Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Review

An amazing staple in the Richmond area. The gardens are beautiful year round. A great place for kids activities indoor and outdoor, solitude abounds in different parts of the garden if you want it, and during the holiday season the light installation is so beautiful and well done. Concerts are also great here, and they have dog friendly events summer and winter as well. The restaurant is fantastic, the gift shop is huge, and the library is a great place to visit well. Highly recommend visiting no matter what time of year.

This is a one of a kind facility for the Richmond area. The grounds are superbly maintained and the staff is friendly and helpful. The holiday light shows are incredible and are a "must attend" event. If you have never been here, you owe yourself two trips. Once in the spring or fall during the day, and once at night during the holiday light shows.

Dominion energy Gardenfest of lights at Lewis Ginter is definitely a must see event during the holidays. It s an annual event and has a different theme each year. The garden is decorated beautifully with millions of lights, which creates a magical experience

Best kept "secret" in Richmond. We've had a family membership here for 3+ years and absolutely love it. They have numerous special events - Peter Rabbit Easter Bunny, fall/halloween themed events, Gardenfest of Lights at Christmas, concerts for Mother's Day/Father's Day, and the summer concert series - all included with price of admission. Some of the concerts even welcome dogs. Hours are expanded on weekends and Thursdays in summertime, which is fantastic. There is a butterfly house every spring/summer included with admission. There is a splash pad open from April-October weather dependent. The children's garden is absolutely amazing. The gardens are always so well kept - benches/seating areas always clean, pathways very well maintained, etc. My daughter has spent many hours exploring and playing. The special exhibits are constantly changing and are so family-friendly. I am very picky about 5-star reviews, but I'd give this place 6 stars if I could. Can't recommend highly enough.

Peaceful, always something different to see. A Haven of Zen.

I've been going here every now and then for almost as long as I can remember. (I live right down the street, so it's easy to get there.)
I can only give a biased review, seeing as I've not been in any areas except the children's area and the greenhouse (usually only during the holiday season, too)
The plants are beautiful, and I always feel immersed in the scene while I'm walking around. Lots of interactive areas!!

One of my family's absolute favorite places, the arts, the butterflies, the gardens, activities and tree house by the lake, all breathtaking & Christmas time is absolutely magical! Tranquil and is definitely a Must see.

Indoor areas are closed due to covid :( but it still really nice to go see the lights!

We went there for the Festival of Lights for the holiday season and we all loved it. Amazing visit :)

Such a beautiful setting. Always something new to see.

We went on Fido Night and it was so much fun seeing all the different breeds of dogs, many of which were dressed up for Christmas. The dogs are a great icebreaker, opening up conversations with a lot of nice people. The lights and displays were beautiful, and the gift shop was packed with unique gift items.

This place is THE WORST. While the facility is amazingly beautiful, the staff is freaking horrendous. From the very beginning, they gave my best friend and us (best friend was the bride) a hard time. The bar tenders were EXTREMELY RUDE. From the very start, they were horrible to guests, gave everyone a hard time for the drink they ordered. It was an open bar but they kept joking how they were running out of vodka, and what were the guests going to do when they ran out? They were extremely horrible. They cut my friend off 1.5 before the wedding was over, and when asked why, they didn't give us an answer, just were rude and threatened to call security. They THEN CUT THE GROOM off and had the cops called on him. Following that incident, they cut the ENTIRE WEDDING OFF 1 hour before it was supposed to end. FOR NO REASON. Do yourself a favor and have your wedding somewhere else. You pay way too much money to have an open bar. The next day, multiple people had asked if the cops had come to the wedding, apparently it's a huge pattern and happens every weekend. DO NOT have your wedding here, it is terrible service. Such a beautiful venue! What a huge bummer. I'm so sad, because my best friend and her man deserved 100 times better service than what was given to them . Shame on Lewis Ginter and the people they have working for them.

Lewis Ginter is a must-see during the winter holidays. Lights everywhere with some fun areas for kids and an indoor area full of trains and other holiday themed displays.

Just beautiful. The gardens are amazing. The butterfly exhibit is so cool. You can go back to that several times a year because different butterflies hatch at different times. I ve been to a wedding here that was just gorgeous. The cafe is also great and has lots of options. You can eat there without paying admission. The gift shop is one of the best I ve seen. The only bad things are the parking lot is not great and the admission is expensive.

We went to The Garden Fest of Lights. It was a really good time for my son and I. Bring done money for hot chocolate and Smores over a fire. The spring and summer are also lots of fun for children and adults. We joined this time last year.

Vising the festival of lights is a fun family activity. It's easy to get around and the atmosphere is very festive. Some years are better than others, but I still recommend going. Going a bit later in the evening will help you avoid the crowds. Buy your tickets online to make entry quick and easy. Small children may enjoy seeing the lights (for a little while) but there really isn't a whole lot for them to do.

The Garden Fest of Lights each holiday season is not to be missed.

Always something new to see no matter how often I visit. So peaceful.

I first came here in 2017 when I was invited to see the holiday garden full of lights. I fell in love and came back here in May to see the blooms. So grateful I am learning all about the garden each time I visit. Beautiful.

Very beautiful. Got there early did not have to wait to get in.did not see train room line was to long. Needed a bigger area for it

Absolutely magical! The lights were everywhere and the staff was wonderful. Must visit

A visual treat, year round. Impeccably maintained, together with outstanding dining. A "don't miss" if you're in Richmond, or love gardens!

From the conservatory butterflies to the Christmas lights to the glorious bulbs of spring as well as the glorious fall colors, there is always something to see here. While you're here stop and get a bite to eat in the cafe or the Tea House after you have shopped in the awesome gift shop filled with art and garden goodies.

Beautiful gardens decorated with festive lights for the season!

Visited in December during a mild evening. Beautiful light display for the holiday. The library at this garden is incredible. I was really impressed with their seed sharing program - very organized. The gift shop is massive. If I lived locally, I would visit monthly!

Great place for a beautiful garden walk! We love the butterfly exhibit in the spring & gardenfest of lights during the holidays! This is a Richmond staple!

So great to be back in the garden after 3 months of being shut down. It is always SO beautiful & well maintained. The exhibit of Wind & Water is unique & fascinating. Despite the heat today, it was a wonderful experience.

Highly suggest you visit the gardens or bring anyone from out of town to visit. Great activities for children of all ages. Very beautiful and peaceful. Staff is always helpful and friendly. The butterfly house and Japanese Gardens are my personal favorite.

My friend and I visted The Botanical Gardens last Summer during a Resident Apreciation Day. It was so nice to see the place again! You can spend an entire day at "The Gardens" as we locals call it and see things you haven't seen on any previous visit. There's always a new exihibit or attraction and with miles of trails, you're to find something interesting and new!!!

We've been to Ginter many times. Went yesterday to see the roses. They were absolutely beautiful. This place is very well run and maintained. Its one of the best attractions in Richmond.

Christmas lights are engrossing . Beautiful place , beautiful flowers .

This past weekend I visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with my family and was quite impressed. I'm no green thumb, but there were certainly more exotic plants than I had expected, or even just incredible amounts, sizes, colors, or beautiful placement of ones with which I had already felt familiar. I guess because of COVID-19, much was closed, but there was plenty left to impress us. The greenhouse was pretty amazing, but we also enjoyed the trails. The various elaborate metal wind art sculptures that move around in various ways were also a treat to observe.

Great place to walk and enjoy the outdoors and scenery.

A wonderful way to spend two hours looking at beautiful gardens and sculpture (current display) while in peaceful relaxation. You can order lunch online while touring the grounds and pick up your food already bagged and waiting at the tea garden cafe. A perfect afternoon!!!

Beautiful and nicely laid out...and we went in the winter! Can't wait to see it in full color in the spring.

The different plants is out standing and some I have grown myself. I look forward to visiting in the near future..

My guests were amazed by the beauty of the garden, the delicious food, and the friendly staff.

Christmas lights were amazing. Staff very friendly and enjoyable. Great fun

A must see attraction. The butterflies, Christmas lights... all of the yearly exhibits are great!!

It was so cute! Having the time tickets were nice because it made it less crowded.

Really enjoyed it. We finished the garden tour in about two hours. I thought we'd be there longer. The gift shop is not to be missed though. I spent over 30+mins alone in the gift shop!

Wife and I have been members for years. Their Holiday Light display is a cherished annual event that we love seeing. The lights bring out the kids in all of us.

The gardens are beautiful in their summer glory and the conservatory is a gem on the hill with orchid and cactus wings! The Wind, Waves and Light: Art in Motion by George Sherwood exhibition is fantastic!

It was a great place to take a love one, walk and relax

This is a beautiful place me and my lover would spend the day here and enjoy the site's. Very relaxing and educational. Great place for family and friends to.

Incredibly beautiful and immaculately kept grounds and gardens galore. We visited on a free day--Labor Day--and the grounds were packed. Yet the staff were incredibly organized and efficient, directing everyone to parking and ensuring the swell of people was hardly noticable (except for the butterfly live exhibit...nothing they could do about that line). The grounds are amazing, with beautiful plants, flowers, trees, and more expertly organized and paths everywhere. If you have children aged 1-9, there are plenty of events and toys for them in the kids area. This includes a cool sprinkler play area, so bring their bathing suit and a change of clothes. You can spend the entire day in the kid zone or explore the dozens of paths.

Inside the welcome center is a beautiful dining room attached to a small cafeteria. You'll also find a large gift shop there as well. There are plenty of bathrooms all around the grounds as well.

During the later part of March in 2010, I had the privilege of being able to tour the wonderful glass art exhibit of Dale Chihuly. It's amazing how well this exhibit was integrated into the gardens and conservatory. These amazing displays really played very well with Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. For years it has been a joy going to the botanical garden for its own beauty, and seeing the glass sculpture exhibition back in 2010 was a huge additional attraction!

Great gardens to enjoy a morning, afternoon or day. The events are always nice year around and it is well maintained.

My husband and I got a year membership here for a wedding gift. We ve only been to see the lights so far, so I d like to see how it is in spring and summer, but from what we ve seen it s a bit over hyped. Yes, it is beautiful, but Maymont is far more impressive in our opinion. I m sure we will make it back during the different seasons, I d love to see some beautiful flowers and succulents. After our membership expires, we most likely won t feel compelled to return. Will update later on though!

As a side note, during the lights event they charge $4 for a cup of hot chocolate that is clearly just Swissmiss.

A lovely place in any season as well as a safe place to visit friends!

We took the kids yesterday. This place is great for the family. We enjoyed the butterfly exhibit. The kids got hot, and were able to cool down in kids zone. The kids really liked seeing all of the flowers, as well as the turtles and fish.

While visiting Richmond the gentleman that narrated the Trolley Tour that we took told us about the Ginter Botanical Garden. We drove out in the afternoon and it turned out to be the highlight of our visit. Spectacular gardens, beautifully cared for buildings and grounds and the big treat was the origami artwork throughout. Just fantastic. If you love flowers and gardens you will fall in love with this place. In addition they have the best gift shop I've ever been to outside NYC!!!

Beautiful botanical garden. Really enjoyed the butterfly house. Black bean cakes in the Teahouse were fantastic!

Oh my gosh...this awesome place was beyond our expectations.
Our tour bus returning to Ocala, FL from our trip to Washington DC stopped at this super botanical garden. I can sum it up with one word...WOW.
Beautiful buildings, awesome pristine grounds, trees, bushes, plants, flowers galore, a great butterfly building...serenity.

Great show w few ppl (covid). Worth the effort. Classy, lovely.

Came down to Richmond for my nephews orientation at VCU for two days.On the second day we stayed back at the hotel but my little girl wanted to go somewhere. Checked out things for kids to do in Richmond and this place was suggested. The website mentioned a play area for children which included a spray ground. So, we decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did. This place is absolutely breathtaking.

We visited in the 4th of July and it was fairly busy, but with so much to see, it was a real pleasure. There was a butterfly exhibit, which had a significant line, but the staff kept water available. There was a band in the kids garden area. The Japanese garden we're beautiful and peaceful. Thankfully it was also free due to a holiday promotion. This place was a wonderful stop on our vacation and helped us recharge with a slower pace for the day.

Loved the beautiful display of the lights this year!!
Can't wait to see next year!!

Tonight we visited the Garden of Lights, they put on a wonderful array a Christmas lights and decorations throughout. We have been members for years and the Gardens of Light is a spectacular event. Even if your not a member you should come and enjoy the lights. They always have a little hot chocolate and boozy drinks for the adults. The whole place is beautiful anytime of year and they have great events yearlong. The Butterfly event is awesome as well. Once a year the hatch a bunch of butterflies in the Arboretum and get to walk through all of flying around. They have a nice Tea House on site as well, where you can grab a snack, have lunch or a nice dinner. We'll worth your time any time of year. Highly recommend getting a membership, they have lots of membership only events.

Love, love, love the gardens. It is very relaxing to walk around. Plenty of places to sit and take in the views. They have events here too like Octoberfest, Garden of Lights, etc. If you love flowers, plants, and being outdoors then this is the place for you!!!

What a beautiful place to visit! However, a beautiful garden means nothing to the community if it is built (and continues to grow) through the abuse of power and exploitation.

This place was beautiful. Everything a botanical garden should be. Far better than the Maymont gardens.

We have been members for years now and the Gardens are wonderful. Year round, there is something to do! The spring is full of tulips and all kinds of blossoms. In the summer the children's garden is full of fun for kids, including the only splash pad in the area that has a rubberized ground. They have live butterflies April through October. The fall is gorgeous and the roses are still in bloom. The winter Gardenfest lights are lovely and there are free member nights to visit. This is a great place to visit!

The lights are beautiful however if you think you are going to be able to go in at the Tea house forget it they have like 12 seating arrangements and even though the next 'group' wasn't due in for another 45 minutes and only 3 tables were being used they just couldn't/WOULDN'T serve so that I guess they don't like making money trivial really.......