Nottingham Arboretum

About

Visit Nottingham Arboretum and lose yourself in Neverland

A historic, beautifully maintained park that is home to an important collection of over 800 trees, some of which are from the original collection planted in the 19th century, award winning Nottingham Arboretum is Nottingham's oldest public park and the closest park to the city centre, opened on 11 May 1852. 

The layout and design of Nottingham Arboretum was performed under the supervision of Samuel Curtis, a botanist and horticultural publicist in 1850. Samuel had previously been involved with the layout of Victoria Park in the East End of London in 1842.

Easily accessible from the city centre and the wider community via the tram network that runs alongside, this park plays a vital role for the local community and is the site for many organised events.

Although never confirmed, Nottingham Arboretum has widely been said to have been the inspiration for J.M Barrie’s Neverland. J.M Barrie did indeed live in Nottingham before he wrote Peter Pan, so it’s definitely a possibility. Visitors can see for themselves from where the inspiration came from and decide if Neverland did plant its magical roots in Nottingham. 

Make sure to enjoy the Tree Trail and Heritage Trail when at the Arboretum to fully appreciate the park’s rich history (see PDFs on right hand side).

Nottingham Arboretum is open from 8am on weekdays, and 9am at weekends and bank holidays.