Reannah Jones

Review of Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is my favorite garden in...

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is my favorite garden in Madison. I'm originally from Modesto, CA, and there was nothing like this there. The thai garden is my personal favorite, with a beautiful genuine gold plated structure amongst manmade bodies of water, filled with stones. It's the most peaceful area, there, in my opinion. There's a touch garden, a mint garden, a color garden (plants that can be used for dye), etc. The place is a true wonder. Then, too, during the winter, you can escape to a humid climate in the pyramid greenhouse, where there are tropical plants, sometimes butterflies, birds, etc. It's really nice to escape there and it's not very expensive to visit ($2-5), a few times during the winter. It's well worth the $, trust me, if you can't afford to be a snow bird/travel somewhere warmer. The weekends tend to be packed, so if you don't want a large crowd, I suggest going during a week day.

Update: 3.1.21 My experience was an odd one, in that I said hi to a woman as I put my coat on the hanger before entering the Bolz Conservatory, and I said hello to a zombie, apparently. There was zero response, even when I made eye contact with her. Then, before entering the conservatory I saw that Olbrich was having an orchid sale. I jokingly told the woman I've ended up killing every single orchid I've owned. She said it's like an art form and then I asked her if they had classes on how to care for them. She rudely told me to look it up online because she didn't know. Okay, what happened to customer service? You know, looking something up for someone? I thanked her, sort of, then said I didn't think I'd renew my membership because they sure are rude there. My previous experience, she didn't know anything about online classes and luckily the super nice and helpful librarian was there to talk to me - and she acted like she liked engaging with people. Today, as I was looking through the books for sale, a couple came up to the young woman and she rudely stated that they should hang up their coats before entering the Bolz Conservatory because it's warm inside. They seemed surprised and the older man asked for permission to keep his coat on. Wow. I couldn't believe this young woman's behavior. Then, I asked where to go to buy 2 books and I was directed to the gift shop where I asked the woman working if I got a discount on the books for being a member. She told me this, "we are practically giving them away." I couldn't believe her negative, poor attitude. I told her it didn't hurt for me to ask! Jeez! What's with the staff? Honestly, I couldn't believe the impoliteness. It seems to me as though the employees need some grounding before their shifts. Perhaps, it'd be helpful to have a meeting to walk through the outdoor/indoor gardens before their shift. It is so relaxing and you become connected to the earth. That Monday was intense and I found that the plants helped ground me. Meditation is nice, too. It's a difficult time for everyone - especially the people serving the public (especially during a pandemic). I hope the employees are receiving ample support. That's so important.