The curator of the collection Arthur Cubbold accompanied the bequest and a large cactus house, with five rooms of different temperatures, was built at a cost of £2,500.

A number of Red Eared Terrapins, a species of small turtle, are known to inhabit the lake in the park.

[3] In 2013 a post on the Friends of Alexandra Park Facebook group called for the family of Floridian Red-Eared Turtles in the lake to be re-housed as they were eating the fish.

[3] Keir Hardie organised the first known Independent Labour Party May Day rally in the park on 2 May 1892 which attracted about 60,000 people.

James Larkin spoke at a demonstration on 14 September 1913 at a rally in support of the Dublin lock-out.

Rock Against Racism organised several events in the park, one on 15 July 1978 featuring Steel Pulse and the Buzzcocks.