Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Review

Beautiful place, takes about an hour to walk through all the gardens. Definitely stop by the Orchid Conservatory.

I loved the quiet reality that is natural to the surrounding area. This garden retains its identity. Presently the staff is working on a large exhibit.

We went at the wrong time of year. I'm sure that I would give 5 stars if we went during full bloom.

A marvelous and unexpected garden. It was not quite spring but the beauty and planning was unmistakable. In full bloom this garden would only become increasingly glorious.

Hate giving bad reviews, but I have no choice this time. We were soooooo disappointed. We paid around $55 for 3 adults and a kid and spent only 20 min to see the whole garden just because there was nothing to see. The most beautiful place was there giftshop. We came during daytime, not a single flower, many places are closed, fountains not working. Total waste of money. If you want to see beauty of botanical garden you better come at summer time, we chose the wrong season. They say they have lights at evening time, why to pay it here if you can get it for free at christmas town.

Beautiful Gardens as always. One of my favorite places in NC!

Very nice displays and exhibits. Lots of flowers and trees you just do get to see every day. This is a great place to take someone special on a lazy Saturday afternoon date.

Love the greenhouse, garden store and all the varieties of events they have.

The garden was beautiful with spontaneous rabbits popping up surprising the children on the field trip. The staff was very accommodating with all the children. The activities they did with the children were engaging and educational.

I look forward to returning for a visit. Tons of space for events.

Got married here 11 years ago. Changed a lot but still beautiful

My family loved this place! We saw lots of beautiful butterflies, toads, etc. The gardens were nice to walk through, although I think it would be more enjoyable on a cooler day. My kids enjoyed the art projects that were set up. It was hot but running through the fountains in one of the gardens helped. The orchid conservatory was beautiful.

Really nice place but I'd go late in the season. It was so humid we didn't get to the trails. But the family really loved it. Will definitely revisit.

This place is so cool. Had a blast just walking around exploring the grounds and enjoying the plants and flowers.

Lovely tranquil place to walk through and enjoy the beautiful gardens, fountains, butterflies, and orchids.

Had an awesome time here for the Christmas lights!! (Minus the rude lady that greeted us outside) She said we were too late and was very stand-offish, even though we got there over an hour before closing. I bypassed her and it was smooth sailing! Amazing time. Not sure what the "greeter"s problem was. And my corporation sponsors them. Looking forward to a 5 star visit next time! :-)

Went during a weekday in December and nothing was happening. Not much in the gardens at all. Orchid House was the best part. Best to go at night in the winter.

The new children's area is really great. We did not have any children with us but it was actually the most interesting. Done very well for a child great imagination

They did a beautiful job with the Christmas lights.

We love these gardens and visit whenever we can. Make sure to visit at Xmas and the spring.

Terrific place to walk, take pictures and spend the day

Beautiful visit! Makes sure to check out the butterfly pavilion if it's up. So cool!

I went to a wedding so I didn't get to see the whole thing but I will go back

Great place to visit during Christmas holidays. Lots of displays. Beautiful

A great place to visit, any time of year. Each season gives a different look to the gardens.

Lights were beautiful. A must at Christmas time! Great for all ages.

Amazing place, definitely I recommend you to visit the garden!

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a beautiful place for special events or simply spending time outdoors.

The Stowe Botanical garden was Amazing! I enjoyed so much that i will never forget this nigth. Was a beautiful dream in reality. Thanks for so wonderful job!

Another enjoyable Saturday evening at the gardens. It was pleasant to stroll and relax among the gardens and the exhibit by Jason Gamrath. The art was amazing and awesome. Speaking with other visitors, we all thought that the lights would be in the art not lights shining on them. Also, leaving the gardens was a little challenging. They did warn us but it was a little difficult to walk to the car since the lights were not on and we used the flashlight on our phones. The lights came on when we started driving in the parking lot but turned off when were got to the drive to get to the main road.

Over priced. Wasn't impressed with the experience or visit. Spring picture was over priced. 1 download picture for thirty five dollars and thirty five dollars for 2 adults and a 1 year admission charge plus thirty five dollars 1 download picture. Seventy dollars total.

Jim wasn t very friendly. Said that weren t allowed in but we saw people coming out and we later asked if they were members or not and they weren t. Also saw ya coming and ran to the back.The trail and what we saw on the outside was nice though.

Me and my honey went on my bday one yr it was awesome we carried a picnic lunch and not that many people we chilled and got t enjoy great get away

It was un kept. After more than 20 years of visiting there we had felt it was becoming over priced. We decided to take a guest there for a treat. Our names are on the marble for being founders with many others. Price was down from last time but sad conditions.

I always have a wonderful time taking my baby to DSBG. I myself have been going there since I was a little child when it was a white house with big trees and a small gardens, I always couldn't wait for the gift shop, buying plastic lizards with the names of them on the belly. now I'm 32, and my mom and I take my 22 month old there and he got so excited to get a train at the gift shop at the members holiday lights showing last night..Santa he wasn't so excited about, but that's okay, we still visit him because it is the most realistic genuine Santa I have seen and he's so patient with my child both this year and last!

It's a nice garden and the orchid greenhouse was especially nice. I also like how they had local beer and wine you could purchase to drink while you strolled through the garden. The only reason I dropped a star is the price seemed too high, especially since it was obvious they make a lot of money off of events.

Wonderful place to take a walk, anytime of the year.

Came for the Chinese lantern festival and really enjoyed it. Would love to come back here again. They did a great job with the traffic and while it was a little crowded it wasn t overwhelming.

The food trucks were nice to have and they had a bar with beer and wine. A good time for all ages.

It was a great Sunday trip. The butterfly garden was a wonder. The gardens are very well kept up and they are plenty of private places to sit and take it all in. We only saw a few people whilst walking the gardeners. There is a plan to expand the gardens which looks amazing. Looking forward to going back.

A lot of Pavillion are close. Too expensive for the walk...literally. A lot of renovation. Shop closed. Washington DC was amazing and free.

Good way to kill some time. We went during an event and there wasn't much food selection. Primarily just drinks.

Maybe a little balance on the entertainment side and this place would do really well with younger folks looking to dress up for a fancy event once every couple of months.

The lighted trees and walkways were beautiful and peaceful.Volunteers in festive holiday colors were warmly welcoming and helpful. The lighted miniature train was a delight to the kids and kids at heart. Also enjoyed the blinking lights linked to the rhythm of the music. Enjoyed it very much as guests of my sister and brother- in -law together with other family. Thank you so much!

This place was so much fun to go with the family out in the evening. Such nice displays. It was so nice. I will. Highly recommend to bring the family.

Is was muddy and dry. Probably it would look better in spring.

Wow. Such a gem! I loved that each garden area is sectioned off. The orchids were well maintained. I just wish all the water features were functioning. When we went in April, only half were in operation. There is new development going in so I can't wait to see what is added!

Like always amazing place to visit. Beautiful Christmas decorations, loved!

A little unkempt. Definitely appeared a work in progress

You need to pay overpriced admission(12.95 before tax per adult) for a short walk through mediocre garden. Andrey's review below says everything I would say.

Pretty. Not as put together as we had hoped. Still a nice place for a afternoon date or afternoon with the family.

Went for the Chinese lantern festival. It is truly a MUST SEE.

We visited the gardens for the Lantern Festival and it was fantastic! Anyone who has the opportunity to see it should go!

Holidays at the Garden - attended (12/27/17) Huge waste of money. It takes maybe 15 minutes to go through the garden. Half of the events that were supposed to be there, were not. No music, No fire, yes it was technically after Christmas but the website stated it was open until the 30th. It was seriously a huge waste of money - will not be going back.

It was probably just the time of year I went, but it seemed like there was a lot of repairs and flowers beds that needed to be done

We went in February, place was empty, kids had fun running around

I have been to weddings, events & exhibits here, it has been a beautiful staple of the Charlotte metro area for years!

I almost gave two stars because I can't think of a botanical garden that I've been to that I like less than this one. Two major turn offs: loud, cheesy music and very poor identification.

We went to the Chinese Lantern Festival and while it was beautiful, the even was so poorly organized that it detracted greatly from the overall experience.

We went on a Sunday evening and it was very crowded. Not sure if it would ve been better on a weekday.

By far the most frustrating part was that the trail in parts of the garden were horribly crowded. This was an area of three circles so it s interesting that they either didn t limit how many people could enter at a time OR limit it to one-way traffic (as you had to enter/exit in the same location). Most people were still pleasant though many agreed it was frustrating to move so slowly.

For the ticket price, I expected more from the extras (shows, activities, food, etc.). We made one short lived attempt to get a drink, but quickly abandoned the line when it didn t move AT ALL. We were glad we ate ahead of time.

We arrived around 6:30 pm, and there was a bit of a traffic jam to turn in although the overall wait wasn t too bad.

There was plenty of parking although we did have to park farther away. Not an issue for us, but may be bothersome for those with mobility issues. There was a shuttle, which we opted not to use, but for the walk back, it s quite dark in places. The front lot was about 10% empty when we arrived (and more cars were leaving) so it astounded us when we left later that they had actually opened up a parking lot even farther away rather than allowing cars to re-fill the first lot.

We noticed that there was distinctly a lack of workers - whether paid or volunteer. Either tickets need to be limited further or more employees/volunteers are needed.

Wonderful during a non event. Event tickets are oversold making people elbow to elbow and thusly not enjoyable. Go on a weeknight during events if you must.

Best place to take your family and out of town guests.

Great place to go to when they have special events or exhibits going on. We've been there so many times, the garden has now become a common attraction for us featuring the same plants from years before. But it's a great place for those who love plants and gardening. They've also added new structures and improvements to add value to your visit. It's a great option for a family day trip especially for those visiting for the first time.

A great place to meditate or take the family for an afternoon.

It is a nice garden to walk distract with the family

My wife and I visited the gardens with family on the weekend and it was enjoyable. There were a suprisingly a wide variety of different flowers, shrubs, and trees. The grounds were nicely kept and the abundant water fountains were always cool to see. We especially enjoyed the water fountains that arced over the walkway and allowed you to walk underneath. A good way to spend a few hours and enjoy beautiful plants and flowers.

Our visit was in early March so not much was in bloom. However, the grounds are laid out well with multiple water fountains for photo ops. I would recommend this place to anyone regardless of the season.

Very relaxing place to be. I recommend everyone to visit this is place at least once.

Went to the Chinese Lantern Festival Saturday which was over run with crowds, terribly understaffed, and poorly managed. After spending about 15 minutes of my 2 hours invested actually looking at the lanterns, my daughter fell into a water fixture. I carried her crying, soaking-wet, and bleeding to the front desk to look for first aid where a lady kindly gave me 2 band aids. Drunken, rude guests questioned our right to cut to the front of the line for the shuttle causing me to question my faith in humanity. I will never return there especially for a major event. Poor management of the crowd and lack of security combined with rude guests...uggh.