid House.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
Barbican Conservatory Taro and Fish Pond.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
Barbican Conservatory Tropical House.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
Barbican Conservatory Palm.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Barbican Conservatory   Jules Renahan
Clouds on the horizon. Ranjani Shetter display   Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Atop the Barbican’s main theater, wrapped around the fly tower, sits a secret two-story conservatory filled with lush greenery, somewhat at odds with the dull gray of the rest of the Brutalist Barbican estate. This conservatory is the second largest in London (after Kew Gardens) and home to over 1,500 species of plants, but is one of the city's lesser-known green spaces. 

The conservatory was opened in 1982 and was intended to be a major visitor attraction and indoor green oasis for Londoners. However, visitor numbers were low. Over the years, the city corporation reduced opening hours and instead leased the conservatory out as a venue for private parties and corporate events. The public can now only visit on Sunday afternoons and a select few other dates, making it a hidden gem. 

The conservatory is split into two main houses. The larger is the tropical house, containing palms, exotic shrubs, fruit trees, and an impressive collection of chilli plants in one corner. A flight of stairs leads to the arid house, which is filled with cacti and succulents, some of which have grown so large they are twisting against the glass roof, looking very much as if they are trying to escape. A café serves a luxurious (and expensive) afternoon tea—booking is advised. There are also two fish ponds, filled with colorful koi carp, rudd, and roach. A terrapin pool is perched on a ledge by the arid house, its residents having been invasive species “rescued” from ponds on Hampstead Heath.

Related Tags

Glass Conservatories Greenhouses Nature Plants Hidden Cities Secret Flora

Know Before You Go

The conservatory is open from 12 p.m. on selected days every week. Admission is free, but tickets must be booked via the website. Opening dates and tickets are released one week in advance.

Community Contributors

Added By

AmunyAnkhesenra

Edited By

Monsieur Mictlan, the wub, Steve 55, JulesR...

  • Monsieur Mictlan
  • the wub
  • Steve 55
  • JulesR
  • Snowdrop68

Published

August 28, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://blog.visitlondon.com/2014/06/top-5-secret-gardens-in-london/
  • https://londonist.com/2008/09/natureist_barbican_conservatory
  • https://rucksackmag.com/journal/barbican-conservatory
Barbican Conservatory
Silk St
London, England
United Kingdom
51.520004, -0.093169
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Barbican Estate

London, England

miles away

The Gardener Statue

London, England

miles away

The Aurochs Skull

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Nearby Places

The Barbican Estate

London, England

miles away

The Gardener Statue

London, England

miles away

The Aurochs Skull

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Related Places

  • Thain Family Forest.

    Bronx, New York

    Thain Family Forest

    This plot of old-growth forest is the largest surviving remnant of New York City's original woodland.

  • Râpa Roșie.

    Municipiul Sebeș, Romania

    Râpa Roșie

    Romania's "Red Ravine" is a little-known natural wonder that bears a resemblance to the Grand Canyon.

  • A small waterfall in the Gourgue d’Asque

    Asque, France

    Gourgue d'Asque

    A French valley with forests so lush it was nicknamed "the Small Amazonia of the Pyrenees."

  • View from Dr Neil’s Garden over the loch.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Dr Neil's Garden

    A secret garden in a picturesque Edinburgh village has inspired artists for centuries.

  • The entryway to the rose garden.

    Boston, Massachusetts

    Kelleher Rose Garden

    One of the now-less-hidden floral gems of the "Emerald Necklace."

  • Waltham, Massachusetts

    Lyman Estate Greenhouses

    These beautiful garden buildings are among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States.

  • Amsterdam Tulip Museum.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Amsterdam Tulip Museum

    Tucked in the back of a flower shop, its collection details the fascinating history of the Netherlands's iconic symbol.

  • Kemptown Secret Garden.

    Brighton, England

    Kemptown Secret Garden

    A hidden sculpture garden tucked within the middle of Brighton.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.