Palm House marks anniversaries

Sefton Park’s Palm House is marking two big anniversaries this year, launching an exciting programme of events to celebrate, along with a unique opportunity for people to make their own mark on its future.

Opened in 1896, 2026 marks 130 years of the historic Liverpool landmark, and 25 years since it reopened in 2001, following a period of dereliction since the 1980s. This 25-year milestone is hugely significant, since its reopening can be attributed to the tenacity and generosity of the local community, who joined together to save the Palm House following years of damage and neglect.

To raise awareness of that community effort and its continued importance today, the Palm House is staging a series of free and fundraising events throughout this year, along with a new campaign to carry on the message of community support, so that the venue can be enjoyed by countless more people in the future.

Kate Johnson, CEO of the Palm House said: “The Palm House that we know and love today is very much an icon of Sefton Park and is beloved by many people in Liverpool. What began as an ‘indoor garden’, home to key pieces of Liverpool’s Botanical Collection and providing a ‘window to the world’ for its many Victorian visitors, now offers a heritage visitor attraction and a setting for educational and community events, which are supported by an award-winning wedding and events venue and café.

“It’s very clear to us that its existence over the past 25 years would not have been possible without the sheer drive and determination of supporters of the ‘Save the Palm House’ campaign that started in the early 90s and resulted in a registered charity being set up which enabled its reopening in 2001. We are also forever grateful for the foresight of those hardworking campaigners by enabling the wedding and events business, which further supports the charity. This is community action at its best, and our new supporters’ campaign is our way of helping to sustain that community involvement and the opportunity to maintain one of the city’s most iconic, historic buildings, for future generations to enjoy.”

The supporters’ campaign – new for 2026 to mark the venue’s 25-year milestone – will allow people with a love, affinity and belief in the Palm House’s existence and mission, to make their mark on its future, providing the option to not only donate towards the upkeep and maintenance, its botanical collection and community events, but also receive annual benefits as a supporter, and sponsor individual aspects of the venue.

Kate continued: “You can now root for our future by becoming a supporter with an annual membership, sponsoring a bench or planter, or by simply donating the change in your pocket when you visit, or online. All this support, however big or small, can help us to directly protect the Palm House, nurture our unique botanical collection, keep admission free, and enable our community events to continue to help people flourish.”

Alongside the new supporters’ campaign, events throughout the year include a programme of talks, late summer openings and a special exhibition at Liverpool’s Central Library, telling the story of the campaign to save the Palm House. The visitor attraction will also host its first ever garden display with community organisations, schools and colleges and a Grow Your Own Harvest Festival; a traditional vegetable competition where people can bring what they have grown at home or in their allotments and enter competitions.

Kate Martinez, Head of Visitors & Communities at the Palm House said: “We really want to put on a year of events that offers something for everyone. The events programme will also recognise the achievements of the Palm House over the past 25 years, including the fact that we have just become the only RHS Partner Garden in Liverpool – a status we are so proud to have achieved – and created an impressive £26m worth of social impact based on a recent report.

“Our success and value to our local community would not have been possible without those who have supported us all the way from the early 90s until now. We want to pay homage and say a huge thank you to those who have kept the Palm House mission alive, to ‘root for people, plants and place’. We are pulling together an exciting programme of events, so people should keep an eye on our website and social media for updates throughout the year. We can’t wait to share our anniversary with all our visitors.”

For further information on the new supporters’ campaign, please visit: www.palmhouse.org.uk/support

2026 anniversary year listings

Guided Tour of the Palm House
Monthly dates – 25 February, 18 March, 23 April and more to be announced
2pm
£5.50 – book here
Enjoy a Guided Tour of the Palm House with an accredited White Badge Guide. The fascinating history of the Palm House and the statues which surround it include the mystery of the missing Peter Pan cannons, links to the suffragettes, the camouflage of the Palm House during the Second World War and the restoration and reopening of the Palm House in 2001. These stories and many more will be brought to life during this Guided Tour.

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
Sunday 15 March
12:30pm and 3:30pm
£39.24 – book here
Overlooking the glorious botanical collection, the Palm House is the perfect place to enjoy a special Afternoon Tea with loved ones this Mother’s Day. Bean There will be offering a delectable sweet and savoury selection of cakes, scones and sandwiches, with background music and plenty of fizz available from the bar, which will be stocked with some extra special treats.

Talk: Decolonising the Colonised – The Journey of the Non-Native Plants
Thursday 21 May
2pm and 6pm
Free – book here
Join Biodiversity Artist Andrea Ku for a guided walk through Sefton Park Palm House to explore plants that are native, non-native, and introduced, and how many have become naturalised neighbours, bringing beauty, resilience and pollinator value to the city. We’ll trace the journeys of plants brought to Liverpool through trade, horticulture and history and look at how we describe them today. Expect a tour full of stories, nuance and practical ways to talk about biodiversity with both honesty and care.

Exhibition at Central Library
‘Save it’: The story of saving Liverpool’s Palm House
7 May – 27 August
Central Library opening times: 9am – 8pm Monday to Friday | 9am – 5pm Saturday | Closed Sunday
Free
Telling the story of the restoration of the Palm House in the 1990s, this exhibition will focus on the efforts of the community to organise, campaign and fundraise between the years 1991-2001; a decade which saw the biggest transformation of the Palm House. Displaying archive material from Liverpool Record Office, it will pay tribute and champion the determination of the original campaign group and local community, while also highlighting the incredible work that has been continuing at the Palm House for decades since.

Community Show Gardens
14 – 21 June
The Palm House will be working with schools, colleges and community organisations to build show gardens on site, in the venue’s first ever garden display. Visitors will have the opportunity to look at the designs which will include show gardens from Monksdown Primary School, Academy of St Nicholas, Myerscough College and Growing Sudley, and speak to the people, groups and communities involved in designing and creating them. More information will be available on the website in the coming months.

Garden Lates
Sundays in July and August
The Palm House will be open slightly later in the evening on selected Sundays in July and August, giving visitors the opportunity to grab a drink and enjoy a chilled-out end to their weekends, drinking in the summer evenings with a glass in hand, and some lovely musical accompaniments. More information will be available on the website in the coming months.

Southport Flower Show
20 – 23 August
The Palm House display garden will be at Southport Flower Show for the fourth year running. Having achieved Large Gold for two consecutive years, this year’s garden will be bigger and better than ever before, telling the story of the Palm House from derelict to flourishing in a garden display.

Palm House Festival
September
A series of special events will take place to mark the Palm House’s anniversary year. Details to be confirmed and announced on the website.

Talk series
Thursday 10, 17, 24 September & 1 October
1pm
Free event pre-bookable on website
A series of four Thursday talks ranging from subjects such as Liverpool’s Herbarium, Palm House plants and their benefits and research into Roscoe’s Monandrian Plants Book. Booking details to be announced on website.

Heritage Open Days – White Badge Tours
Sunday 13 September
Free
The Palm House is planning an exciting programme of White Badge Tours for free on 13 September as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days festival. More information will be available on the website in the coming months.

Grow Your Own Harvest Festival
Sunday 27 September
Free
A special event for all the family, who could resist the opportunity to take part in a traditional vegetable competition? The Palm House will be inviting people to bring along vegetables they have grown at home or on their allotments, to be entered into this special anniversary year competition. More details to be revealed on the website for how people can take part.

The Big Draw
October
The Palm House will be taking part in The Big Draw in October half-term to produce a collaborative piece of artwork with young visitors. More details to be revealed on website.

Fundraising Dinner
December
Dinner, music, laugher and good times all while supporting the Palm House and its mission to root for people, plants and place. More details to be revealed on website.