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The Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison (WI) is the winner of the National Garden of Excellence Award and has been consistently voted as the number one Thing to Do in Madison by none other than TripAdvisor. When you come here and feast your eyes upon the beauty of this garden, you will understand why this place is rated so highly by travel guides and tourists.
The gardens are spread over a total area of 16 acres and are perfectly landscaped inch by inch. Additionally, the Bolz Conservatory has been home to exotic tropical plants with birds flying freely overhead, giving you the impression that you have entered a pristine and amazingly beautiful equatorial destination. If you want to spend a delightful afternoon with your family in a relaxed environment, then look at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a perfect spot.
What are the special exhibits at Olbrich Botanical Gardens?
The Botanical Gardens loves to keep the visitors happy by hosting events and special exhibits from time to time. The Bolz Conservatory is loved most by the kids as they get to see beautiful butterflies flying around freely, adding to the beauty of the place. There are also free guided walking tours through the garden, and a couple of years back, they also hosted a magnificent Thai Festival in the Thai Pavilion. These events are a great way to experience and learn about new cultures in beautiful surroundings.
Apart from the events and exhibition, the park also hosts workshops from time to time. There was a workshop that focused on herbal teas, which was directly harvested from the grounds of the Olbrich Botanical Gardens! The workshop also taught the visitors to prepare a garden for the winter and all about container gardening. Such events and seminars are held throughout the year at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
The different areas of the garden
The most popular area here is the Thai Pavilion and the Thai Garden, which surrounds it. It is interesting to note that this is the only actual Thai pavilion in the US, and needless to say, the pavilion is genuinely mesmerizing. This spot is a photographer’s delight, and many couples choose this area for their engagement photos. So if you are coming here, you should not forget to bring your DSLR. The Thai Pavilion is amazing, and its beauty is accentuated by the surrounding pools of water and the reflection of the pavilion on it.
Another noteworthy area is the perennial garden, which has numerous flowers that are so hardy that it can withstand the extreme temperatures of the cold winters and the hot summers.
People love coming to the Bolz Conservatory to enjoy the wide variety of colorful tropical plant species. You will come across numerous species of exotic orchids, as well as carnivorous plants! But what makes this Conservatory so adorable? You will see the birds enjoying a free flight in the Conservatory, and this makes it a favorite spot for all budding ornithologists.
Know before you go to Olbrich Botanical Gardens
If you are traveling on a tight purse, then you will be happy to know that there is no admission fee for the outdoor gardens, and there is just a small charge for the observatory. If you are living in downtown Madison, then you can easily reach here by hailing a cab or hopping on a bus. If you have a car, then be informed that there is ample parking space available here.
What else is there in the vicinity?
You can come to the Olbrich with you friends and family and spend a few hours here. It is a perfect spot for family’s day out. The affordability, the convenience of reaching here, and the sheer beauty of this place has helped the Olbrich Botanical Gardens grab # 1 spot year after year.
If you feel really hungry after your tour, then you can go to one of the many restaurants that are near this place. They offer delicious food, and the most notable eateries include Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery and Lao Laan-Xang Restaurant.
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