How to visit the Barbican Conservatory in London (and why you should go before 2027)

The Barbican Conservatory is one of London’s genuinely surprising places. Hidden inside the Brutalist maze of the Barbican Centre, it’s a full-scale tropical garden – 1,500 species of plants, fish ponds, a bar, and a population of relocated terrapins – suspended inside a glass-roofed structure above the Barbican Theatre. Entry is free, but tickets must be booked in advance – more on that below. This is what you need to know before you visit. What to expect when you arrive at the Barbican Conservatory You enter from inside the Barbican Centre, and the first thing you notice is that you’re already at height. The entrance brings you out onto an upper terrace, railing in front of you, with the full width of the conservatory opening up ahead and below. Through the glass roof, you can still see the surrounding Barbican office buildings; you’re inside, but the city hasn’t disappeared. What hits you is the greenery. Concrete terraces stack up on the far side, each one draped in trailing…