The £67m Eden Project attraction set to be the ‘biggest undercover play area in Europe’
A HUGE new attraction is set to open in the UK – and it will be even bigger than the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Called the Eden Project Foyle, the £67million development hopes to open in Derry-Londonderry in 2025.
Spanning 250 acres, the site will be larger than the Eden Project in Cornwall and aims to boost leisure and tourism in Northern Ireland.
The main attraction will be the Acorn, a “performance area and play space” connected by walkway, with the entire site being the largest undercover play area in Europe.
This includes zip wires, rope bridges, slides, floating boardwalks and even paths on the roof that both adults and kids can walk along.
The huge structure will be tucked into the trees and “inspired by the forest” and Neolithic architecture – the most famous example of this being Stonehenge.
The site will also have food and drink stalls on-site.
The website states: “Beyond the Acorn, plans for the site include productive gardens that showcase the best of Northern Ireland food and drink to stepped ponds, sunken labyrinths, futuristic roof gardens, and a nature-based play experience.
“The spaces provide a range of sanctuaries and enclosures to discover, explore and get lost in.
“Each space to be joined together by weaving pathways, floating boardwalks, rope bridges, slides and zip-wires to form the world’s most playful landscape.”
The project will also include lots of local history, including the revival of the nearby Brook Hall Estate and Gardens.
Once open, Eden Project Foyle expects to attract 400,000 visitors annually, generate over £62 million each year for the local economy.
An official opening date and ticket prices are yet to be announced, with more to be revealed if the project gets the green light.
A number of new Eden Project attractions are set to open following the success of the Cornwall venue, which opened in 2001.
Eden Project Dundee, first announced back in 2020, hopes to open in 2026.
And Eden Project Morecambe, right along the beach, has been delayed to 2026 as well.
Earlier this year, a new adventure play area opened at the Eden Project in Cornwall.