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Missouri Botanical Garden
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
40 reviews for Missouri Botanical Garden
I LOVE the Botanical Garden! I haven't been there in a while, but I remember we got in free because someone gave us their tickets-not sure why ,but we were happy to oblige!
LOVE the herb garden-everything smells so good. The Japanese gardens are also gorgeous-heck I love it all!! Beautiful place, fun for a date to just walk around and talk. Awesome place to get married, wish I would have done so here.
Three words: Jazz in June. For that alone I would adore the botanical gardens. I love having a bit of a picnic with nice wine and enjoying music in the beautiful gardens with the whole family.
The gardens are gorgeous. My sister is a member and has been since her arrival in St Louis so we have gone to enjoy quite a bit. My fave oasis is the Japanese garden but everywhere you look is gorgeousness.
My nieces and nephew have all enjoyed the childrens garden and I have numerous pictures of the family in the gorgeous surroundings that I quite enjoy.
I love the various events, a way cool train exhibition and local artisans wreath and painting displays come to mind. The gift shop is cool and you can even grab a nice bite to eat at Sassafras.
If you are in the city, this is a must stop.
I love the Botanical Garden!!! We spent hours looking at the pretty plants and trees. I want to take a Fragrant Olive tree back home with me! If you got to the Linnan garden, you can smell the nice fragrance. I also enjoyed looking at Dale Chihuly's glass displays. Everything was simply amazing! I wish gardens back at home were this beautiful!
Admission is $8 for non- STL residents.
The Botanical Gardens is one of a few major attractions in St. Louis that I hadn't yet reviewed on Yelp because it was a complete no brainer. This, along with the City Museum, The Zoo, and (arguably) the Arch, make up the core of the must-experience things one must do when visiting St. Louis. It's huge, diverse, and among the best botanical gardens in the entire country. And if you're a STL resident (and an early riser), it's free.
Whew, where do I start with this one. Ok, you like stuff that grows out of the earth, right? Sometimes you eat it, sometimes you wear it, sometimes you smell it, sometimes you sit under it, sometimes you smoke it. Plants are everywhere, and we all take them for granted. They become part of the background, scenery. Stuff to decorate our other stuff. But it's not until you're completely surrounded by them that you appreciate how many crazy, awesome, weird, and kickass plants are on this earth. And it's not until you visit MOBOT that you realize this.
Do you like roses? They got a whole garden of them, in every color imagineable. "Big deal. Everyone's got roses" you say. Well, when was the last time you visited a formal Japanese zen garden? Or an English woodland? Or the Amazon rainforest? Or the Arizona desert? MOBOT replicates all these gardens and environments, both indoor and out, with a wide variety of species that would impress even the most snooty botanist.
"Alright, I'm not here to study plants and explore the amazon or whatever. I just want to relax and look around". Well you're in luck too buddy. There are fountains and ponds galore (even a waterfall or two), along with a fragrance garden and an edible garden where you can see how much better their tomatoes are than yours. There's a children's garden as well where you can let your rugrats run free (for an additional charge of course). And bring along a few quarters so you can feed the mammoth and ravenous Koi fish, which I'm convinced would eat a baby whole should one accidentally fall in.
Add to this the various sculptures throughout the gardens and the super relaxed atmosphere (it almost never seems crowded no matter how many people there are), and you have a morning/afternoon of fun that is virtually unriveled in all of St. Louis. MOBOT is big enough to get lost in but small enough to feel next door. It's not an experience to be rushed. There's a reason St. Louisans keep returning, and keep recommending this place.
Came here Thursday night for the last night of the Whittaker Music Festival. Man, I had forgotten how awesome this place is.
For the music festival, admission was free, which is amazing! It is really busy, so if you want to get a seat with a good view of the stage, be sure to arrive early. But there is plenty of room to score a spot without a view of the stage, but where you can still hear the music.
Aside from the music, the place is awesome!! The gardens are fantastic and gorgeous, admission is super reasonable. It's a great place to come, enjoy the outdoors, and it is even pretty romantic if you're looking for a date place.
Definitely on the must see in St. Louis list!
So gorgeous, so relaxing, so amazing. I did not spend enough time here when I lived in St. Louis.
This place is beautiful. What's even more interesting and fun is the culturally diverse, fun knick knacks at this gift store. Yay!
You get to see all kinds of plants, flowers, trees, and such with
some artsy monuments around. If you come on a Saturday, it's
free I believe before 12pm so check it out.
Parking is just outside.
You know it took me almost 5 years and a wedding pics session (ours) to bring me out to the Botanical Gardens. Man is it ginormous. Everything is beautiful here and the events they do seem like just enough to keep people coming in for more. Even on a hot high 80-degree day, this place is an awesome place to just go for a stroll.
But I guess if you're not that big a fan of nature unless it's through a TV or a car window... there isn't much this place has for you :P
Beautiful Gardens.
Spent a couple of hours here on a really nice day just wandering around. No need to take the tram. Just walk around and take it the sights, smells and tranquility. The highlights that I remember were the herb and vegetable garden, the Japanese Garden, the hedge maze and ponds and lakes. Flowers were in full bloom in every color of the rainbow. There must have been a half dozen weddings going on when we were there, but it never seemed crowded.
The botanical gardens in STL is AMAZING! If you are visiting St. Louis, it's worth a look for sure. It's not too expensive, the Climatron is full of exotic plants, the hedge maze is great fun for kids, the Japanese Garden is better than any other I've seen, and the overall atmosphere is very serene and friendly.
If you are getting married in STL, there's no better place to have a reception (like we did). We used the Spinks Pavilion. The food was amazing and given how much is included, it's not that crazy $-wise.
If you're in STL during June or July, go on Wed night for Jazz/Blues concerts. People bring their families/friends, spread blankets, picnic, listen to the tunes and wander the park. It's one of my favorite ways to spend an evening in St. Louis.
We just spent the day at Morton's Arboretum in Chicago and it doesn't hold a candle to MOBOT, and it's a lot more $. Makes me miss STL.
I came here for a wedding and the gardens were beautiful! The Rose Garden was the perfect setting for a summer wedding. The reception was also at the Botanical Garden and the food was great. I agree with everyone who recommended this place for weddings. I expect to see some beautiful wedding photos from around the garden.
Great great spot!
I have a confession though..I've only ever gone during the summer on Wednesdays.
Why just Wed?
They have free jazz in the gardens!
No admission fee (!), free music, and the chance to picnic/booze it up slightly in public.
A group of us went almost every Wednesday last summer, and even when it was yicky and muggy in the city it was fun to lay out and enjoy the gardens after a long day of work. Plus, you can also splash around in the fountains with the kids, climb the sculptures, or take a walk as it cools down and see all the pretty plants.
If you make it St Louis..visit!
I love going here and yes, you can even go in the winter! We went to see the Christmas train exhibit. They set up a train (inside) amidst lots of gorgeous greenery and flowers. If you have a kid (or spouse or parent) who is into trains, this is nice. You need to go earlier in the day though, as it gets packed and rather warm in the room.
There's also the Climatron (inside dome with the waterfall) that you can check out and it's nice just to walk around outside although there's not much alive to see during the winter. But let's face it, winter is not that harsh in St. Louis. This is coming from a St. Louis gal who moved to Chicagoland.
During the summer the beauty of this place just takes your breath away.
Warning - it is challenging to get there right now due to construction on 40/64. Be sure to take time to find out the highway closings before you venture out.
Mobot is a photographers wet dream.
It is also a wonderful way to spend the day with your husband/boyfriend/partner/Family. It is beautiful and they always have interesting art exhibits and shows going on.
The kids love to feed the Koi Fish, and they have a brand new play area for the kids. It costs extra, and can be a bit disruptive if you are planning a peaceful day. After one trip to the new play area I have decided to avoid it from now on. There is plenty of other fun things for the kids, and no tantrums when we have to move on to the next area.
I think I'll just keep updating this review as time goes on because I am such an avid MoBot fan and there are always wonderful things going on there!
Right now, it's dahlia time at the Garden! Dahlias are my favorite flower and the Garden is home to a beautiful assortment of them. The veggie garden is still full of awesome edibles and they have some of the largest gourds I've ever seen. Also, right now it's not 5 billion degrees outside, so it's the perfect time for a nice stroll through the grounds--the next couple weeks should be really lovely as the leaves start to change.
*Sigh* I love this place so much, any time of year.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/27/2008
I'm sure glad I didn't dock the MoBot stars for a hot as hell afternoon because, well--that's just… Read more »
The Missouri Botanical Gardens (or MoBot, as the locals say) is one of the prettiest public places I've visited not just in St. Louis but in the US. When I was a kid, my family and I rode our bikes up Flora Ave. to spend Sunday afternoons here. We'd wander the garden, feed the gigantic koi, play in the fountains without consequence, walk through the tropical paradise of the Climatron and smell hundreds of flowers and herbs.
The large 79-acre garden sits in the middle of south St. Louis, the heart of the city, but you forget when walking through the rose garden, crossing the rocks over a rushing stream, or watching a miniature train circle through the Children's garden. Henry Shaw founded the garden with money from a thriving hardware business, and opened his land to the public in 1859.
He is buried in glass-encased gazebo/mausoleum surrounded by thick vines and a wrought-iron fence on site, in front of what was once his country home. Shaw's body (purportedly) lies underneath a statue of him in repose, his head turned to one side. My Mom would totally freak us out every time we'd visit by saying "I think his head was turned the opposite way last time, don't you remember?" My brother and I would run past the structure, as fast as we could, terrified he would turn his head while we were there.
The extensive Japanese garden with gentle, rolling hills, reddish-brown Chinese maples, pebble beach, peonies, rock gardens and tea houses is the highlight, though the formal, half-enclosed Boxwood Garden with its carefully structured rows is gorgeous in an upright English sort of way. The Kemper Home Gardens are inspiring for practical at-home ideas and the Chihuly-designed "onions" floating in the lily pad pond near the old entrance are a beautiful sight, no matter what time of the year you visit.
Every time I go back home, my Mom and I visit the garden, now with my three year old in tow, and he loves it as much as I did. And I look forward to a time when I'll tell him, "That's where Henry Shaw was buried...now, wasn't his head facing the other direction last time we were here?"
I LOVE the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It's too bad I did not appreciate it till 32 years later and after I moved away.
It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the country. It was founded in 1859. Yeah--it's oooooold.
It's 79 acres large with 14 acres dedicated to their Japanese Gardens. Honestly I was shocked when I moved from STL to SD and went to the Japanese gardens at Balboa park. Don't get me wrong it's cute but the MBG Japanese gardens are much bigger and not even comparable!
Strolling gardens, bridges, and huge koi you can feed. Tons of architecturally pleasing fountains, Henry Shaw Nature Gardens Nature Reserve, and a cool butterfly house. Other attractions are plenty and too many to go into depth.
If you ever find yourself in St. Louis check out the Mo Botanical Gardens. It's quite a sight to see!
Man, do I love MoBot. There's nothing like walking it in late winter. I know, I know, but stuff isn't blooming yet...why go? For the smell of the dirt after it rains, for the daffodils and iris leaves peeking up out of the mulch, for the birds, for the American holly, which is bright and vibrant green and full of berries (unless said birds have had their fill), for the Japanese Garden and its tranquility, for the tree branches loaded with buds but still whistling in the wind. For the sweet potato apple pumpkin soup in the cafe to warm you up. For the sheer beauty of it all. Ahh.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/6/2008
Lovely. If you live in the city, do yourself a favor and avoid the crowds by going in the fall. No… Read more »
I love this place! I went here today, & I must say that this place has a great design! Even though there wasn't much greenery, the Climatron was the high point of my trip. The Japanese & Chinese gardens were beautiful. The staff were very helpful in answering questions about home gardening. It was interesting to see the plants from which our foods come from. There is a giant lemon plant in the Home Gardening House. Beware though, there is construction going on in the parking lot. So, you have to take a right at the stop sign before the entrance to the Botanical Garden. I must must come back here in Spring.
One of the best place to visit here in STL. The garden is great, not too big, not too small. It pales in comparison to the Chicago Botanical Garden. It makes it back up with one of the better garden/museum gift shop I've ever seen. It has a variety of flowers, plants, plant accessories, and other cool gifts there. The best part is that they are very reasonable priced.
I know, I know. This should be about the garden and not the gift shop. But the next time I'm back, I'm spending some serious time in the shop!
With the weather finally turning for the better with spring deciding to show it's ever-elusive face, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the best places to spend a day. With the wonderful weather, finding reasons to spend the day outside is a fun activity, but not as fun as actually being outside. Spending the day among some of the most beautiful flowers and koi.
Each time that I go there, it is like stepping into one of the old European gardens on some large estate. Most of the time when I am there I like to circle around the garden, starting from one side and working my way over to the other. I always like to see the rose garden when it is in bloom and make my way over to the hedge maze that is always fun to walk through.
The Botanical Garden is a great place to go with friends and family, spending a day out in the sun and summer, listening to live performances. Always a great way to spend a day.
It's amazing how many well-done and well-kept cultural spots there are in this city.
This is one of the best botanical gardens I've ever been to. The next on my list would be the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam.
As far as I am concerned, this is THE tourist attraction in St. Louis. Most people would probably argue this point, what with the arch and the brewery and whatnot, but I could spend hours in this place.
This garden has a little bit of everything. The greenhouses are filled with amazing flowers and plants, they are constantly having gorgeous exhibits like the chihulay exhibit a few years ago, and they have a playground for the kids to keep them from being too wound up while you are walking through.
Hands down, my favorite part of this park is the Japanese Garden. I am not sure if this is because it's beautiful and so well done, or if it's simply because I like feeding the fish so much. The child within says it's probably the latter.
Another first for me. It was definitely a nice stroll.
Pros:
1. $8 admission was reasonable.
2. Free Parking
3. Amazing to see so many variety of plants growing next to each other.
4. 25 cents to feed the coy in the Japanese Garden
5. The vending machines had 50 cent cans and $1.50 bottles. The cafes also served meals under $7.
6. I got to bring back a souvenir cactus for $1.50
7. Great, friendly service.
Cons:
1. I went between 1p-4p, so the heat was a bit uncomfortable. Good thing there was lots of shade!
2. I was hoping there would be more fruit bearing trees and more exotic plants such as mimosa pudica (sensitive plant). I also asked if they had Synsepalum dulcificum, which is also called miracle fruit, but they didn't have it.
3. The maze hedge was about 3 ft high. I was hoping for a labyrinth like the ones you see in movies.
4. According to Anh, she said she saw a better looking Japanese garden in Cali, although it cost something like $16.
Overall, I thought it was a great exp. They weren't out to get you with tourist prices and all the staff was friendly. I was just bummed about the maze and there weren't really any flowers or plants that really wowed me. 3.5 stars.
Good for all ages, the Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to visit on a nice day. If you live in the city, the entry fee is discounted, which is nice, as it is a bit steep, but worth it, really.
You can see native plants as well as ones native to foreign places, such as the ones in the Japanese Garden. Large coy fish and some other fishes can be seen swimming around, and if you feel like it, you can pop a quarter in a feeder and get a handful of fish kibble to dole out.
If botanical photography is your thing, feel free to take pictures of everything. I know that some botanical gardens have restrictions, but not this one.
The art throughout the gardens changes periodically, but are often left up for quite a while, which is good if you don't make it in for a visit that often.
There are festivals at the Gardens sometimes, including the Japanese Festival. Also, every Wednesday evening in the summer, you can enter for free and listen to live jazz music. Feel free to bring your own beverages and snacks.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a beautiful surprise in South City, a great spot to spend a weekend afternoon walking and taking pictures. I particularly enjoy the Botanical Garden for people watching as there is never a shortage of them on any given spring or summer day.
One brand new feature that few people know about is the Children's Garden which features one of the only learning center/garden combinations in the world. Children can learn and play outside, beginning a budding interest in science and the environment.
The Missouri Botanical Garden also features a nice cafe style restaurant, a gift shop, and several exhibits and events throughout the warmer months.
Someone told me that the Botanical Gardens houses one of the largest (or THE largest) Japanese-style gardens in the continental United States. That's pretty impressive, since it's only a five minute bike ride from my home.
It's always beautiful here, and it seems like there's always something going on, whether it be a wine tasting or a music series. The plants, of course, are always beautiful and it's a great place to sit and literally stop to smell the roses.
There's an annual Japanese Festival that showcases Japanese culture including food, dance, and sumo wrestling.
JAZZ IN THE PARK:
Exceptional sculptures, smooth jazz and nature at it's best, every Wednesday night throughout the summer months, the Botanical Garden features it's rain or shine named event "Jazz in the Park".
Wine and refreshments are abundantly available, though I prefer and am welcome to bring my own.
As speakers are set over every acre of the park to allow all patrons to hear featured artists, beautifully lit trees compliment the perfect mid-week date night or an enjoyable evening with the entire family.
As I, don't be alarmed by the hummingbird sized mosquitoes and the lone young fox roaming freely among onlookers!
It's pretty much a given that this place deserves five stars, simply for its innate beauty. If I lived nearby, I'd be here every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening for free admission and some solitude. Even when it's a crowded Saturday, I can always find a private spot to sit and think. This place is huge, much bigger than I first thought it was. The Japanese garden is my favorite, with miniature waterfalls and of course, beautiful flowers.
Kids love the park/playground especially made for them, but it costs extra to get in. From the outside it looked super fun and I was itching for entry.
The sculptures that are currently featured are stunningly surreal. I could spend all day holed up in that skull (I know that sounds morbid but it's so pretty), gazing up at the blue glass ceiling inside. I could go on and on about the beauty of the sculptures and the gardens, but I'll just let them speak for themselves.
I honestly can't think of a better place to visit in St. Louis. It's serenity in a confined space, though you certainly don't feel confined anywhere within the spacious grounds. Every nook and cranny of the garden is a place to discover. My favorite place is the climatron, where you can walk through a simulated rainforest and then end up in this gorgeous, mosaic-tiled Italian villa. I also love the Japanese Garden and the koi in the murky pond who are fat and overfed, but still gulp the air in search of food (which can be purchased for a quarter). I love their muscial events in the summer and the Japanese Festival and Best of Missouri Markets held here. It's a glorious place. And oh yeah, don't forget to check out the rose garden in the summer. The true icing on the verdant cake.
HUGE!
I had no idea I'd be that amused by acres upon acres of flowers, but guess what? I was. Hmm. Went with the husband and the in-laws. It's a perfect way to spend some touristy time in St. Louis without wanting to kill yourself.
A must is the garden maze! Climb up the tower near by and you can get some great photos of the grounds.
I'm usually not THAT into botanical gardens, but the scenery in combination with the Niki de Saint Phalle exhibition was just about perfect.
Luckily I was using my Garmin to find the botanical gardens, because after I got off the highway I was SURE I was in the wrong area - I didn't see any signs or other indicator that I was in the correct area until I was at the entrance gate!
Entrance is free for locals and still very cheap for visitors.The garden is very professionally run and has considered every audience. There are actually about 10 gardens at the botanical garden, so it's not the 'same old thing' throughout. They set up a table upstairs near the garden entrance with fresh cut flowers that are in bloom at the time. They have an outside children's play area - which is an attraction in itself. The gift store is great, although some of the plants are very overpriced. I went in the fall, and imagine the many fountains would be beautiful when operating. There were plenty of benches to rest on and admire the scenery.
It would be helpful if they matched the area signs with the corresponding numbers on the foldout maps, and it would also be beneficial for them to have more people walking around to talk to visitors who have questions.
Pros: Good for a date
Cons: Boring ;)
It would be boring to go by yourself. An excellent place to take a woman, though. They like to look at flowers or something. Occasionally they have something neat, like an ice sculptor. A few remote areas could make for a romantic picnic.
Huge, amazing, beautiful, peaceful, relaxing, all of it. You could spend all day strolling through the gardens and still not see it all. The way they display the different plants and styles is really unique and amazing as you make it from one section to the next. I took around sixty pictures while I was there today but only posted a few, if anyone would like to see more just let me know. If you ever get the chance, check this place out.
A must see if you are visiting the area.... I'm not really into botany (duuuude) but this place will transport you away from the rat race of downtown....
This, along with all of Forest Park, is the best place to visit on a nice day in St. Louis (especially if you're going with someone else--unless you're a nature lover). Too bad the Chihuly exhibit is no longer there. The Japanese festival takes place every Labor Day weekend.
An excellent escape for any reason, exploring the grounds are worth 5 stars alone. They also host a variety of events and festivals throughout the year, so check out the calendar on their website.
Beautiful. You really have no reason not to check this place out if the weather is nice. There's always something cool going on here. Uh, except for now when it's cold out. But the gift shop is awesome!
The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the most impressive gems of St. Louis. The gardens are superb, as are the buildings. Throughout the year there are so many different festivals. I try to go to each one, and to every traveling exhibit. My favorite exhibit has been the Chihuly exhibit. The Garden has a Chihuly chandelier hanging in the main building. There were works that looked like dinosaur eggs, pieces that looked like plant shoots coming out of the ground. We went during Chihuly nights when there was a lot of fog, and got some really nice photos that I'll be adding. Another thing I try to never miss is the orchid show. They do this show where the orchids are in their natural environment and all of them are blooming and are replaced as soon as the blooms start to droop. I recommend that everyone come here at various times throughout the year. You can even get married here, which we almost did.
