The Arboretum opened in 1852 as Nottingham's first municipal park, designed by Samuel Curtis on the model of London's Kew Gardens — a curated walk through specimen trees arranged by family. The layout, the cast-iron fountain, the Chinese-style bell tower, and the aviary remain largely intact, giving the park a Victorian feel rare in English city centres.
J.M. Barrie was a student briefly in Nottingham and there is a long-running local claim that the Arboretum inspired the Neverland of Peter Pan — convincing or not, the park's mix of woodland, lake and crumbling follies does have a fairy-tale quality. About 15 minutes' walk north of Old Market Square.