Sheffield Botanical Gardens — Attraction in Sheffield

This is a very big park in the heart of Sheffield city centre. We visited the park last week as it is recommended as a tourest spot by the TripAdvisor. The car parking around the park is limited by the side of the road (payable), however, I parked my car in the nearby (opposite of the road) Tesco store where parking is free for one hour and £1 for two hours. I found the park very charming and family friendly. I was amazed to find that the park contains more than 5000 types of plants and all the plants have their names attached to them. It was very unfortunate for us to find the Glass pavilion is closed. So we couldn't visit some rare plants located in there. Also the rose garden was not rosy in this time of the year. But we found the front garden of the pavilion, very eye-catching and beautifully organised and forgot about any frustration and enjoyed the garden without any complaint. There is a toilet facility (free) in the garden and also has a coffee shop near the pavilion, so you can have a fresh start before you visit some other places...

The beauty of the Botanical Gardens is evident, even on a crisp late November afternoon. The flowers nowhere to be seen and the trees are generally bare but with some pops of Autumn colour and winter berries as we transition through the seasons. You can walk around pretty quickly but that's not really the point of this place. It has lots of little winding paths and benches throughout for a reviving lunch, relaxing drink from the cafe, wildlife watching or just quiet contemplation. This was my first visit but will return with each season to see how it changes. Practical things: I followed Google directions (driving) and it took me to the entrance where there is absolutely no parking. I managed to get parked on the opposite side of the park just a bit further down the main road opposite Starbucks. I only had 40 minutes until the park closed at 4pm and parking was 70p. I'm new to the area but can imagine parking might be a bit of a nightmare at weekends and in the summer etc. To make an afternoon of it you could walk around nearby...

What an amazing find-and it’s free! I caught a bus from town and got off at the stop after the Hallamshire hospital before walking downhill to the Gardens. The entire site is on a hill so start at the top with the glass houses and work down. The bottom of the gardens then drops down onto Eccleshall Road which then gives a flat walking route into the city centre. There is so much to see and it’s definitely the sort of place you can revisit many times. The only downside was that the cafe and the toilets at the top were closed. I hope to come back later in the year.

Edit 2025: I’ve visited several times since my first review and never fail to be impressed! Love the Pavilion, the Bear Pit and the Rose Gardens are just stunning! It’s easily walkable from the station along a fairly level route up Eccleshall Road which brings you to the bottom of the gardens with a steady meander upto the top where there is now a cafe. On my most recent visit I walked up via lots of back streets; took a while but great exercise going uphill to arrive at...