Do you like to view plants at public gardens? There are hundreds of botanical gardens that you can visit and see beautiful flowers, plants, trees, and more! Many botanical gardens offer a variety of plant species to view, and some even include additional things to see like art or butterflies. If you like nature and seeing plants, you should definitely visit botanical gardens!
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The best way to visit lots of botanical gardens without spending too much money is to get a membership. With a membership, you can visit for free or at a reduced rate. Memberships allow you to visit hundreds of botanical gardens including those with additional exhibits.
Where to Buy a Botanical Garden Membership
A botanical garden membership that allows you free or discounted admission to other gardens can be obtained through a specific botanical garden or through the American Horticultural Society (AHS).
American Horticultural Society
If you purchase a membership through the AHS, you get several benefits:
- 6 issues of The American Gardener
- Free or discounted admission at more than 320 public gardens through the Reciprocal Admissions Program
- Discounted or free admission at select flower and garden shows
- Discounts on AHS educational programs
There are different memberships that you can get depending on how many people you have in your family.
| 1 person | $35 |
| 2 people | $50 |
| 4 people | $100 |
For more information about AHS memberships, you can visit their site here.
Specific Botanical Gardens
If you do not want to purchase a membership from AHS, you can also purchase one from any of the gardens listed in the Reciprocal Admissions Program guide.
The price of the membership will depend on the botanical garden that you purchase it from.
Other gardens can also offer the same or different benefits for their members.
If you enjoy visiting a specific garden often, it would probably make more sense to purchase it from them.
What Can You Expect to See at Botanical Gardens?
All botanical gardens have some type of plants on display.
Many of the plants are native to the area where the botanical garden is located, but many have additional plants that are not local.
Some botanical gardens have indoor gardens in addition to their outdoor displays.
Botanical gardens can be a lot more than just flowers and other plants.
Here are some of the gardens on the Reciprocal Admissions Program list and what they have to offer:
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
This park is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The gardens feature more than 200 works of art (mostly sculptures) by artists such as Rodin.
Butterfly Farms
This garden is located in Encinitas, California.
At Butterfly Farms, you can view butterflies in different life stages along with beautiful flowers.
Bok Tower Gardens
Located in Lake Wales, Florida, this garden has additional exhibits besides the botanical gardens.
It features the Singing Tower, an estate to visit, and nature trails.
Everglades Wonder Gardens
These botanical gardens are located in Bonita Springs, Florida.
The Everglades Wonder Gardens is a botanical jungle that also features rescued exotic birds and other animals.
Lyon Arboretum
The Lyon Arboretum is part of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. It is part of a tropical rain forest near Waikiki.
Besides all of the tropical plants you will see, there is a waterfall at the end of the trails.
manoa.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum/
Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park
This zoo is located in Binghamton, New York.
Although it is a zoo, it is included on the Reciprocal Admissions Program guide.
Is a Botanical Gardens Membership Worth Getting?
If you enjoy seeing plants and visiting different places, then a botanical gardens membership is completely worth it.
The places that we mentioned are just a few of the gardens that you can visit.
There are a lot more things to see besides plants.
From sculptures to animals to estates and even large waterfalls, a membership will get you into a lot of interesting places for a fraction of the cost of paying at each of these places.
Do you like to visit botanical gardens? Do you have a membership? Comment below with your thoughts and questions!
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