Olbrich Botanical Gardens Review

Lovely park. Cheap. Should definitely go at least once to walk among the flowers and plants

Beautiful gardens, especially in the spring. Very peaceful with a lot to see, and it's also free except for the indoor portion, which is only $2 and worth seeing. The indoor portion also smells really nice.

Great mix of garden types and plantings, new feel around every turn if the path.

Amazing plants. The train exhibit during winter is my favorite.

Great for a peaceful walk. Free to get in for the outside gardens.

Very peaceful, serene, and relaxing environment to spend an afternoon in while wandering the trails and taking the the scenery.

Well kept and free to the public. For people who love gardens but don't have the time to cultivate a nice garden at home, this is the place to go!

Beautiful at any time of year, always something to see.

Everything is blooming some of the flowers are bloomed out but it is a great chance to look over all the great work that they do there. Only 2 dollars to view the atrium

Amazing getaway from the hustle bustle. Infinite species set in vast array of rock gardens and enchanting pathways!

Great place to wonder and ponder love, life and flowers.

Been going to Olbrich for years. Beautiful and peaceful. Nice place to look for ideas.

Gorgeous gardens which were very much in bloom when we visited at the start of July. Lots to explore and the gardeners that we met were knowledgeable. It was amazing how much further along their plants were (they are USDA zone 5a) than our plants back home (USDA zone 5b). It appears that the deep snow cover during the winter helps somehow.

It wasn't clear which plants they had to dig up and bring inside for the winter -- there were some palms that would only survive down to zone 8b. In any case, it inspired us to improve our garden.

Don't miss the conservatory especially when it is free (Saturday mornings at least).

A good experience. Lovely people and lots to see. Spent about 30 minutes walking around to the Thai garden. I recommend allocating some time to relax and be leisurely in this area. Planning to go back there in the evening.

Went kinda late in season but still lots of color and blossoms.

Beautiful place. Especially when there is an exhibit there like the most recent Gleam.

Feburary is Orchid month at the dome. Stepping into the indoor tropical garden is just what the doctor ordered for subzero winter blues. The tiny birds flying around and the quail on the ground add a lively element. We can't wait until the spring when the enormous outdoor garden starts to bloom. The gift store has some very pretty souvenirs. I especially like the Wisconsin themed alphabet book. B is for Badger of course.

Beautiful scenery, amazing events, kind people, and a learning experience for the kids? This is one of the best places I have been. A complete must-go. However, remember to bring water if you can.

Decent size indoor and outdoor gardens, very organized butterfly event

If you're looking for an interesting place for all types of plants, trails to walk on and viewing nature then this is the place to go. Very nice and inexpensive as the only expense is the 'inside' area which at the time was only $2/person

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

One of Madison's true treasures. Something to see in every season, including a beautiful Thai sala & garden. The sala was a gift to UW-Madison from the Thai government and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Built without any nails or screws, the sala is one of only four located outside of Thailand.

In addition to the Thai gardens, there are numerous other gardens and an indoor conservatory, and during the peak months of spring and summer there is an amazing amount of biodiversity on display. The rose garden can be especially stunning.

I would also recommend to always check their event calendar, as there are many wonderful special events like GLEAM, Crackle, movie nights, guided tours, visiting art exhibits, and more.

Our favorite Garden in Madison, Wisconsin! There s always something beautiful to see in the garden every season. A must Garden to visit again and again. Great sites for pictorials and do walks to remember for life! This is our go to place almost every Saturday

Very beautiful. Very humid in greenhouse. If you have just return from the salon avoid the greenhouse. Just wondering what is the copper room on top of the Botanical Garden.

We've gone to see the butterflies and gardens 3 years in a row. We'll be continuing the tradition! It's a great experience for all ages!

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

Went there once in 1999. Inside it has trees from different parts of the world. Clean fresh air. Wish I could live inside!

Great variety of plants. Even a few carnivorous plants. Get out of the cold & still be in "nature".

Absolutely gorgeous flora to lose yourself in. It's very relaxing walking through the gardens and listening to the birds/insects. Just a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and even meditate.

I love their Bolz Conservatory. This is so relaxing place in some cold snowy days in Madison.

Great place to explore and enjoy the out door and just enjoy a stroll around the garden.

Beautiful gardens, well maintained. Lots of paths gives a sense of privacy. It's a great way of getting away from things for a bit.

Not sure what to make of this place. Provides some supplementary income for oldsters, I suppose. The webpage stated it was free admission, but I was accosted by a shrewd oldster and shook down for admission for me and my two littles. Cost us ten bucks for entrance, which was about a dollar a minute for the time we spent there.
I might recommend this place if I had a hit of acid and nothing else to do, but otherwise, go to the zoo.

Awesome garden which the public can enjoy for free! Beautiful flowers, trees, birds!

It's always a great time at Olbrich Botanical gardens, tonight was pretty awesome as well. Cocktails in conservatory turned out to be a pretty cool event. DJ was able to create a nice atmosphere, the lights were dancing in the tall trees and thick bushes of the Arboretum. The drinks were tasty and went down pretty good.

Great jungle garden. Fun to show my granddaughter the baby bananas, and my grandson loved watching the Koi. Saw our first spri g robins outdoors, and a magnificent cottonwood tree.

Beautiful greenery. An easy short walk. No food or drink available!!

We came here in October and loved the many plants and flowers still blooming! The Thai pavilion is incredible. There are many options for individuals who may not be able to walk long distances, including golf-cart tours and wheelchairs to rent.

Beautiful little garden. Great for little ones. Only $2! Indoor and Outdoor gardens (seasonal).

Feels like summer in the cold of winter. Love the beauty and the scentsation of all the plants! This place will help cure your cabin fever and refresh you!!

Butterflies dragonflies birds and bees how can you go wrong

I am embarrassed to say I have lived in Madison many years and have never been to Olbrich Gardens before today. It was magical and truly rejuvenated my soul after a stressful work week. The volunteers were patient and knowledgeable. I will be making Olbrich Gardens one of my top destinations!

This is our second time here I've always recommended it to anybody and always will it has a wonderful Temple Oriental temple in it I will recommend it to anybody if you're in the area make sure you stop

Well done, much to see and great place to spend an afternoon

Enjoyable. They are very consistent with their views and plants.

Gorgeous gardens set up in lovely themed displays. Such an amazing variety of plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees! The visit gave us lots of ideas for things we can do in our own garden. The bonus is that the outdoor gardens are free admission. Touted to be one of the best places to visit in Madison. Definitely worth the visit!

Olbrich has always been one of my favorite places in Madison. It's a nice, safe place to walk or sit. Our daughter grew up walking through these gardens, and now that she is an adult, she has cherished memories of her many hours here.

Beautiful gardens in the warmer months. The indoor area is nice, but a bit small.

so amazing beautiful i was in love with the gardens! so impressive and it was free and that is just the cherry on top

One of the finest gardens I have seen for many a year. I say this as someone who lives in the UK and regularly visits the best gardens and landscapes in England. What a wonderful resource for locals and travellers alike.

Had an amazing time with my family. We will be going back.

The gardens were beautiful with an incredible variety of flowers, decorative plants, pools and ponds. So many trails to walk each with a different theme.

Beautiful Gardens that I would recommend to anyone in the madison area. It's a little small and has a nice Thai building that is gorgeous.

So beautiful! So much to see and very well designed. A lot of care obviously goes into this place.

We came here in April 2017. I had been here a few times before. It's one of the prettiest gardens in the Madison area. It's a perfect place to go on a nice sunny day. It's a really relaxing atmosphere. You could spend hours looking at all the different plants. Sometimes they will even have lots of butterflies too. This is definitely a great Madison landmark. I always enjoy coming here.

Fantastic place loved it for sure I'll be back again

Fabulous gardens. Everything was very natural, the way all the flowers, plants and bushes blended together. Nothing was that structured...just enough to make it neat. Huge walking area all around the park.

excellent. I enjoyed it with my family . good to see at cherry blossom time

Great place to visit be it summer or,winter. In winter they have indoor exibit.

Nice space and variety of things to do. Great wedding photo shoot background.

Went and enjoyed every second of my experience. Staff was nice, friendly and very informative. Though I did discover that the seasonal peak is June-August and will definitely return. Sadly the observatory was closed during my visit for maintenance and I knew before hand, but I look forward to seeing it when I return. Peaceful and amazing.

Great community program, healthy plants, cool layout, and...of course...the thai pavilion. Great place to spend a day.

The water looked like spinach soup and smelled far worse.