After seeing the great deal for admission to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (free admission through 2/16/20), we decided to take a drive out to Gainesville yesterday and check out those gardens. It made for a great dreary day walk and helped the younger 4 kids burn off some energy and break up our homeschool day a bit.
Since we visited and I posted on Instagram about our trip, I had a couple readers ask me about the park and what they needed to know about visiting. These are our thoughts and from our experience. Here’s what you need to know:
- No outside food is permitted. We had brought a picnic with hopes of enjoying it there, but in order to keep the grounds clean and beautiful, they do not allow any outside food. Instead, we enjoyed it on our way home.
- Once you get past the lobby, follow the paths to the left. While following this route, you will weave through the different garden areas and then loop over to the children’s play area last.
- Stop and look at the different things along the way. There are a ton of different plants and flowers. My kids enjoyed reading the names of them as there are some silly and strange names! Our favorite was “Hot Lips”.
- Walking through the gardens took us maybe 15-30 minutes, but it may be shorter or longer for your family depending on how long you take looking at the different varieties.
- It’s important to stay on the paths so you don’t disturb the vegetation or mess up the displays. It is clearly marked when you are allowed to walk off the path.
- Kids can unwind in the children’s garden. Here you can find a dragon to climb on and paths to follow.
- The garden map shows a trolley near the gardens. Since the map was printed, it has moved to the children’s area. It looks fantastic in the midst of the play area. You can press the button once and the trolley will come out and drive on it’s track.
- Watch for fairy houses and fun decorations. There are a ton throughout the children’s area!
- The larger playground is best for children ages 5-12. My kids had a fun time playing on it, but may be too high/challenging for younger children.
- Take time to paint the walls with water. There is a bucket with paintbrushes that your kids can use. My 4 year old really enjoyed this spot!
- Take time to play with the balsa wood to build forts or whatever your children want to try. This wood is light and isn’t too hard. This was probably our favorite part of the gardens. I think my youngest would have stayed there all day building!
Although our trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Gainesville was a lot of fun, it was a little smaller than we expected and took less time to enjoy than we expected. Nonetheless, we had a blast and enjoyed our day. It’s definitely worth checking out and come springtime, it will be absolutely gorgeous!
