It’s time to stop and smell the roses. Check out these five Wisconsin botanical gardens for a magical outing fitting of the season.
Boerner Botanical Gardens
Hales Corners
Guests of Boerner Botanical Gardens have the chance to explore a dozen formal gardens, with Margie’s Garden being especially noteworthy, named after a local teacher who passed away in 2019. The kid-friendly space includes a playhouse, a twig hut, a bug garden, stunning seasonal flowers and more for youngsters to enjoy. For an up-close exploration of this Wisconsin botanical garden, consider a one-hour, docent-led walking tour for an additional cost. It includes a look at the plant collections, the garden’s crabapple collection, over 500 types of roses and much more. General admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children. Open: May to October. For more information, visit boernerbotanicalgardens.org.
Bookworm Gardens
Inspired by children’s literature, Bookworm Gardens is like walking through a fairytale–a beautiful, blooming fairytale. Since 2010, the mission of the Wisconsin botanical garden has been to enrich the mind, body and spirit of the young and young at heart among the blue and purple dwarf irises, lenten roses and grape hyacinth. Guests can explore over 70 different gardens, each one inspired by a children’s book, and will spy the likes of the three bears, Harold and a purple crayon and many other beloved literary characters. General admission is $10 or $12 at the door. Open: May to October. For more information, visit www.bookwormgardens.org.
Green Bay Botanical Garden
Green Bay
Green Bay Botanical Garden is home to 47 glorious acres of display gardens and natural areas and offers something for all visitors of all ages during all seasons. New to the garden, the 2.5-acre outdoor wonderland at Bell Children’s Garden connects nature, play and learning, while the Betty Meyer Bridge–a magical covered bridge entwined with variegated kiwi vines–is straight out of a storybook. General admission is $13 for adults and $5 for children. Open: Year-round. For more information, visit www.gbbg.org
Olbrich Botanical Garden
Madison
Madison-based Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a 16-acre outdoor botanical garden, which was founded in 1952 by Michael Olbrich. (It is also home to the 10,000-sq.-ft. Bolz Conservatory.) Today, the garden hosts a wide array of locally loved events, like flower shows, plant sales, lectures, early-childhood programs and more. General admission to the conservatory is $6 for adults and $3 for children; admission is free to the outdoor garden. Open: Year-round (Bolz Conservatory will re-open in June 2024). For more information, visit www.olbrich.org.
Paine Art Center and Gardens
Oshkosh
Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh was founded in 1948. Among its four beautiful acres, guests can wander through a variety of perennials in the Rose Garden, the meandering pathways in the Contemporary Garden and the fountain- and sculpture-filled Formal Garden. The beloved English country estate also includes a historic mansion and art collection. Not only is The Paine is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, but it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. General admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children. Open: Feb. 10 to May 26. For more information, visit www.thepaine.org.