I’ve had the privilege of visiting some gorgeous botanical gardens over the years, and they’re always one of my favorite types of excursions. It’s just so relaxing to take a stroll, surrounded by a rainbow of petals in all different shapes and sizes! That’s why I was extremely excited to finally visit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this spring.
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden makes it onto pretty much every list of America’s Top 10 Botanical Gardens (Including #4 by USA Today). It’s also one of the top things to do in Richmond, VA. After visiting for myself, it’s not hard to see why: everything is gorgeous!
I also love that they constantly have special events going on, like dog-friendly days, butterfly showcases, and of course, their renowned Christmas Gardenfest.
And for those with kids, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Children’s Garden is one of the coolest natural kids’ zones ever!
The location has over 50 acres of gardens to enjoy, including a stunning Conservatory, a large lake, and various themed gardens. But even with all that space, it’s incredibly easy to navigate, and you can easily see everything in about 3 hours.
If you’re thinking about taking a visit to this famous botanical garden yourself, everything you need to know is below. I’d also encourage you to take a look at my YouTube video to get a better sense of the size and beauty of the gardens.
My Favorite Gardens at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
FAQs About Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Where is Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden? The garden is located in Richmond, Virginia, at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23228.
How much are tickets to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden? Adults cost $17, Seniors & Military cost $14, Children (3-12) cost $8, and kids under 3 are free.
Is there parking? How much is it? Yes, there are 3 spacious parking lots on-site, and they are free for visitors to use.
Is Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden dog-friendly? Sometimes! The garden offers special nights called Fido After Five when you can come to enjoy the space with your pup. Otherwise, the gardens are off-limits to pets.
What are the garden hours? The garden is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm. During the warmer months, it has extended hours on Wednesday and Thursday. During the GardenFest event, the garden runs from 4 pm to 10 pm.
How many gardens do they have? Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has 15 distinct garden areas, including the Conservatory. There are also several “walks” that will lead you past a variety of plants, buildings, and scenery.
Highlights of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
My friend and I spent about two hours on a gorgeous spring day, wandering through the many different gardens and soaking in the sunshine. We managed to catch the tulips in peak season, which was a spectacular treat in the Four Seasons and Fountain Gardens.
Of course, the beauty of most botanical gardens is that there’s something new blossoming at just about any time of spring, summer, and fall, so there’s always something new to discover!
With that in mind, here’s a quick overview of the garden, with an emphasis on some of my favorites. (Tip: You can use this cool feature on the garden’s website to see What’s in Bloom any time of year!
Four Seasons Garden
Right outside the Visitors Center, you’ll find the Four Seasons Garden. This small space has a lovely fountain and a picture-perfect view of the glass conservatory in the background. During our visit, it was full of gorgeous tulips, but as the name suggests, it’s designed to shine during all four seasons.
Healing and Meditation Gardens
This garden gears toward medicinal plants that can be used in many natural remedies for healing and stress reduction. Although not all of these are as “impressive” as the other flowers you’ll see here, some of them still have pretty blossoms. Plus, it’s fascinating that these have practical functions as well as beauty.
Native Plant Garden
This garden uses plants native to Virginia to create a beautiful landscape. It’s a fun perspective on what using all-native plants looks like and how they withstand the heat and drought of the area while still making a lovely garden scene.
Fountain Garden
Another of my favorite gardens in spring was the Fountain Garden. Tulips in all colors lined the fountain and pathway leading up to the grand Conservatory building. According to the garden info, it’s inspired by an ancient design, and the flowers change seasonally!
Conservatory
I think the Conservatory was my favorite place in the entire garden, thanks to the rainbow of tropical flowers and orchids spilling from every surface!
It has several wings, plus a central atrium with soaring palms reaching toward the glass ceiling. On the left, you’ll find a variety of tropical flowers, cacti, and even a little gnome village. On the right, a vast collection of orchids fill the space with unique colors and shapes. And during certain times of the year, the back wing hosts a myriad of tropical butterflies that you can visit!
Louise Cochrane Rose Garden
When in bloom, this rose garden along Sydnor Lake has over 1500 roses on display! Even in the off-season, we enjoyed the view from the patio area and the little stone gazebos with benches to relax on.
Kroger Community Garden and Kitchen
This garden is easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there! Tucked behind the Conservatory, you’ll find a veggie garden and beehives!
Asian Valley
The Asian Valley is such a stunning area, with bright green and red bushes, a little stream, and oriental bridges. There’s even a Tea House tucked back beside the pond.
It focuses on East Asian plants and combines their beauty with rocks and water.
Overall, I found this one of the most relaxing areas to walk through, so definitely don’t skip this one!
West Island Garden
Across the water from the Asian Valley, there’s a series of 3 small islands that make up the West Island Garden. These were pretty bare in the spring, but later in the year, they feature wetland plants and carnivorous pitcher plants!
Flagler Garden (+Woodland Walk)
If you like quiet, wooded paths, you’ll definitely want to take a loop around the Flagler Garden and Woodland Walk. This area felt very natural, and we enjoyed seeing the variety of perennials and shrubs carpeting the woodland floor. There’s also a lovely pond with some benches along the way and some fun little features like this storybook-style gate.
The central feature is the Flagler Pavilion, with container gardens and impressive stonework. And near the front end of the loop, there’s a small off-shoot where you can find this lovely statue.
Grace Arents Garden
The Grace Arents Garden has a more familiar feel to it as a Victorian restoration garden. It sprawls in front of the historic Bloemendaal House, and you can rent this space for special events! There’s even a small gazebo and plenty of lawn for activities and chatting.
Off to the side of the house, there’s a small path that leads to the Lace House Garden, which is a 19th-century gazebo in peaceful surroundings.
Cherry Tree Walk
The Lotus Bridge marks the starting point for the Cherry Tree Walk, which winds around Sydnor Lake. This pathway features all sorts of springtime trees that have gorgeous blossoms! This path will actually lead you past several of the other gardens, so don’t forget to wander on and off at the offshoots, so you don’t miss anything.
Children’s Garden
One of the coolest parts of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens was the extensive Children’s Garden section. It has so many unique things for kids to explore while learning more about nature.
There’s an international village with little houses and plants from around the world, a carriage house with animals and educational activities, and a Garden Keeper’s Cottage where they can learn about gardening!
There’s also a farm garden where kids can plant and tend fruits and veggies, a water zone, a sand area, a giant tree house, and a 100-year-old mulberry tree to climb on!
Whew–that’s a lot! But with so much variety, even the least “outdoorsy” child is sure to find something that piques their interest here.
(Sorry for the lack of pictures here, but I wanted to respect the privacy of the kids and parents enjoying the space.)
Lucy Payne Minor Garden
This small path darts off of the Cherry Tree Walk for a few yards to highlight some flowering bushes and little flowers. This is another one that you may miss if you’re focused on the lake.
However, it’s directly across from a dock that leads out onto Sydnor Lake for some spectacular views.
Margaret Streb Conifer Garden
This small garden has a pretty collection of dwarf conifers and ornamental grasses. I really enjoyed this little area overlooking the lake because it had so much color despite the fact that few flowers were present. (I forget how colorful conifers can be!)
It also had this fun squirrel statue and a pretty gazebo.
Vienna Cobb Anderson Meadow
The hillside leading up to the Conservatory is covered in a bright meadow that draws in a variety of wildlife, including birds and butterflies. It was pretty bare when we visited in May, but I’m sure this is one that thrives in the summer months!
You May Also Enjoy…
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7 Beautiful Reasons You’ll Fall In Love With Frederik Meijer Gardens
Closing Thoughts on Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Based on our fully positive experience, I can definitely recommend a visit here any time you’re looking for things to do in Richmond, VA! There are events throughout the year to coincide with the different blooms and seasons, so there will always be something to see.
Before you leave, definitely take a walk through the extensive gift shop to find some garden-themed treasure or a new plant to take home!
If you have any questions that I didn’t answer here, please feel free to leave them in the comments. And if you particularly enjoyed or appreciated the info here, please let me know that, too! (I’m human; I like compliments, too lol)
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Thanks so much for stopping by the Mandala Traveler, and I hope to see you back again soon! Happy travels!
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