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Cleveland Botanical Garden
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7 reviews for Cleveland Botanical Garden
The indoor exhibits are small, cozy, but not quite worth the price of admission -- but outdoors, in a cool summer day, is well worth a hike. Japanese styled gardens, gardens for kids, cool sculptures and walkways make for a great place to wander and relax.
I must say that the outdoor flora isn't spectacular, but arranged in a very pleasing fashion.
The butterflies in the greenhouse were numerous indeed, and the Rhythm and Hues exhibit had quite a few sculptures that produced many a merry grin.
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The boy and I came here over Memorial Day weekend since it was FREE. Parking on the Museum-of-Art side of East Blvd is also FREE.
It was moderately crowded, although the gardens were certainly large enough to hold all the visitors. The boy commented on the diversity of the visitors, as I saw several Asian and Indian families (cultural diversity, at least among the Asian nations, has been difficult for me to find here in Cleveland... but I'm supposed to be writing about plants here).
We both particularly enjoyed the "Rhythm and Hues" special gardens, which were themed gardens based on different styles of music - blues, jazz, country, etc. I also particularly enjoyed the Greenhouse, despite sometimes feeling like I was being attacked by butterflies.
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This is a great public botanical garden. We went in June and everything outdoors was in fine shape.
But I must say, my favorite parts are indoors: the Madagascar spiny forest is excellent as is the Costa Rica room, which has many, many butterflies and a few birds.
This place is a delightful experience.
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4.5 stars out of 5.0. I'm not much of a plant person, but I'm for slowing down and taking it easy and being outdoors all at the same time. The Cleveland Botanical Gardens was the way to go.
Parking is plentiful and there is the option of using the Garden's underground parking.... for a flat rate.
The staff would've been a little more enthused about being there but generally were agreeable.
My favorite exhibits include:
The Glasshouse which comes in two parts-- one part depicts a jungle from the country of Madagascar, and the other depicts a jungle from Costa Rica. Lots of strange plants, tall trees, small animals and bugs and reptiles kept in cages, a small creek of water and a waterfall grotto. The Costa Rica exhibit has a gazillion plus one colorful butterflies and comes with a warning-- before you leave the exhibit make sure there are no butterflies clinging to you. Why? Well, smuggling these creatures is a Federal offense (that's what the sign said!)
The Woodland Garden, which is basically a mini Arboretum of native Ohio plants, trees and a small creek. They have a boardwalk path that goes through the woods as well as trails made of mulch. Very nice and peaceful with a hint of urban sounds in the background (hey after all this is still in the city limits of Cleveland).
One of the many 'Theme Gardens' is called the 'Waterfall Garden', which consists of a cool looking waterfall surrounded by plants and trees as well as brick paths and patios which look like they were made by professional landscapers. But I like it.
Another theme garden, sponsored by Cleveland Magazine, shows a small waterfall.
The Herb Garden had many herb plants which Ive heard of and HAVEN'T heard of. It looks and smells great and during my visit they had at least 18 people weeding, watering and aerating the garden.
There are other exhibits, which while nice, were not exactly my cup of Java.
After spending at least 1-2 hours outside, you can go back inside to the Garden's Cafe and buy an overpriced drink. They have alcoholic and well as nonalcoholic drinks. On this visit, I spent almost $3.00 on a bottle of Vitamin Water.
Overall, a good place. For some people may consider buying a membership. For me, I'll probably come here one, maybe two times a year.
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We visited the Botanical Garden last fall and it was a nice respite from the already cool weather. Since we were staying nearby at the Glidden House, we just walked to the gardens and didn't have to worry about parking.
A unique conservatory from the outside, the glasshouse contains two adventures, as Mike P's review stated. Among the lovely plants, animals and butterflies, you can learn interesting facts about the area, whether it's Madagascar or Costa Rica.
Given the weather, we did not do the outdoor gardens. When we visited there was an event going on inside that made the area leading to the cafe a little congested.
All in all, worth the visit! Prices at the time are $7.50 for adults and $3 for children over 3.
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Don't bother paying to park in the Garden's parking area - just get there early (the place opens at 10 AM) and park on the street for a few spare quarters.
Definitely a beautiful place to walk, talk, and take in the diversity of the plant world. The indoor exhibits are pretty fun, although I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about the gargantuan cockroachs on display as some of the fauna native to the varying regions on the world. Total Temple of Doom moments there. There's a part that almost brought my beloved to tears when we walked into it - definitely someplace to bring someone special. Butterflies everywhere. Literally everywhere, flashing colors and shapes amidst leaves and branches and flowers of a million shapes and hues. Gorgeous.
The outdoor exhibits were pretty nice, as well - everything from an extensive herb garden to a Japanese garden, which of course I geeked out over. Their bookstore was pretty spectacular, too, in its selection of garden-themed publications. Oh, to have tons of free cash with which to purchase tomes of photography about Japanese gardens. Argh.
A pretty, quiet, and enjoyable place - well worth the $7.50 entry free if you're looking for a green respite from the bustle of the city. And, it's a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Knock yourself out.
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This was our first choice for our wedding, but we had to change venues since it would not hold over 200. It is amazing here and we love to visit on a regular basis.
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