Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Reviews

During the holiday season, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights. There are lights all over. They have a huge fire pit in the back, there is also station for hot chocolate and warm drinks. If you don't want to be outside then go inside the library building and enjoy one of the biggest toy train sets you've ever seen. Don't forget to get a picture in front of their gigantic Christmas tree.

this garden is for nerds. Nerdy nerds, actually. Simply horrifying how many nerds asked me math questions, since they are indeed nerds. Why Lewis Ginter? Why? Why scar my children with all these nerds?

Nice quiet place to observe nature. Also things to with children, to play, learn, and burn off energy at the same time.

Was there for a wedding... staff was really rude & acted like they really didn't want us there... the bride & groom had to address the crowd three times saying champagne was coming but since there was only one person doing it, they were done with speeches before it came out... coordinator was no where to be found and was full of attitude. Beautiful site but all FOH catering staff should go.

If you only go once, you have to go and see the Festival of Lights. It is a Richmond landmark, and worth it. No rush on going through, you can spend a few hours there with the kids, just walking around, enjoying cocoa, and seeing the lights. They change the layout and design every year, which is fun. My family really enjoy going to Lewis Ginter

Went here for the lights and also another time for a conference with work. Both were amazing. The staff is super friendly and for the work event, everything was perfect!

A wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Very spacious gardens, lots of room to walk and think to yourself, tons of opportunity for flower photography. However, perhaps due to the time of year we stopped in (early June), there seemed to be far less wildlife than I had expected to see, one or two butterflies outside, and only three different species of birds that I saw. Some turtles swimming around which was cool.

Nice little water play area for kids on hot summer days which was a huge plus.

The best Christmas lighting decorations and walk you ll have in Richmond, Virginia.

Lewis Ginter is a jem of a place to visit in Richmond, VA. This can be a day's trip or you can stroll for just an hour. I usually take annual membership so I can walk in the pristine gardens more often. Beautiful gardens aside, they have kids activities, butterfly garden in summer, Christmas lights in winter, a restaurant, a gift shop, well they have soooooo many things. This place is famous for people getting married!!!

this is a very good place to take a date... See if you can get a table at the Tea House, GREAT foods there.

It's a magical place you can let yourself explore and enjoy natures botanical varieties.

First post-Covid visit and it felt safe to visit. Appointments required, masks required but so good to return to a favorite place.

We drove 4 hours just to see the lights. They did not disappoint.

Missing Thursday nights
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Lovely evening in Richmond to view the botanical gardens. Perfect venue to take your children. Lights are magical.

Beautiful place for relaxing stroll around the well kept gardens, any time of the year, even on the morning after the first frost of the season!! :)

Beautiful Christmas lights. We got there before it got busy and various parking spots were available (around 1630). Highly advise to dress warm; too many people came and went in such a short time because the drop in temperature. Take advantage of the different events they have e.g. story time, visit Santa. Overall, it was a great experience for the family and I.

We've been enjoying everything this venue has to offer for many years. From grooving in the gardens to the festival of lights at Christmas time. Last night we were able to introduce our 3 year old to the fun. We enjoyed hot chocolate and treats before heading into the lights. This year seemed exceptionally beautiful.

Not much blooming in winter, but that's to be expected. Cacti & orchids in Conservatory are very nice. Lights are pretty but expensive and don't select the 4pm time for lights like we did. You won't be able to exchange for a later time and it's not dark enough for the lights to be truly resplendent. Choose 5:30pm or later. Trust me.

What a beautiful place! I had only been to the Norfolk Botanical gardens so I came in ready to compare but was pleasantly suprprised at how immaculate the grounds were. In comparison to Norfolk, you can tell they really take care to get the best flowers and displays, I was very impressed at the selection and it rivaled Norfolk by far. Their kids "splash park" was very very small in comparison to the water park at Norfolk, as was their "international village" which was really just a couple vacant huts with no real objective. They had this cool treehouse but it was completely empty, no literature points or things for the kids to play with. So I would say for kids, this isn't as fun as it could be but the gardens and aesthetic of the place make it all worth it.

This place is always great to come too on their free days. It does cost alot to come here regularly but even with the amount of people it's still not that bad on free days. The splash pad and children's garden are great as well. Plenty of pokestops if you still play pokemon go.

Visited for OktoberFest event. Fabulous! Beautiful place, great food & music, did a good job following Covid-19 guidelines.

Beautiful gardens. Staff was friendly and helpful. While we were there, they were setting up for their Christmas light display. We didn't get to see it, obviously, but judging from what we saw, it should be amazing. We also got a sneak peek of their Christmas tree made of flowers. It was very striking. The greenhouse had some amazing plants and the fountains and ponds across the property are gorgeous. Highly recommend for a relaxing afternoon stroll. Will be back!

Lewis Ginter is not only a beautiful location to visit for both locals and from out of town, but also a spectacular wedding venue. The staff are wonderfully helpful to both vendors and guests alike. I had the honor of photographing a client's wedding in the gardens during the spring and was blown away by how sweet and accommodating the workers and event staff were and my bride and groom had nothing but fantastic things to say about their experience as well. 10/10 will absolutely recommend the venue to future clients.

They have the most beautiful plants here, and some amazing exhibits. I recently visited for the LEGO exhibit, and wandered into the Butterflies Alive!, which was wonderful. The Children's Garden and play area is incredible.

My 1st time, flew in from Atlanta toured parts of the garden. Must fly back again to see what I missed. Everything was fabulous and big ups to the friendly staff. Must return.

Here for the annual Mothers Day event. The garden is as beautiful as always. The event is great to sit out, relax and enjoy live music.

The Tea House restaurant here is a joke. I stopped by for lunch when I was in the gardens and there was only 2 other people in the restaurant. We were seated and it took 10 minutes for a waiter to come get our drink orders. After another 10 minutes, we were asked what we want. Then it took an hour to get that food to us. I will never visit the gardens again due to just this place. Horrible experience!

We went for the holiday light display. Very nicely done. We got lucky with a very warm evening, which made it even better.

It's very nice place too bring family ln the city of Richmond It a beautiful park for adults it 13 dollars children 8 dollar's it has some thing you will like a small water park for kids

Gorgeous. Tons of places to sit and enjoy the day. Very spacious, easy to respect social distance guidelines.

My family and I had a wonderful visiting the garden of lights this year. Always a must see in my book. Yall do such a amazing job putting this together. Thank you

Fantastic garden! The Christmas light show is a must see!

We ate at the Tea House before taking the holiday lights tour. Food and service were fantastic and the grounds were done up right!

The Lexington Newcomers Club has had a tour here for the past 2 years and returning again this year for the Festival of Lights! Beautiful!

This place is fabulous. I was there on a wedding and the area was great. There can be a stream flowing behind the building in which the wedding was and it turned out beautiful with trees and also the flowing water. It didn't sense New York at most of. The building itself had been great with two stages and great setting for 100 guests.

The ladies wanted to see the Christmas lights. They loved it. It s like a casino floor but better for you.

I am a member here so I go somewhat frequently. Recently took my neice and nephew, both toddlers, along to enjoy the children's area. They loved seeing the tree house and seeing the greenhouse.

My girlfriend and I went to see the holiday lights presented by Dominion Electric. Might I say it was a fine display of lights and a truly creative work of art. We hadn't been before so we were uncertain as to what to expect.

What a wonderful evening and a wonderful display. I hope the photos help more than the review did.

#ScottMcNuttReviewsRVA

Beautiful scenery. Loved the butterfly conservatory. My first visit here was enjoyable.

If I could leave 10000000 stars, I would!! Was only in Richmond for the night and this place completely blew me away, and I couldn't believe how cheap admission was for how huge the area is, especially with an entire building full of butterflies that wasn't even an extra cost. The staff in all departments were incredibly friendly & helpful, and I found some really neat things in the gift shop to bring home (& something for a friend too!!) This place alone makes me wish I lived in Richmond; overall a very beautiful and pleasant city! Captures some beautiful photos, so many that my camera died right as I was walking out! May update my review and post some when I make it back home(:

This is a very beautiful place and my buddy had his wedding there and it was amazing lots of room for fun and setting up gatherings and the views are awesome!

Very enjoyable morning at Lewis Ginter. They did a great job with social distancing and the Wind, Waves & Light displays were awesome!

I m really late posting these pictures as they were taken this past fall, but wow what a photographers dream. I can t wait for the start of spring as I ll be buying a membership. I was amazed at all the flowers that were still in bloom for so late in the season. The walking pathways are wonderful, no hills and even pavement throughout, with plenty of places to sit when needed. Just remember to buy your ticket online in advance . Once inside the gardens you can enjoy them all day. I was at first disappointed the butterfly house was closed due to COVID, but quickly became excited when I found many throughout the garden. It s definitely a place you must try!

Absolutely beautiful gardens! I will say that it gets a bit crowded during the free days (which I think only happen a couple of times a year), but it's still definitely worth the visit. We especially enjoyed the butterfly conservatory. This place provides hours of enjoyment for all ages. Highly recommended!

Today was perfect for the children...so many fun activities for them! We love coming with our grandson who always has a great time.

Awesome space to visit for an outdoor activity, especially during COVID since it s fairly spaced out and most people wore masks.

Tons of great spots to enjoy a day with great weather and there are plenty of sculptures on display now (through October if I remember correctly).

Definitely recommend spending an afternoon smelling the roses, taking in all the plants in the greenhouse, and admiring the sculptures.

Wonderful place to walk around and enjoy nature. Great little kids section, too

Went on vacation and this was one of the places I visited. Was hoping it could be walked at night to just see it lit up but its not open right now for evenings. It is fall so do think ahead on what will be bloomed and what is not. Not a great choice for a child beings butterflies are not there and it is a lot of walking. They will get bored very quick. Not really worth the money that was paid but that was my bad not thinking about the season.

Beautiful location. Awesome kid area. Nice way to spend a couple hours

Good for kids on a hot day! Splash pad is good for cooling off.

I went here a little while ago, but it was so beautiful! Its a nice little quiet place to enjoy the day.

Superior botanical garden with WAY more to it than I originally thought. The outdoor gardens were way larger than was expecting with was a very pleasant surprise, especially so since they were impeccably manicured.

And the greenhouse is SPLENDID. Visiting the botanical garden was an awe-inspiring experience!

Beautiful flowers, trees and ponds. Make sure to find the hidden fairy town and walk on the side trails. The greenhouse and rose garden are amazing.

Definitely a Christmas favorite! It is also great for a warm Sunday afternoon walk. The cafe has a nice selection for brunch.

Best place on the east coast to see flowers, beautiful rare trees, and butterflies!

Very nice facility. Nice plants. But a BIT "pricey" for a "family outing". Food is great, but also expensive. I wouldn't recommend this for elderly people that can't walk long distances. There are small inclines and lots of walking. There are park benches to sit at, but they are not a near to one another as they should be. The butterfly exhibit is extraordinary

My siblings and I were going to try to take a couple of photos together for Mothers' day. We were ready to pay the almost $40 admission but were told we would have to pay an additional $150 just to take a couple photos as if we were doing a professional photo shoot when it was literally just us and a camera. We went somewhere else instead.

a wonderful park with large variety of flowers and trees, outstanding

Great Garden for a walk or date. Especially liked the East Asian garden and tea house as well as the healing garden with all kinds of plants with healing properties from around the world. Butterflies exhibition currently going on was really nice.

Food in the cafeteria was not the greatest however (crab was not really as fresh as we would have liked), possibly the tea house is a better choice. Also the children's garden, e.g. the musical instrument, was unfortunately in a not pristine state.

This is a beautiful area. Spent almost two hours touring the grounds and I still feel like I haven't seen it all and that return visits are a must. We came out to see the LEGO sculptures that are currently being featured at the time of this review and they did not disappoint. In addition to being wonderful pieces of art, the Gardens provided educational information to accompany each sculpture. Our admission was free today to honor those who have been affected by some of the recent violence in our country which was a welcome gesture. If you're in the area you owe it to yourself to visit both to see some natural beauty and to learn about nature and conservation.

Came here on the drive South with my 3 year old to let him run around. Has lots of things for both of us to do

I was in heaven there.Please don't go there.Its all my little heaven!

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are beautiful and the lights were very well done. Although cold, the walk was great and even the kids enjoyed the expedition. There are several places you can enter along the way and opportunity to pick up Hot Chocolate as well. I will say dress warm.... Parking was good and very well organized coming in to the attraction but, exiting was a little challenging as the signs were placed backwards. Trivial but not a deal breaker. Come early and parking is ample. Highly recommend if in the area.

Incredible! I do agree with others here that parking is kind of confusing. If you get cold they have good cider. Most of it was outside when we were there (I don't know if that changes) so dress appropriately. Huge gift shop but kind of gimmicky I couldn't even find simple postcards. We didn't try the little restaurant but people seemed to really be enjoying it.

$58 for a family of 4 ....lights were nice but for the price I think it could have been better or cost less for over 3 hours of driving

Excellent light show. Will be back in the spring!!!

Visited recently because of discounted tickets. Loved the greenhouse area and the staff was friendly. It was nice that it wasn't busy at all. Great gift shop too. I'm definitely coming back in the spring/summer when the outdoor section will be alive.

Very nice. Fun place to take the kids to play; walk around, enjoy the scenery, kids clubhouse, etc....

Incredibly beautiful! The landscaping is impeccable and there are always different flowers to discover throughout the seasons. The domed conservatory had even more unique plants to see!

They have different family events throughout the year, including a butterfly exhibit and the Gardenfest of Lights at Christmastime. Dogs are also welcome at certain times throughout the year.

This is my favourite place in Richmond.
I am overwhelmed with how amazing the place is just moments of entering the garden.
That view of the greenhouse far away with colourful plants surrounding made me feel i am in an utopian world elsewhere.
They have childrens corner which makes it an ideal day out for families as well as for photoshoots idea.
They also have an amazing gift/souvenir shop.
It was worth paying usd13 admission for this place.

Have been here many times. Reduced somewhat due to Coronavirus, but still enjoyable. Nice paths, restrooms and exhibits which change yearly.

Beautiful botanical garden. Very well laid out and accessible. The bridge ways over the pond and streams are lovely. Excellent collection of orchids. Great children's garden area. Would love to visit again.

Nice place to spend an afternoon. Kid friendly exhibits include a butterfly enclosure, and festival of lights around the holidays. Well maintained and beautiful gardens.