Plans for a £100 million Eden Project up north have finally been approved – the major new eco attraction will open in 2028

If you’ve been to Cornwall, you’ll almost certainly know the Eden Project. The eco attraction, with its gargantuan domed biomes, is one of the county’s best-known places to visit. 

Back in 2022, the Eden Project’s botanical bosses revealed that its biodiverse wonders soon wouldn’t be restricted to just Cornwall. A northern edition of the attraction was announced for the seaside town of Morecambe in Lancashire. And now, four years and several hurdles later, construction of the £100 million verdant project has finally got the green light from the local council. 

If you’re thinking ‘hang on, haven’t we been here before?’, you’re not wrong. Morecambe’s verdant new nature sanctuary was originally approved back in 2022, but the project has since been scaled back to ensure it can be built ‘on budget and on time’.

Due to open its doors in October 2028, Eden Project Morecambe will feature the domes which help make the original Cornish attraction so iconic. There will be two domes: the first and larger shell – named ‘The Realm of the Sun’ – will house lush tropical gardens and a ‘showstopping’ 20m-high theatrical sculpture in the form of the Elder Tree. 

The second dome will be called ‘The Realm of the Moon’ and it will resemble a giant mussel shell. It promises an immersive marine experience, including a venue called the tidal theatre which will simulate the daily and nightly tides of Morecambe Bay. 

John Pye, project director for the Eden Project Morecambe, commented: ‘With planning permission now secured and formal agreements currently being finalised, the project moves forward with confidence. This marks a hugely significant moment for Eden Project Morecambe and for the entire community that has travelled this journey with us.’

If you, like us, are itching to take a peek inside the new leafy oasis before its official opening in late 2028, you’re in luck. The first finished feature of Eden Project Morecambe, a ‘living classroom’ called the Bring Me Sunshine garden, will debut at London’s 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May before relocating to Morecambe. Find Time Out’s guide to this year’s Chelsea Flower Show here.

The seafront development will breathe new life into Morecambe, an under-appreciated corner of England otherwise known for its gorgeous sands and for being within easy reach of both the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District.

This isn’t the only new Eden Project in the works. Oriental Eden Qingdao in China was the first Eden to open outside Cornwall in 2025, with other sites being built in Australia, Costa Rica and Scotland.

Did you see that four new walking tours are making it easier to explore this majestic English county?

Plus: you can collect birds like Pokémon with a new birdwatching app that has launched in the UK.