16 acres of gardens, including a tropical conservatory, a rose garden & a gilded Thai pavilion.
At a glance
#1 of 33 Tourist attractions in Madison #2 of 5 Gift shops in MadisonLocalGuideWorld score: 4.80
Rating breakdown
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5 ★86%
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4 ★11%
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3 ★2%
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2 ★0%
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1 ★1%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 8,212 reviews.
- How does Olbrich Botanical Gardens rank in Madison?
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens is #1 of 33 Tourist attractions in Madison by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Olbrich Botanical Gardens located?
- 3330 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, United States — 4.9 km from the center of Madison.
- How can I contact Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
- Phone: +1 608-246-4550 · Website: olbrich.org
The Orchid Escape exhibition is the best! I love the tropical setting and dinosaur theme, the gorgeous flowers and plants, and the friendly animals. 10/10 best experience for friends, family, and lovers 🦕🌴
A scheduled stop on a road trip with my son back in 2022. First, this place was a lot bigger than I had expected! We visited in early June and unfortunately, it was too early for the flowers. There were some but not many in bloom yet. That was a bummer. However, the weather was beautiful and we wanted to see the Thai Pavilion and Conservatory. Well, we got handed our second strike and the Conservatory was booked for a wedding and closed to the public. On a positive note, it saved us the cost of entry because the grounds were free to enter. So, we walked the park grounds and took pics of the few flowers we did see and made our way to the Thai Pavilion. Wow! The pavilion is spectacular! It shines in the sun like a palace! We got some great photos of it. We walked through some of the trails in the park but came to the realization that the flowers just aren't going to bloom for us and decided to go. The park is beautiful and I'm sure the Conservatory is great. I bet July & August are the best times to visit. All the flowers would be in bloom by then. I highly recommend this place!
The Gardens had a beautiful orchid show when we visited in the Conservatory. The outside gardens were still a nice walk even in February.
Was beautiful. The walk through of the orchids took about 1 hour. Was hot and humid inside because that's the natural habitat for the orchids, so dress in layers that you can remove.
The flowers were awesome! There was also some orange trees, trees, berry trees, cocoa trees and other little surprises. We'll worth the price of admission!
Check out the many photos!
The flowers were awesome! There was also some orange trees, trees, berry trees, cocoa trees and other little surprises. We'll worth the price of admission!
Check out the many photos!
Given the time of the year I visited it, there wasn’t much to see outside, but it was still nice and peaceful (I would definitely visit again during spring or summer).
The bright side was the indoor tropical exhibit, where there are different plants and birds. Don’t forget to visit the rooftop! Free parking.
The bright side was the indoor tropical exhibit, where there are different plants and birds. Don’t forget to visit the rooftop! Free parking.
We only had time for a quick visit in January so we spent about 30 minutes in the conservatory and did not get to walk outside. They conservatory was great! It's such a peaceful atmosphere. It's very relaxing to look at plants, hear the birds and waterfalls, and feel the tropical climate. A little smaller than other similar places we've visited, but still enough to see. The birds were a great touch. We got to see a quail poke around and the canaries were quite vocal. You can also see a few koi in the water. Many orchids and bromeliads and other interesting plants with great color.
The gardens are so nice! If you go during a certain time in fall, they have a light show called gleam at night and the art is incredible! The parking can be difficult sometimes, but accessibility-wise, it’s 10/10, and mostly flat ground. For price, I’m not quite sure, because my family has a membership there, but I think it’s reasonable.
I enjoyed coming here with my family even during the fall time. it was our first time coming here. We loved the tropical green house and walking around. I give this a 5 star for the sweet ladies who helped my father who was hard time walking. they were so helpful and accommodating. I would love to come back during the summer time!
The gardens were a breath of fresh air to walk through and get to learn about some of the plants and flowers. A great activity to do with family. The light displays are always so pretty too.
Is it possible to give more than 5 stars? This place is drop dead gorgeous and the entrance fee is paltry. I came well past the prime season and they still had great things for me to see. I spent 2.5 hours here.
The information desk representative was an exceptional gentleman and very informative/helpful. Great place for family’s and tourists to see a beautiful garden. I was able to get a lot of amazing photos of the plants and they put a lot of love and effort into their establishment. I would say be warned as one of the younger female staff looked tired/bored and seemed to have a tiny bit of an attitude when I asked her a question. Beyond that, some people I had the displeasure of crossing paths with seemed to be bothered with people taking photos, when the website actually encourages you to bring your camera for memorable photos. It seems like some of the visitors here think they are above other people and incredibly snobby. No fault of the staff but would just recommend to watch out for the rude pretentious people that visit this establishment.
If you can ignore people acting a little weird/rude, this place is an absolute gem. Outside garden are free, the conservatory was $6/person. Great value and great memories!
If you can ignore people acting a little weird/rude, this place is an absolute gem. Outside garden are free, the conservatory was $6/person. Great value and great memories!
Don't miss the kolodescope in the outside garden!
It was a beautiful place to walk around for free. Lots of great places to sit. Tables outside (by parking lot) for a picknick. $6 to get into the tropical greenhouse area, which was also great. We could spend hours looking at it all!
It was a beautiful place to walk around for free. Lots of great places to sit. Tables outside (by parking lot) for a picknick. $6 to get into the tropical greenhouse area, which was also great. We could spend hours looking at it all!
I love the gardens. I've been bringing my daughter here since she was born, every year! What I especially liked this year from past years, gardens posted facts about butterflies. So while we were able to enjoy the butterflies we were able to learn about them.
Great place to visit on a pleasant day. The outdoor gardens are free and great for a slow stroll through when the weather is nice. The indoor conservatory is worth the $6 as there are unique and rare plants to observe. You can spend as much or as little time here as you please.
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