Olbrich Botanical Gardens Review

Interesting and relaxing. Fun way to spend a couple hours.

This place is probably much prettier in spring or summer but Fall was ok too. And I loved the building and water falls, river and colors.

This is my favorite place to take people when they visit town.

These gardens are wonderful. They re much larger than I was expecting. You could really wander for hours here. Unfortunately they are also a bit crowded and you can t really get lost in them there are always other people around.

The Gleam Exhibit was beautiful and worth every penny. And the conservatory never disappoints, any time of year.

Always a wonderful selection flowers and folliage. The Thai Temple is extraordinary.

nice indoor observatory. it is free only on Wed and Saturday selected time. but the ticket is only two dollars

Olbrich Gardens is an extremely beautiful during the summer and spring, and a visit is definitely warranted. I particularly suggest going during the Blooming Butterflies exhibit, an absolutely wonderful experience and really fun for all ages.

Was told not to take pictures because there was a wedding going on. My group and I agreed but we constantly seeing people take pictures so we said F it, if they re taking pictures then we will too. One of the male worker was following us and saw that we were taking pictures. As well as other groups but he decided to come straight at my group and told us we cant take pictures and that we have to leave. We told him that everyone else is taking pictures as well how come they arent being escorted out. Maybe if we was white and had the privilege, then maybe we wouldn t of gotten kicked out.

This is a beautiful and amazingly maintained botanical garden, with both indoor and outdoor facilities. It's a real pleasure to walk around here. There's an indoor tropical area and outdoors they have both perennials and annuals planted with many unique things to see such as the Thai temple and others. Outdoors at least, it's free, and it's a great asset and an impressive size and selection for a city the size of Madison.

Very nice gardens, we loved taking friends and family from out of the area there. So beautiful I even had my engagement photos taken there.

Beautiful gardens. Tranquil and very nice place to visit. Not huge just the right size on a hot day.

A good place to spend about 4 hours. We visited in autumn. Yet the experience was great. We plan to go in spring as well. It is a big place. Lots to great photo opportunities. Good roads inside the garden. The buildings constructed to add to the floral experience are awesome.

The flowers here are very beautiful, and the gardens are very spacious. I would recommend paying this place a visit sometime in the spring.

What a great place to spend an afternoon. The atrium is so peaceful and wonderful to be in. Strolling through the outdoor gardens is relaxing as well.

Great place to visit! Many beautiful spots to take good pictures.

Flowers, flowers flowers. A must stop each time.e we are in Madison.

Wonderful experience. My two year old grandson and twelve year old son were amazed excited through the whole trip. Only experienced the outdoor biome today. But, beautifully done.

My favorite part was the inside section. But that part does cost some money. I dont remember how much but it may have been $3. The outside is very beautiful too!

Madison boasts no shortage of beautiful natural greenery, but the Botanical Gardens truly takes the cake when it comes to biodiversity. The gardens are perfect for an afternoon stroll and are equipped with a variety of comfortable spaces for sitting and enjoying the sounds and sights of nature.

Very nice place to visit in the summer time beautiful Gardens, great for honey moons.

Fantastic Gardens. Only 2$ to go throuh the conservitory. Well worth the visit. Staff is very friendly and informative.

We attended a Celebration of Life for a dear neighbor. We will miss you Janice Kruse

Always a pretty place to visit with the family. Always something to see. And in the winter it is nice to go get a break from the cold weather and see what is blooming or just soak up the humidity in the conservatory.

The happy greenery and floral display starts before you enter the gardens. The outside colors and textures will delight you and tempt you into the gardens. Inside is a system of concentric circles with pretty, surprising botanical treats. There are a couple of structures inside, skeletons of buildings, ponds, benches. Great place to relax and chat with friends or hang out alone.

Amazing gardens of many varieties!!! A must see for plant enthusiasts! Lovely indoor space with special events! Butterflies!!!

Lovely setting very peaceful beautiful Arrangements many paths to follow I love the place

Very nice, but insure you dress for warm weather (in the 80's )

Very attractive and diverse botanical garden. Nice gift shop too. Was there at the end of season. Looking forward to a visit in early July next time.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a treat for Wisconsin. There are many botanical gardens in cities throughout the state but the Olbrich is exceptional. (And it is free.) It is well designed and maintained. However, what makes this so special is the Thai sala.

Wisconsin is a cold state. We have had snow as late as May and as early as September. Recently I was surprised to discover that there is a Thai sala in Wisconsin. A sala is a pavilion found in Thailand that is used for a variety of events or simply to relax. To find one in the hills and forests of Wisconsin is completely unexpected.

The sala is located in the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison and was a gift of the Thai government and the Thai Alumni Association of the University of Wisconsin - Madison.It is unique in two ways. It is the only Thai sala located within the continental U.S and this is the only Thai sala (outside of Thailand) surrounded by a tropical garden.

The building was constructed in Thailand from hand carved teak wood. It was shipped to Madison and assembled there by the original craftsmen. The structure is notched together; no nails or screws were used in its construction. Much of the exterior is covered in gold leaf and the ceiling mosaics include embedded amber. The Thai construction artisans and the local community included messages on the backs of each of the roofing tiles.

As with salas in Thailand, this one faces West and has two black reflecting pools attached. There are numerous works of Thai sculpture around the sala.

Though not a temple or religious building, there is something spiritual about the area. There is an appreciable, visual difference between the sala and what is typically found in Wisconsin and the contrast between the pressures of daily life and the peaceful atmosphere of the sala is dramatic.

For someone traveling to Wisconsin, there are two structures that should not be missed; two world class sites - the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Calatrava and this Thai sala.

Thanks to the city of Madison and local, private donors for providing free admission the the area.

There is upgrading in progress but very pleasant place to visit as is.

NOT WHAT AS GOOD AS IT USE TO BE

I understand there is a sign at the front entrance that say photographers who are taking senior photos and family photos must pay for a permit, but it is ridiculous. The price is about $30 which is a waste of money and time; might as well allow us to pick their flowers with that price. We came in to take photos and they eyed us as we came in and then had us pay for it despite only going to take pictures not of family or any senior photos but for other reasons. They explained that if we use their garden for any photos, then we have to get a permit from them (which i might add, they never gave to us). They started going over the guidelines which are one of the most obvious guidelines that are/should be common sense. One of my friends asked how about people who use their phones to take pictures, but she couldn't give us an answer, only a "well..." and proceeded to count the money we wasted for a 1 day permit. Olbrich garden is a nice place, but with its ridiculous price of $30 for a dumb permit, it isn't worth it. Not only that, the majority of the areas have art everywhere they just ruin a lot of the scenic views: the thai pagoda for example which have these bird things that hang from it and a person who is guarding the inside of the pagoda, barring us from entering at all, or the weird hanging lights at the tower and the outline of a face hanging above one of the fountains. Art can be beautiful, but laying it out wherever like that doesn't make a garden any more pretty.

I suggest Olbrich garden think about the overly expensive photography permit because with that, it deters anyone, any photographers, to take any photos. i suggest anyone who is going to take photos just use a phone camera because $30 is not worth it, or better yet go elsewhere for photography.

One of Madison's finest offerings. Beautiful gardens.. brilliantly maintained.. like a secret getaway.

This place is free and it was so beautiful !! Refreshing garden

Even during Covid-19 , Olbrich Botanical Gardens look stunning, my family has visited this place multiple times and I love it. A very good time to go is early summer when many plants are bright green and flowers are blooming. My hope is that they'll reopen all of the paths so that all the little alcoves with sitting spots are available. In my eyes, another trip is inevitable.

Beautiful place to spend an afternoon . And don't forget to check out The Oservatory

Beautiful and masterfully cared for. The dome is a nice place to warm up during the winter months.

You can visit twice in the same day and you'll see something new both times. Bigger, and more to see, than meets the eye. Free and great activity for folks of all ages. Inside is a small charge, but worth the minimal cost.

With an ever changing plant variety and workers who love what they do, this is a great greenspace that educates generations to come. No wonder I'm going for a Renewable Energy major after spending so much time here

Always beautiful grounds, so a very nice place to walk through and enjoy a little bit of nature at its finest. Very peaceful. A great place to take pictures.

Even during Covid-19 , Olbrich Botanical Gardens look stunning, my family has visited this place multiple times and I love it. A very good time to go is early summer when many plants are bright green and flowers are blooming. My hope is that they'll reopen all of the paths so that all the little alcoves with sitting spots are available. In my eyes, another trip is inevitable.

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.

Here for a wedding.

the backdrop of all the flowers and the sweet smell of nature is perfect. I liked as you walk in they have Planters actually growing greens as in kale and lettuce.

There are benches tucked into all kinds of nooks under trees that you can find a nice place to relax and enjoy nature. Well maintained with brick walkways or wood chips.

They have a solar power flower in the parking lot.

Went in the winter so didn't get to see the 16 acres outside to walk through but did see the indoor jungle set up. That was really amazing! They had plants, fruit trees, flowers and animals inside. It was beautiful in there and nice and warm. I want to go back and spend more time in there and see what all I didn't notice the first time. There was a lot of take in inside the building. It only cost us $2 a person to walk thru and it was money well spent. Will definitely be coming back when it's warmer to go look around the outside flower gardens!

It was fun at first but there wasn't much to do and it ended being pretty boring.

Beautiful gardens indoors and out. The Thai Pavilion was incredible with the reflection pond in front. Great place for photos.

The Thai pavilion and garden are definitely worth the time.

Olbrich is famous for its vast landscape and is beautifully located next to Lake Monona. We spend couple of hours in this peaceful environment, it has shrubs and trees from various countries. So, to get the best experience must visit this place in Fall season. I specially loved fall colors in Chinese Maple and liked vibrant colors in Thai pavillion, Wildflower garden and birch walk.

Amazing area with a lot of work put in to keep the plants healthy and beautiful. Their events throughout the year are a lot of fun!

Illegally turned us away because of our certified and trained service dog. Will never return and won't recommend, especially to the families with service dogs we know! Very disappointed!

The flowers here are very beautiful, and the gardens are very spacious. I would recommend paying this place a visit sometime in the spring.

What a wonderfully beautiful place! We had a very nice walk around. The gardens are gorgeous. The atmosphere very pleasant. Was a little worried about some of the very mean looking bugs, but they didn't attack us, so all was well. Saw some wildlife, and lots of bees. People were kayaking and biking in the area. Well worth the trip!

The tropical garden in the green house is really nice. There are plants from all over the world. The outside garden must be beautiful in the spring or summer, although the Thai pagoda makes a stroll worth it even in the winter. The admission to all was free just paying for the cute railroad exhibit.

Absolutely beautiful gardens. Loved the experience!

Nice garden. Lots to see. Plants are clearly marked.

I got harassed by an employee for asking a few questions about their building