About Botanical Gardern

The Botanic Garden in Akureyri was officially opened in 1912. A few housewife’s founded the Botanic Garden Association (Lystigarðsfélagið) in 1910. . In the second clause of the association’s acts it states:

“The purpose of this association is to establish a park in Akureyri, for the town’s embellishment and the entertainment of its people. That the park will be decorated with trees and flowers and that playgrounds and pavilions put up for the general public, as soon as possible.”

As soon as 1909, these women applied for land and were allocated around one hectare belonging to Stóra-Eyrarland. Anna Catrine Schiöth organized and drew plans for this oldest part of the garden and initially worked alongside other women to promote its growth and maintenance. Later her daughter-in-law, Ms. Margrethe Schiöth, took over and managed the garden for the next 30 years. The Botanic Garden is the first public park to be opened in Iceland and was run by the Botanic Garden Association until 1953.

Then the Association was dissolved and the town took over its maintenance as has done so ever since.

The Botanic Garden has been enlarged three times since then, and is currently around 3,6 hectares, standing 40-50 meters above sea level. The parks’ purposes are manyfold: one of the most important being finding through research, exquisite and robust species of perennials, trees, and bushes. Moreover, it is used for the public’s amusement, providing both information and entertainment to its visitors.