Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Went during wildflower season and it was beautiful. Lots of Bluebonnets, Texas yellow star, Indian paintbrushes, Indian blankets and Mexican hats. Some of these flowers definitely need new names, but they're very pretty.

A great spot of bluebonnet pics but an ever better spot to just wander the trails and admire the beauty.

Also they have an owl!

Bring an umbrella, hat, sunscreen, and water. It got really hot after 1PM.

A nice place to enjoy wild flowers and wild life. The place is huge and can take easily 2 hours of visiting time.

Great price for $15 for an adult admission ticket.

If I lived here, I'd get a membership and hang out here reading a book on a shady bench overlooking the gardens. I love how as you're walking through the garden, there are lovely fields of blue bonnets (the Texas state flower) for as far as the eye can see. This is a beautifully kept garden and a nice place to walk around with kids. They make it super kid friendly too, with a large sand pit, plays structure, and even a little library in the middle for the Family Garden. They also have a scavenger hunt for the kids, where you go around the whole garden and mark off when you see certain landmarks, like a garden gnome of a stature of a raccoon. If you find all the items, you can stop by the souvenir shop for a small prize! My husband and oldest daughter wandered around for a good 30 minutes trying to find the statue of the raccoon but finally found it in the end!

All the workers and volunteers here are super friendly -- we've definitely been experiencing that Texas hospitality during our trip here. If you're looking for a place to spend a couple leisurely hours while wandering amongst beautiful gardens, this is it!

Beautiful park. Even more so in the spring with all wildflowers blooming. I attended a celebration of life here. They have a room that overlooks the field of flowers. The paths were clear and clean. Bathrooms are available. They have a nice gift shop
Parking will be an issue. They do have a parking lot, but it fills up quickly. You park on the street, but this can also fill up quickly. If you're here for an event, you can drop off those that can't walk far at the entrance.

We got super lucky and just happened to visit Austin during Texas Wildflower season... there is a whole Widower Watch social media movement to track what/where is blooming!

I was surprised how much was blooming in the garden (#10 on the map) so you don't have to walk very far at all. Especially if you slow down and really soak in all the details, like the moths, butterflies, and creepy crawlies.

If you are visiting with kids, pack water, snacks, sunscreen, and plan on walking about a mile round trip to our kids favorite spot.... Fort Build (#19) has tons of tires, branches/sticks, blocks, and wood to build your own fort in the shade of trees that were dense enough to provide relief but not enough to create any issues keeping an eye on littles.

We finally lured our kiddo away from the fort with the mention of Swings (#20) under the magnificent oak trees. We honestly could have spent all day if we had packed snacks.

Loved Illuminations!

This event happens once a year and when it's a bit chilly outside which is perfect.

This year we went with our friends and their kids and we all had a blast!

We started with cotton candy glow wands. Then got some hot chocolate. Adults could get their hot chocolate spiked!

Then had pizza from food trucks. There was also burgers and fries. There is a bar tent for adults.

Lots of engaging installations and never got too packed.

Pro tip- we brought water bottles for kids and bought adult beverages there.

We went here on a nice overcast day and were happy to see that there were still plenty of bluebonnets around even though the season is winding to a close. Really beautiful gardens and it was possible to maintain a comfortable distance from other visitors even though it was very populated. One thing I'd like to see is maybe more accessibility to trash cans on the grounds as we had to pick up other peoples' garbage and drop it off elsewhere rather than let it stay littered on the paths. I'd really love to go again! Very reasonable pricing $15 entry and $50 annual pass.

Luminations is a holiday tradition at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center where interactive art exhibits become fun light displays to enjoy. This year all the exhibits were new except the popular light circular swings. You need to make a reservation to attend and can pay extra to park at the center, but if you get there early then plenty of parking along the street.

The place is well organized and nicely decorated where you walk in a big circle on their grounds checking out each display. The gift shop is open and will find two places to get food and snacks where one was the cafe and the other food trucks and pop-up bar.

We went on a Sunday night and It was just another great experience to walk around seeing the displays and enjoying some treats. It was not very crowded so can enjoy your romantic stroll.

A magical place. The grounds are lovely. The buildings are fantastic. The staff are knowledgable and passionate. In addition to the rich diversity of plants, I saw a garter snake, a turtle, a roadrunner, a Texas spiny lizard, lots of butterflies, and a nesting great horned owl!

Our first time at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center was for the Luminations all lights installation. It was interactive and good long walk around the center for the show. We really enjoyed that some of the installations where you can enjoy have a seat on a swing. Other installations were more for viewing but all the installations were definitely great for pictures. It's a great way to enjoy nature with some modern technology and creativity.