Olbrich Botanical Gardens Review

Outside nice enough... didn't get to see inside green house...was closed...

Olbrich Gardens is a wonder! It's fairly common to spend 30-90 minutes outside in the nice weather. They offer some pretty unique amenities such as a library to research all your gardening projects, their staff is usually pretty knowledgeable also. They have a gift shop and offer classes on a wide variety of topics garden related.

Their Thai gardens are especially pristine! Keep a look out for special events such as their winter show and butterfly exhibit.

Classes here are awesome! On their website they have multiple pages of available courses to choose. The courses offered are what you may expect of a botanical garden.

I have taken a handful of courses and thus far have walked away glad to have invested the price of the class, which are reasonable given the sheer volume and quality of information discussed in the class.

Highly recommend for those seeking enrichment activies that focus around nature.

This place is a must visit for nature lovers like me. Gorgeous trees, colorful flowers everywhere. The staffs are nice. Great for a romantic walk or just an hour of alone time.

A small but well maintained botanical garden in Madison WI. During off season (winterish), there is limited outdoor display but indoor conservatory has a wonderful collection of tropical and "rain forest" like collection that us carefully cultivated and maintained. A stream runs through it, populated with colorful Koi fish. There are colorful birds making bird music that almost seems piped in.
The outdoor gardens as well as parking is free. There is a nominal charge of $2 for the conservatory. Additional donations are encouraged. There are planned classes and activities and venues for special events. A gift shop completes the offerings. Nice place to visit for a few hours.

Very nice orchid exhibit and inexpensive. Loved seeing the birds inside the conservatory

A must-see when in Madison. The outdoor gardens are absolutely magnificent. The true treasure is the Bolz Conservatory. It's my personal winter survival tool. Tropical beauty in our own back yards!

Very fun layout, with more fun structures than many botanic gardens. They are very involved in the community too

Beautiful plants and trees and flowers and it's all free unless you want to check out the atrium section. They do have a donation box but it's not required.

A lovely facility offering traditional botanicals gardens along with art and music.

Beautiful place year round. Well labeled garden plants and easy to walk paths. In late April things are starting to bloom and birds are singing in abundance. Plenty of benches and lawn chair pavilions to sit and take in the scenery

The polar bear performance is instinctive and not artificially domesticated. It is very real and fun!

As a person who enjoys nature, Olbrich Gardens is always a relaxing and enriching experience! Never been disappointed.

The Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Conservatory was the highlight of our trip to Madison, WI. It is an incredibly inexpensive yet beautiful place to visit. The gardens are free and the conservatory is $2/person. Parking is free and widely available. The conservatory truly felt like a tropical rainforest overflowing with (labeled!!) tropical plants. Calatheas, alocasias, peperomias, hoyas--you name it! The gardens cover 16 acres, so bring your walking shoes. We especially appreciated the various art installations throughout the gardens. This is a must-see hidden gem in Madison. Suitable for all ages/definitely kid friendly. I would suggest visiting in both the daytime and at night to see everything lit up.

What a peaceful walk through a well-curated and presented botanic garden this was. I've been to before and Chicago botanical garden is one of my favs. The Olbrich botanical gardens is an absolute delight. The Thai pavilion is a standout and unique staple to check out. It's not just the only one in the country but the only one outside of Thailand. I definitely recommend stopping by here and take a slow stroll to take it all in.

A great place to ease your mind, peaceful and serene

We took our wedding photos here. Please support this beautiful local garden and donate the next time you go!

Nice to see educational beautiful winter doom full of tropical plants and some birds great gifts at the gift shop check it out some day i guess in summer its its outdoor garden is cool too

Excellent gardens outside and FREE! Also includes an inside Arboretum for $2.00 admission! Highly recommended!

It s free. Unfortunately the treatment reflects this. It s really a shame because it s such a nice place but I have been treated poorly every time I ve encountered staff/volunteers. I just waited with a heavy child in my arms while two people were allowed to cut in front of me. Another time I was accosted by staff for entering an area which is usually public but off limits for that day... through a gate they had left open themselves. There was no signage to that effect. Usually it s just a dour/rude attitude in general.

Really nice Botanical garden, you should visit. Perhaps lacking a tad in diversity but I still greatly enjoyed it.

I usually really enjoy my time at Olbrich, however today the staff made the experience pretty awful. The volunteer at the info desk immediately informed my friends and I we could not take any photos of each other in the garden without a permit. I have never been aware of this. Since I am pregnant and wanted a couple pretty winter shots during our walk in the garden I paid for the permit. We came inside and specifically asked if pictures were allowed in the conservatory; to which we were told yes. But another staff member very rudely told us we were breaking rules after my husband and I took a picture together indoors. I have not once been to olbrich and not seen visitors taking photos. This was not a big professional event, it was a friend taking a couple snaps of my husband and I; we were respectful and paid the $40 photo fee and were still treated very rudely. I am pretty disappointed.

One of my favorite things to do in the city. Outside is free and inside is extremely inexpensive. The art exhibit GLEAM is a must see

This place is amazing. I didn't even know it was there. There are so many things to see and places to explore within its walls. It is so worth a few hours or your time.

Great place to visit for a walk and gardening ideas.

Love the Gardens! Beautiful place to walk, nice way to warm up in the winter (in the arboretum), good selection of classes. My favorite things are the shows (especially the Orchid and Bonsai shows) and the spring plant sale. The garden membership is a good deal, gets you into most gardens in the Midwest.

Always a beautiful place to see! Highly recommend it.

Love the gardens! Every time I go, I see something new! The Rose garden is a beautiful garden and there is often a wedding talking place. Check out the gold Thai pavilion with Zen garden, it's incredible! It's free to go to the outside gardens and there is plenty of places to sit, relax, and read a book. The paths are wheelchair accessible. A must see destination when in Madison!

Most unique Asian Botanical Garden! Thank you Thailand for the golden pavilion.

Gorgeous gardens and awesome tours of all the different gardens. Free to visit but donations are accepted. They host weddings in their event garden and is an amazing scenic date place.

Beautiful gardens and conservatory. I went in the Fall but can't wait to visit in the Spring time to see the Gardens in bloom. The conservatory was very nice and really enjoyed walking through there to see the different plants, flowers and birds in it. The Gardens are Free to view but it does cost $2 to go into the Conservatory and they only accept cash payments for that admission. There is also a very nice gift shop inside the building as well.

A must see on a beautiful day. The greenhouse is full of exotic specimens for all weather, but the coolest part by far is the Thai Garden outside. The price is right for a date, a pleasant afternoon, or even bringing the kids.

Visiting this garden at the end of July was an amazing experience. Not only is all of the outside area free, it is astoundingly beautiful, in both design and maintenance. The Thai pavilion is a gorgeous piece of architecture and the thematic nature of the other gardens makes it a great to simply stroll and take in. We didn't do any of the tours but ample signage and paved walkways ensures accessibility regardless of preference. A great venture for any trip to Madison and conveniently near the airport for either a beginning or end to a visit.

It's worth visiting. There's so much work that has been put into this place. Every where you look is beautiful. Be sure to see the Thai Pavilion Garden it's a special place. Thank you for those who work so hard on these gardens.

Dropped Dawn off to take pictures of the butterfly exibit. They don't allow dogs so I'm across the street on the waterfront part . Watching the boats go in and out. Very nice area.

Love this place. It's free to enter but donations are encouraged. A lot to see outdoors and inside when the weather isn't as pleasant. The Blooming Butterflies exhibit each summer is one of my most favorite events. Definitely worth a visit.

Great place to go get outdoors while in Madison. Beautiful gardens and the Thai Pavilion is an absolute must-see, especially once you learn the history and symbolism behind it's delivery! The flowers and gardens are simply amazing with plenty of places to sit, relax and read. It is with a short walk of Lake Monona and minutes from downtown Madison. There is ample parking. The gift shop is handicap accessible. The grounds have partially paved paths and some gravel/dirt paths. Moat of the paths in the gardens should be accessible by wheelchair.

AWESOME place to see flowers and various kinds of things

A fantastic place to take in the serene power of nature's beauty.

The observatory is a great way to get some warmth in the winter. The events are engaging and fun. The whole place is wonderfully manicured and cared for.

Beautiful and interesting year round. Empty through the winter. See it before the summer crowds.

Decently priced for what it is... only $5 but theres also not much.

I've been enjoying the outdoor gardens for years in the spring, summer, and fall, but only recently started going to the indoor part this winter. What a little oasis the conservatory is. My daughter loves watching the birds and checking on how the bananas are doing. We can hardly go a week without winding up there now. Highly recommend for cold winter days with young kids where you're struggling to find something to do.

Olbrich gardens is always a beautiful and fun excursion. This time of year, however, (early spring) was a little lackluster. So make sure to give the plants a little time to grow and check it out on a warm summer day.

Flowers in bloom, quiet nooks to stop and continplate. Several paths closed for unknown reasons, so lost a star.

The Conservatory (indoors) is free of you arrive before noon on Saturdays.

I've been going to these gardens for years. I love it there. You can visit the outside part free of charge (donations welcome). The indoors part has a small admission fee. I'm not sure if special events cost any extra, so worth checking. I've been to some events/displays there that were included in the cost for the inside. Very worth going any time of year. I typically go at least 3 times each year. Just went today for the 3rd time in 2019 alone. In the name of progress they have construction going on. I still had a wonderful time today.

Beautiful.

Bring bug spray.

Awesome gardens for the whole family to enjoy. Incredible how gorgeous the area really is. Highly recommend anyone come take a visit!

The old woman at the desk who was supposed to be the welcoming person was so rude to my friend and i. Brighten up a little bit, put a smile on your face and try to be more happy of a person. Nobody comes here for your negitive energy and comments.

Great place. Good to feel nature in the winter. Just got overpriced. Sittimgng area in the lobby will be nice.

Wonderful experience even in the rain! The people are amazing here and their commitment to experiences of nature are so encouraging.

Olbrich Gardens is beautiful! A little Garden of Eden right in Madison. And it's free if you don't go into the biodome thing. But that's only $2 or so.

Beautiful gardens! They are continuing to make expansions and improvements as well. The new Thai area is amazing!

Great garden beautiful place for walk. It is very relaxing and peaceful.

You need at least a full day or broken up in two days to see all of the wonderful plants here. Something to see every season followed by a lights festival that can't be beat. The golden pavilion and pool is a must see. Their indoor green space always had new themes so it's always engaging. I can't wait to see what their newest renovation holds for this fantastic spot!

The gardens are as beautiful as always. They have made clear path markers so you know when a walking path is one way or both ways. Go enjoy the gardens! Sit beside a fountain. Look at some bees. Poke some sensitivity plants.

Really nice place to spend a few hours. Definitely don't miss the Bolz Conservatory, they did a great job with the design.

What an incredibly picturesque and peaceful place to visit. Such a wide variety of plant and flora species are rarely cultivated in one place. Shaded walkways wind through the vegetation and beautifully manicured fountains, statues, and architecture. A must see in late spring, summer, or early fall if you are in the Madison area.