6 of the Best Botanical Gardens in the U.S.

Across all 50 states, the U.S. is home to stunning collections of plants. From manicured rose gardens to tropical arboretums and Japanese gardens filled with koi ponds, botanical gardens entice travelers from around the world to witness the wonders Mother Earth created. Here are six of the most mesmerizing botanical gardens in the U.S. 

United States Botanic Garden – Washington, D.C.

Located on the grounds of the Capitol, the United States Botanic Garden opened in 1850, making it the oldest continuously operating public garden in the nation. George Washington’s wish to have a national botanical garden became a reality when the Wilkes Expedition of the Pacific Ocean in 1842 brought a collection of living plants from around the globe to D.C. Four of those original plants are still part of the current collection, which includes 44,000 plants, ranging from a rare corpse flower and unusual orchids to medicinal herbs and other noteworthy specimens of historical significance. 

Attractions at the garden include the Bartholdi Fountain, which was designed by Statue of Liberty architect Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi; the historic Lord and Burnham greenhouse dating back to 1933; the Garden Court, featuring economic and ethnobotanical plants used for medicine, food, and clothing; and the National Garden, showcasing native plants of the United States. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Sarasota, Florida

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are located on 45 acres across two campuses in Sarasota, Florida. This bayfront oasis features nature trails through old mangrove trees, boardwalks around a koi pond with a babbling waterfall, and the Museum of Botany and the Arts, which contains nature-related exhibits by legends such as Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, and Paul Gauguin.

There’s also a bromeliad exhibit (which inspired the gardens’ creation), a fern garden, a tropical conservatory, a butterfly garden, a bamboo garden, and the historic Spanish-style Selby House built in the early 1920s. Sarasota resident and gardener Marie Selby bequeathed her estate to the general public when she died in 1973, and the botanical gardens have been a place to study and preserve orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and other tropical plants ever since.

Longwood Gardens – Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

With more than 1,100 acres of meadows and woodlands, Longwood Gardens in the Brandywine Creek Valley is often touted as one of the Northeast’s best botanic gardens. The garden was once a Quaker family farm, which later opened as a public greenspace in 1921. 

The collection is especially famous for its Orchid Extravaganza, held from January to March each year. The celebration features roughly 5,000 species in dizzying displays inside the Peirce-du Pont House, a historic conservatory built in 1730. In April, the Flower Garden Walk comes alive with 600 feet of brightly colored spring blossoms.

Atlanta Botanical Garden – Atlanta, Georgia

Incorporated in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden showcases 30 acres of stunning blooms within Piedmont Park. The award-winning Children’s Garden features climbing nets, a water painting wall, and a treehouse, while elsewhere the garden is praised for its whimsical displays, sustainable design and programs, and hands-on exhibits. 

The garden’s Alice in Wonderland attraction includes 38 larger-than-life sculptures inspired by Lewis Carroll’s timeless tales. Other highlights include Chihuly glass sculptures, the visitor center with a living green roof, a 100,000-gallon cistern for collecting rainwater for plant consumption, and Storza Woods — a canopy walk featuring a suspension bridge over the woodlands. 

Missouri Botanical Garden – St. Louis, Missouri

While many botanic gardens are renowned for their historic Victorian-style conservatories, Missouri Botanical Garden’s Climatron is the showstopper at this popular garden in St. Louis. The geodesic dome greenhouse houses a lowland tropical rainforest with approximately 1,500 plants adjacent to lovely ponds filled with massive lily pads and water sculptures. The dome has no interior support, which allows for more light to fill the space. 

Other memorable features of the garden include the Victorian District, with several Victorian-style homes and gardens; one of the largest Japanese gardens in America, covering 14 acres; an herbarium with specimens dating to the 18th century; and a riveting azalea and rhododendron garden. 

Huntington Botanical Gardens – San Marino, California

Located in San Marino, north of Los Angeles, the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens has 16 themed gardens across 130 acres. The world-renowned cultural and educational institution is also home to an art museum with more than 45,000 works from Asia, Europe, and America, spanning 500 years. It also hosts one of the world’s largest independent research libraries, housing roughly 12 million items —  including the Gutenberg Bible, the Ellesmere Chaucer, and first editions of Shakespeare’s plays. 

Railroad tycoon Henry Huntington paid $240,000 for his 600-acre ranch in 1903, which became a research center open to the public in 1928. The gorgeous grounds include a desert garden with thousands of succulents and surreal-looking cactuses, a Chinese garden with koi ponds, a Japanese garden with bonsai trees, and a rose garden with a tea room serving English high tea.