Botanic Gardens Southport

I grew up a ten-minute walk from the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown and took them completely for granted for about thirty years. Visitors discover it by accident and can't believe it's free. It opened in 1874 and has a proper heated fernery, an aviary, formal gardens, and a café. It's calm in a way that most visitor attractions aren't. The surrounding Churchtown village is worth the extra half hour. It's the historic heart of Southport, older than the town itself.