Houston Botanic Garden in Houston
Site: http://hbg.org/
- Monday:9AM–5PM
- Tuesday:9AM–5PM
- Wednesday:9AM–5PM
- Thursday:9AM–5PM
- Friday:9AM–8PM
- Saturday:9AM–5PM
- Sunday:9AM–5PM
Beautiful gardens in their infancy. Nature takes time and I’m looking forward to coming back to see how it evolves. Highly recommended for anyone missing fresh air and beautiful views.
Such an enjoyable place to visit in the Houston area. This is truly a respite in the normal hustle and bustle of Houston. Walk the gardens, enjoy the colors, and even smells! It is a grounding experience. The staff does an amazing job from upkeep of the grounds to the amazing events and classes. I would highly recommend a membership to ensure this garden never goes away!
Reserved our tickets at 5:45 for the Lightscape display which I believe is the first time slot. Glad we went when we did, because their parking system is ridiculous!! EVERY car has to stop and talk to the parking attendant before entering the lot. Each vehicle has to pay with the attendant before parking so you have to wait for people to whip out their credit card to process payment. Even if you prepaid for parking, you have to wait. This caused a MASSIVE line of about 40-50 cars when I left about 7pm. The Lightscape show was just okay to me. I didn’t get a “wow” feeling at all. The best display to me was the sparkling lights in the trees. I could have laid in the grass and looked at it all night long. It is a nice place to get some cool pictures.
There light scape display was my favorite of all the holiday light displays! Ive been to Nasa, zoolights, magical winter lights, the Christmas Train in Alvin and Moody gardens festival of lights. The displays were beautiful and they had a good stand with several holiday cocktails!
Hardly anybody was there which made it perfect the park is really big you can have picnics there it’s very scenic very enjoyable very relaxing
#lightscapehoustonevent our first and only time here. It was so incredible, I plan to become a member.Out of all the local Christmas light events, this surpasses them all.Moving.Magical.Creative.Artistic.Tasteful.Let’s start with staff and/or volunteers—they were all an absolute delight from the parking attendants to the last person as we left.The lights were spectacularly done. Pictures could never even do justice.It was like Christmas met Pink Floyd.True art.Then the music—not your typical Christmas tunes. It’s like true thought went into every “scene”. The music helped everything come alive.It helps that it wasn’t crowded.The people who were there seemed to be nature and art lovers appreciative of an event so elegant and upscale.This was exciting, exceptional and enthralling. By far, the best in town.
Opened in 2020, this is a great addition to the Houston environs, and it will only get better as it expands. I especially loved the arid valley.
Beautiful landscape w massive rocks from Arizona ...the flowers and plants are awesome with every color...A must see for all.
What a wonderful place to walk around and be reminded spring is coming. Very well kept. I did see one snake, which startled me. I hate snakes. Necessary evil I guess. They had a great culinary sections with all kinds of usable plants for cooking. Great time with my friends. Thanks for adding such a good reminder of the beauty of nature.
The Botanic Garden is such a lovely place. Make sure you give yourself a little time, and bring sunscreen and a bottle of water. The lovely paths are a little longer than you’d expect. It has a lot of newly planted trees that will give shade in the coming years. On Sunday evenings, they have live music!
5000 steps through pretty flowery walkways. Lots of plants, and water moving exhibits to play with in one area. We spent two hours on an 85 degree humid day but enjoyed the visit.
Came here to see birds and beautiful landscapes. I saw a lot of both. It will be even better as the weather warms. I bought the membership so I could return as often as possible. I hope it starts to stay open later as summer arrives because I cant get there before close on weekdays at the current hours.
I have mixed feelings on this park. It feels like it could be great one day in the future, but not right now. For starters, $15/adult is really steep, especially for an incomplete park. The gardens that are finished look nice. Plant labels are good and everything is easy to identify. A majority of the rest of the park is very obviously still under construction. Signage was poor and trails already had maintenance issues. They push it as a family / kid friendly park, but with all the slip, trip and fall hazards on the trails, I would keep a close eye on any kids. Also beware of the construction hazards that are all over the place still. The family park section was one of the nicer areas at the opening. There doesnt seem to be a ton of wildlife at the moment. Hopefully thatll improve over time. The no food / drinks policy is also annoying. But you can eat at the picnic tables by the parking lot. Im not sure why anyone would choose to pay the stiff entry fee for this park instead of visiting one of the other wonderful free parks around Houston: Houston Arboretum, Mercer Botanic Gardens, Hermann Park, any of the Bayou trails (like Buffalo Bayou), etc. If you do want to visit this park, I recommend waiting until they finish it completely.
I cannot describe the beauty of this garden enough. It’s just such a peaceful, beautiful and relaxing place to spend time with your loved ones. It’s also a good photoshoot spot, buh for professional photographers call to make enquiries and I do recommend going in the evening when the Sun is down cause it was super hot at noon.
Pretty place. Theyve this food truck there as well that serves fresh pressed juice over shaved ice and gift shop with all sort of cute little things.
I was underwhelmed! As another reviewer mentioned, this park has so much potential, but I was shocked at the amount of land not being utilized. The parts closest to the entrance are nice and you expect to see so much more… but no. Honestly, it’s not worth what they are charging. If it’s still a ways to go before it’s complete the entrance fee should be reduced. I probably won’t come back until it’s done, or almost done, but who knows when that’ll be.
Located on the former Glenbrook Golf course on Simms Bayou this newly opened 132 acre wonderland has a variety of gardens including tropical, subtropical and arid. It also has a Coastal Prairie, Wetlands, Culinary Garden and a family discovery garden designed to appeal to children and for adults. There are 2.5 miles of walking trails with signage that indicates the time it takes to leisurely stroll each one (most are 4-6 minutes). It’s open 7 days a week but weekend tickets are more expensive. Concerts are offered on occasional Sundays. Plan to stay at least 2 hours.
Beautiful, clean, cheerful, warm, kids friendly, and you learn alot.
It has great potential... but no where near there. I wasnt expecting Longwood Gardens, but I was expecting more. The plants that were there were mostly dead or crispy dead or sad. Other visitors conveyed similar messages as we passed each other. If you have a staged plan, make sure to take care of the small sections you have already set up. You should consider a donation based in the beginning unless there are special events. I would have been happier giving more than your fee as a donation. The steep entry fee feels cheap and a money grab given the current condition. Transparency and a sense of reality would be nice.I hope you navigate past these hiccups.
I enjoyed the Christmas music while we were walking and I enjoyed the fire lit displays. I think that the price of $27.00 is too much for this exhibit. It should be about half that and then I would have felt I received my moneys worth. Some of the walk ways were very dark, needing some sort of low lighting. At times I walked very slowly to make sure I did not stumble in the dark. I should have carried my phone to use as a flashlight.The worst part for me was the parking. I spoke to an employee by phone before purchasing the tickets who told me that the Park and Ride Shuttle service was good and inexpensive, ($6). I did not see a place to purchase the $6 parking when I purchased my tickets so went in with the expectation of paying at the park and ride spot. First the Park and Ride was difficult to find. Second, when we arrive there we were told that there was no shuttle service that evening, (12/29/21). We then proceeded to the Gardens and were told by a rude, gruff, bearded employee that we should have paid the $6 on line and then he could upgrade out parking for free, but since we did not do that we had to pay $20. We tried to tell him we did not know we could do that and would gladly pay the $6 but were told it was $20 - no arguments. Since we already had our tickets I paid the $20.00.I had actually called earlier that day with a question regarding the shuttle. The message said to leave my name, order number and my phone number and I would receive a call back later. That never happened.I heard that I should have received a text or email regarding updates on the facility, but that never happened either.The parking situation set a bad tone for the rest of the visit to your facility.I feel like the venue is overpriced and the parking a total ripoff!!
Beautiful gardens! Even when it is crowded it’s still worth going.
I had forgotten about the freeze we had a month ago. The grounds were still very nice for walking and we definitely had a beautiful day for doing so. I look forward to going back when everything is in bloom again.
Absolutely beautiful! I’m so happy that we finally have one.
Very nice romantic light show. We will be back next year.
Currently under construction, but it was still a fun adventure. Perfect place to go with friends, family or a casual date. It was somewhat a far drive, and the location is meh because there is nothing to do around that area aside from space center.Really enjoyed the layout of the garden and all the beautiful plants... my favorite was the cactus garden, felt like I was in the desert. The paths, rocks and ponds... everything was perfect, its relaxing. I could tell that every area was well built. Its about an hour to walk around everything. The giant banana leaves and leaf gated entrance were interesting!Admission was $12.50 for adults and $8 for students (with ID). Plenty of parking spaces. They also have a cafe with merch.
Caution: the ticket is not refundable!!!Paid $50 for huge blocks of lawn last Sunday. There is no live flowers or events as shown in their website.Waste in the river, dead flowers and some plastic flowers - that is all!I wouldnt give 1 star if there was not a butterfly in there.However, I would give 5 star if you put a donation link instead of buy ticket!
Winter storms impacted the amount of flowers blooming and ones that had died off. However workers were diligently planting new ones on our visit! Definitely plan to come back in the summer once everything is blooming in full.
It is a disappointment, having such a vast area, definitely lot of potential, but it’s not worth the money. Have seen much better for free, Hermnann park- Japanese garden, the McGovern centennial garden next to it, all free and definitely much better. Would not recommend. Houston you need to beautify!
Always a fun, calm, and relaxing walk in the gardens. Occasionally, a special exhibit such as this concert.
This is very much a work in progress (October 2020) and it will be spectacular in about 5 years once the plants have grown and matured. It is a tremendous property for a botanical garden and only a portion has been developed so far. Go check it out and watch it all grow over the coming years. One loop on all paved paths was about 3 miles.
Great treasure in Houston - my first time there and I am sold. SoNice and so serene with knowledgeable staff. Kudos
Yes, it is not completed yet, but it has so much potential. The garden is already beautiful. It will take a few years for the trees to grow enough to provide shades, but I will join the membership today to support the development. Cant wait to see what it will be like after 2-3 years!
This place has lots of potential! Still very new to the area, even google maps hasn’t updated how it actually looks.Very beautiful garden and can’t wait to see how it looks over the next 5 years.
Come Houstonians! Are you tired of the city view? When you walk into this garden, you can see the diverse plants and trails that have you gazed at every single aspect of it. It’s well designed for a family friendly with a cozy taco shop within it. It’s good a day date or afternoon visit with someone special. Make sure to support it and I look forward to seeing a further expansion of the garden.
The garden is on its way to greatness! I volunteered here today and the staff I worked with were very friendly! I look forward to helping out again. George thank you for giving us a tour after our work.
Beautiful new Garden!! I look forward to the growth of this beautiful place. Trails, wetlands, prairies, and more. Discount prices during the week. The staff and visitors were all so nice and helpful. I’ll be back!!!!
The new Houston Botanic Garden is spectacular! The grounds are beautiful. Its worth the $15. Its a must see and a great outing for you and your family.
Just go ahead and buy the annual passes as you will be going more than once and $15 ticket per visit isn’t worth it. Amazing job they have done with the park and it’s beautiful. It’s still a work in progress but definitely worth a visit.
The entrance: So this is located off IH 45 on the SE side of DT Houston. The area is a mix of service style businesses and restaurants. The entrance is right across from a school in a very unassuming part of town.However the entrance to the garden is brand new and once you cross the bridge, it feels like you are entering another world.Also parking is free! And, plenty of it.This botanical garden is new to Houston and much needed. It’s a former golf course turned into a garden featuring different plants and ecosystems from different regions.They are still in their beginning phase of development (Phase I) with lots more to be completed.The first vibe: Clean and spacious. 6 ft distance. Must wear a mask. You buy your tickets from the people inside the building behind the glass. Memberships are availableThe menu/food: There was a food truck on site. Not sure if this rotates or what time they are there.We did stop for popsicles at the stand by popstontx. This stand was located across the bridge (Sims Bayou) in the other part of the garden.The management: I did see people on guided tours, so that is available for sign up. May want to check the website for more information.The cleanliness: very clean! Bathrooms, too. No hand towels - everything sensor operated.📝 Couple things to note🌱 The garden is the former site of an old municipal golf course.🌱 Contains 132 acres with over 350 differentspecies.🌱Parking is free & you can purchase tickets on site. Memberships are available as well!.🌱 Food truck and popsicle stand were on site.Be sure to follow us for future food and life adventures @craveonomics on IG!
In business since September, 2020. Here are several reasons this spring to join. I joined on April 2nd, in 2022, and to periodically visit and return here, as development continues over time. This is a massive acreage lot of land, and I am super excited to bring this local review to you. Instagram @houstonbotanicUpdated: May 8th, 2022. This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day. For all of us, including those that aren’t able to celebrate with their mothers ( or those mourning a loss, recent or otherwise), the holiday offers a chance to reflect on the wisdom of the women role models in our lives. Enjoy, and Happy Mother’s Day!Today I walked the 132 acre garden and discovered the Meander, Coastal Prairie Loop, Sims Stroll and the garden connector over the Bayou bridge, to the Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden.April 10, 20223-5 p.m. From Venezuela, Cristina IG @cristinamaromusic ~ Tribute to the Queen of Tejano! Selena Tribute & Latin hits band. Great taste of Texas dance music and disco hits of the 70s. 💃If you are visiting Houston this springtime, This is great place to visit, after the number one tourist destination, Space Center Houston.Top reasons to visit:1. Annual membership is $50 each and eventually a lifetime membership, if they offer it hopefully. Community events are free like bazaars or as a Sunday live music concert event during spring, 2022. It’s free with your membership. 10% discount at the hbg store. Great merch and cold drinks. My favorite so far is their unsweetened green tea. I can’t find it at any grocery store. It’s not Snapple!🐞 🐢 🦋 🌵2. For photographic or videographer opportunities which abound here. I am always keen for that experience again, because I love to sharpen my skills in that area of my personal Hobby. In my professional outlook, I am a well established Local Maps guide.3. There is QR Interactive activity for those learning, every moment on a phone in a day. With QR code scans available, for sound and vision content, to experience on your outdoor trek, and too, with onsite Curiosity stations, in person with media formats; for nature’s way with video and sound experience.4. Native Texas wildflowers. Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush wildflowers are here, so you need not travel to the hill country Texas ecosystem, to see them in person. By the way, these wildflowers like the cooler weather of late winter and early spring. Not so much the humidity and weather changes later in April.5. Active walking exercise. This property is like 2.5 miles around. No bikes are allowed. Bring some water, because the only fountains I drank from before paying and entering, were on the outside of the entrance. Bring a bottle or two of water. You will be happier hydrated on your path!
Honestly a great experience. There were a lot of varieties of plant and miles worth of space to walk around in. I cant wait to see the different exhibits they will be hosting in the future as well.
This is a fantastic addition to the Houston area. Though many of the exhibits were still under construction, I expect the Houston Botanic Garden to be incredible. The reserved area is HUGE. For those of you that have been to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, this area is much larger, more spread out, and has less overheard cover. Make sure you bring protective gear so that the sun isnt too much of an issue. I plan on coming back in December to see the new water wall exhibit and some of the new plants they will bring in! I believe Ill be a Member for years to come. I would definitely recommend it.
I was really surprised at how much construction was still going on. The water walls were supposed to be done in November, theyre still not done. I cant really comment on the garden itself since it was raining the whole time; Ill definitely wait and buy tickets on site. From what I could see, $15 per ticket is pretty steep for whats there; Id pat $6-8 no problem, maybe $10,but $15 is up there given the current unfinished state.Their website suggests buying tickets online but we ended up being stuck with tickets for a rainy day (they dont refund for weather). They absolutely need more covered seating if theyre going to be open rain or shine..
Beautiful start. Not from Houston but of I were I would be so excited to see this evolve. Very peaceful place for my kind of meditative strolls.
I think they’ve got the start of something really good here for Houston and we enjoyed our visit. I hope they continue to come up with attractions that can raise revenue for the expansion that the garden needs.I don’t know what can be done about it, but the roar of I-45 and the debris in the bayou are challenges that I hope HBC finds a way to address. Still, you must start somewhere and I look forward to my next visit.
Was half price $12.50 when I visited on a Monday. Not sure I would have gone in at $27, but $50 for membership and free entry is a deal. I would definitely go more than twice a year. Enjoyed my stroll thru the gardens. Still plenty of room for future expansion.
Attended Lightscape with my husband and toddler, and ended up running into some logistical issues. The customer service was beyond impeccable, and the exhibit was fantastic. We had a great time!
New garden so some growth is not fully developed, but it has wonderful paths with views of wetlands and bayou. The discovery area is quite wonderful.
Nice park for a Relaxing walk ‼️But it should be free entrance .
Such a wonderful space. My first visit was to see a beautiful art exhibit added to the gardens. This will most definitely not be my last visit. The gardens are so diverse and the additional trails around the area look so inviting.
Love this place! Bought a membership and will come back when in the area to see the garden grow. New events every weekend.
Very underwhelmed by the LightScape Experience at the Houston Botanic Garden. Tickets and parking were overpriced for the amount of displays and overall experience offered to guests. While I understand you should not block other guests, they rush you through the walk areas if youre taking pictures. I simply dont recommend. However, staff were friendly overall.
This review is for the lightescape event only. Went the day before Thanksgiving with family, including a toddler and an infant. Very organized parking. Fast entry. Easy to follow trail. Fun light exhibits with music. We also didnt expect to have drinks (wine, beer and alcohol) available as well as smores, seasoned nuts and some holiday desserts. Fun family event for the holidays. It took us about 45 minutes to go through it all but you can make it longer or shorter if youd want, probably 1-1.5 hrs max.
There are better xmas lights for the money or for free for that matter. This place was largely overpriced for the lack of christmasey lights. The trail didnt take long to get through, even with stopping and taking pictures. Didnt feel very christmasey and the music was much of the same. They charge 25 plus tax to get in, plus the website fails to mention that the shuttle doesnt run during the week which is the cheaper parking option so they require you to pay an extra 20$ to park in their lot which is quite ridiculous. You can safely park in the school lot right across the street for free, but wish I was informed of the lack of shuttle service prior to going there. Keeping with the overpriced theme, drinks are expensive for the small amount of watered down alcohol you get, same with the food or roasting a marshmallow for 7$. There were a few cool displays but overall, would not recommend.
Beautiful gardens with diverse plants and landscapes, interesting classes, and engaging exhibitions. I love this place!
The garden is still growing and will be gorgeous when it is finished. Currently it is still a good experience in the middle of the city.
This place is gorgeous.There are fun activities to do, different trails, it is big, it is well designed. Right now, late May, is a great time to go, so many plants are in bloom!Cannot wait to go back soon and not so soon when some of the younger plants have aged.
Wonderful addition to the Houston area!! Beautiful botanic garden that has done a phenomenal job improving our city! A must visit for families. Membership is extremely well priced. The vast variety of garden sections offer hours of entertainment, strolling, browsing and butterfly/bird watching for folks of all ages.
Nice place to spend the day looking at the blooms and all the plants 15 dollars person to get in enjoyed the day.
This is a beautiful garden with a ton of potential. The Global Community Garden was stunning and is clearly the showcase garden. Theres many winding trails that are peaceful for strolling. Theres a few areas that need some time to develop, but I know itll look great in the near future.
#Lightscape was pretty cool. Lots of variety and the walking path was mostly on even ground. I would likely return to see the garden during the day.
The lightscape attraction while pretty, is way too overpriced for what it is. Not even half of the amount of lights that Zoo Lights has. Staff was very friendly and plave was nice and clean but just too expensive. Also their website is not clear on the parking options. I had to call twice to confirm I was doing it right.
Not worth 25+ dollars a person, some lights were not working and the tour was shorter than expected. Staff was pretty nice, however I would not recommend for a holiday outing.
So every major city i go to, i visit their botanic garden. I came here with high expectations. And by far this one is my least favorite, very long walks for not very much to see compare to other botanic gardens
Amazing place! Plan to spend the whole day here. If you are a plant lover, you will really enjoy it and find inspiration. Only downside is they dont allow bikes
I was VERY disappointed with the Lightscape Show this past weekend. I paid $130 Dollars for my wife and myself to enjoy this with PAID for upfront VIP parking to get to the Garden at my scheduled time on my tickets to be turned around and told I could not park in the lot which I paid for because it was FULL!!!! Very unprofessional and I want my money BACK
A wonderful new addition to Houstons green space. The garden has recovered remarkably well since the February freeze. It will be exciting to see the botanic garden grow and expand for many years to come.
The gardens are beautiful, but unfortunately the staff locked us in the park whenever they closed and we were stuck inside for over four hours.
For a place where almost anything grows with minimal help, I was expecting more. Sad is really the only way to describe it.The ease at which trees grow to such majestic proportions in this city, you would think this garden would have at least a few, perhaps one or two large enough to offer some shade to rest under as you pause between underwhelming ,weed choked displays. But unfortunately, no. Be sure to bring an umbrella if you want to have some shade.For those visiting from out of town, consider visiting the Rice University campus for a better approximation of what you would expect from a place called “The Houston Botanic Garden”.
Great trails for walking and exploration. Some spaces are more populated with cultivated plants and people, others just green space. I appreciate the availability of both types of spaces. They are building and educating for resilience which I appreciate. A great space for and in Houston. Visit!
Very professional and personable staff, great food truck (7/26/21), beautiful gardens and layout! If everything looks the way it does now, I’m excited to see what it will look like 5 or ten years down the road! Keep up the good work HBG!
Everything was so beautiful, and Im so obsessed with cacti!
$15 admission. Next time bring skateboard
Great place to visit. It is a lot bigger than I expected. Beautiful gardens and trails to explore. Definitely bring your camera and come during sunset. There is still a lot of work to be done and you can see the potential this place will have in a few years. I can see this becoming one of my favorite places in Houston.
Absolutely spectacular sprawling grounds, a labyrinth of lush gardens, playgrounds (wet) and trails repping the best texas has to offer, its the crown jewel of botanic opulence around, and thats saying something bc the musuem district (japanese gardens etc) is pretty amazing too, but this is more local flare. i love that its appropriate even on extreme heat days bc theres a water playground! so get wet (u do the work to pump & spray the water but its easy) and stay cool the rest of the walks! i recommend doing that first bc by the time youre done youll be dry. plenty of places to sit in the shade at each main attraction point, such as my favorite by the discovery garden are the two lawn chairs under shade of a lob lolly (i think, or slash pine?) in front of the fancy bathrooms (family one with a stool!) overlooking a swamp pond. just close enough to playgrounds to watch kids but far enough from them so they dont ask us to join (no thanks, yea, i think ill drink some fresh ice cold water (yes its super cold) from the fountain and sit in the shade). only downside to doing the playground first was we didnt get to see as much of the gardens in the front as we wanted bc a few hours was all the time we had and the boys loved the playground a little too much, but believe me we will come back soon even tho we live in cypress, which is reallypretty close since the next nearest comparable botanic gardens is in NOLA. they have a gift shop btw. parking lot is plenty big. tickets where a great price considering the experience, i think 15$ per adult, 12$ per kid? u could use a stroller btw, its all navigable via wheelchair too im presuming, so audience friendly. masking seems to be for sure done inside, nice job staff, its a safe place too. i like how its real close to hobby and right down the road from IAH, and on the way to the beach, so tourist friendly. and close to malls, food places etc, its in the heart of the action location wise. cant wait to go back and finishing seeing it all. im glad to know we couldnt see it all in one trip, all the more reason to return! thanks to all the contributors to this garden especially!
Went to Lightscape and it was just ok. It was a nice walk but for the price and parking, I wasnt blown away :/ Staff was friendly, shuttle ride to off site parking was VERY nice, but I guess I just needed more light exhibits.
Absolutely loved it.
This is a beautiful botanic garden. It is growing and its important to keep that in mind while being here, so that one can enjoy it for the stage its at. Its very relaxing and great for conservation efforts. Lots of intriguing pollinators, birds, and flowers.
Weve needed a botanical garden for so long, its very exciting to have it open finally! The portions that have been completed are lovely and worth a visit to see. Great place to safely wander with the family out in nature. It will be exciting to see how the park develops overtime.
I went to the light scape and it was ok. The admission price was too expensive for the amount of displays that you actually get to see. And I also wish there were more options for the food stands.
We had a wonderful time there! I am considering becoming a member. The staff was friendly and helpful and the variety of plants was impressive. I cant wait to see how this place further develops as the Flora and Fauna continue to grow.
Awesome garden areas with seating to enjoy the views. You can easily walk 10000 steps. The grounds are immaculately clean.
Disappointing. This place has potential but seems half finished right now (early 2022). There is a lot of empty space and not many varieties of plants.
Nice place to get out on a nice day and walk around. They did a great job with the themed gardens. The more exciting part of the park, IMO, is when you turn left as soon as you walk through the gates. Theres also a little cafe to grab a quick snack or cold beverage. They make you wear masks the entire time youre there, though, which is a little challenging if its hot out. The kids water play area is currently closed bc of covid. Entrance fee is $15. You can either pay in advance online or when you get there.
Beautiful walk through the garden this morning. Easy parking. Bought my ticket online in advance. Contactless check in. Some parts are still under construction. Some plants are freshly planted bulbs. My favorite part was standing in the pollinator garden while the butterflies and dragon flies flew around me. Will be back to check out the bayou section.
We paid $20 extra to get on site parking and got denied entrance when we got there because the on site parking was full. Other than that the light show is great.
Beautifully laid out and maintained. Converted us from a visitor to a member on our first visit. Beautiful place to just come and sit on a pretty day.
I believe once the botanic garden is completed it will be wonderful but right now, it’s just not worth the $15 per person. The water wall isn’t completed, most of the area is grass land and dirt. Honestly, you can see a more beautiful view just walking along the bayou. It’s just not there yet and I hate to see people waste money especially these days. FYI, my IG is @jjonthemic and in my highlights I show some of the most amazing botanical gardens that I’ve visited around the world. I say that to say, I had high expectations for my home city. I was expecting to see something more like the Japanese Garden at Hermann Park but better and was extremely disappointed. I look forward to returning when it’s completed and hope it’s worth the money.
We are so excited for this garden! Only a few (usually wealthy) people benefited from the previous golf course, but now everyone can enjoy the garden. They are going to have plants from all over the world there. We are going to the phase one preview on 1/26/20 and are super excited. Houston needs more places like this: outdoor space, educational, and an actual tourist attraction...instead of just brown buildings.
Wonderful family experience with other families. Come see the gardens transformed into a world of lights and music.
Seeing your handy work take fruition is quite satisfying. No im not a gardner im an electrician by trade and took part installing the lighting and power for this soon to be backyard oasis. Alot of attention to detail has gone into making this beautiful garden and with more improvements in the near future its sure to be a nice destination for that romantic date night or fun family outing.
It was a nice experience. I enjoyed walking around and exploring the gardens with my spouse. It was peaceful and the weather was not too warm or humid.
An exceptional addition to Houston! The diversity of plants and the pathway networks are so good. While this garden is new, we are excited to watch it grow and expand over the years. Proud members as of today.
Loved the area, lots of peace and quiet to wind down.
Not all the trails are open yet and the plants and trees are still new. So dont expect anything big and mature yet. Has alot of potential to be beautiful in the years to come. Clean restrooms and little giftshop. I recommend this place for seeing butterflies in the spring.
Nope. $50 to walk along a bayou. Nope. So many other free nature options out there. 15 per adult and 10 for youth. I have a 4 and a 3 year old. 10 dollars each. Come on man. Never going back. Not worth it to just see what’s in everyone’s back yard here in Houston. Too many hazards for my little ones. Nothing to write home about. It may flourish in the future, but it’s a steep ticket for a very lackluster experience.
I have noticed there has been alot of construction work being done around the area. The Harvey builders have done a great job in such a short period of time over all once completed you will get to experience a great time at a water park the landscaping is amazing the lighting in the area is well lit with lights . Look forward to good times with the family.
There’s a lot of potential here, but I’d definitely suggest waiting a while before visiting. Lots of empty spaces, dismal way finding signage so you just wander around, dead end trails that take you into overgrown areas of nothing, not finished fountains and gathering spaces, etc. It seems like they rushed to open but should’ve waited. Definitely much less than expected. Too bad, given the potential.
Love the garden. Youll feel like youre outside the busy city the moment you walk in.
Disappointed. Paid $15 (Sunday) to see africa collection and didnt get to see it. No one was there to help you. The last guided tour was at 11am and I got there at 1115am. So I walked around helpless as the brochure was not helpful at all. Was extremely hot and didnt see any water fountains. Would I go back NO.
Excellent addition to the city of Houston. Geographically very good. The new gardens will bring visitors in as one of the few tourist destinations. It will also provide countless benefits to the residents of the Houston metro area. I can hardly wait till it opens in the fall of 2020 !
I miss the old Gleenbrook golf course, city spent 2.5 mil to update it and then got shut down. It was beautiful and the best course in the city. I wish they had done this to Sharpstown instead, it’s boring and flat. Progress I guess if you can call it that. CJ’s Grill Was The Best! CJ, if you’re out there, we miss y’all!
Well, no matter how many times I visit the garden, it’s always a pleasure. Even now with the inconvenience of construction on the west side of road, it’s still a pleasure to spend a little quiet time in the evenings.
Such an awesome place especially when the weather is nice. Glad Houston is adding more things like this. Very kid/stroller friendly and relaxing. Highly recommend to go check it out.
Paid for the parking and the employee told me the parking is full? What is the point for paying for the parking. The light is not that special. Very overpriced!
Very nice and relaxing way to enjoy the day. Membership is the best, worth every penny when you can get away for a nice stroll anytime you want.
Sweet Heart Deal from the City of Houston. This park was open to everyone after 5 p.m. contrary to what uninformed people who are not even residents of the neighborhood. They brought in a ton of sewage and water lines. For a tiny pond. I wonder when the town homes go up.
Delightful experience walking their Holiday Lights with my family.
I was highly disappointed! Most plants were dead and it honestly was overpriced for dead plants, should have been free. I will not be returning and will not recommend this place to family or friends.
Real. Nice experience Ill be back come check it out
Amazing place! Relatively new still but beautiful landscapes and a nice edible garden!
I gave it a 5 star rating for the gardens they have developed - Absolutely beautiful!
Definitely worth a visit. The areas that have been planted already are excellent and there’s plenty of space for the garden to grow.
Horrible I took both my sons here for camp. My kids are both 4 and 5 . The teacher was rude and the staff were horrible. I would not recommend it.
The Garden is a fantastic amenity for our city. It will be exciting to watch it continually grow and mature in the coming months and years!
Always a good timenat the Houston Botanical Garden
A oasis in the middle of a neighborhood. It was a former golf course. So relaxing and peaceful.
Lightscape is a great aesthetic multimedia night time treat!
$15 is very steep considering much of the donations cAme from the Stude sisters. Claudia Gee Vassar, president and general counsel of the Houston Botanic Garden should lower down the price , considering its only phase 1 of the project. I did find some areas to be incomplete and some plants in poor condition.
The garden is in phase 1. A lot is still missing, but its still beautiful nonetheless 🙂 Maybe next year in April, there will be more finished sections.
Beautiful gardens even in the late fall. Safe limits on number of people. Special events too.
Still under construction. If you decided to go you need to think the entrance fee as donation for a great botanic garden for the future.
This place is gorgeous a real hidden gem
Its got potential, but theres really not much to see until the garden is closer to completion. $15 per person could be better spent elsewhere.
The crew of tree trimmers and many other workers seemed very busy turning old growth trees into wood chips. The meeting that was going on inside was off limits and everyone wanted to make an equivalent place to wherever they were before coming to Houston with locals providing volunteer labor.
It was a beautiful day for the sneak look at the Childrens garden. The children loved playing in the sand and water. It is a must to visit.
Beautiful gardens on site of former golf course. Wonderful transformation and addition to Houston greenspace.
Enjoyed my morning so much walking around Botanical Gardens. Looking forward to going back and becoming a member.
I want the golf course back. How is it possible that this was a good decision. When you buy a house because it is on a golf course and they take the golf course away, you feel cheated.
Its going to be an awesome Place once theyre finished building it I work for the crew thats building the bridge in front of the school looks like its going to be an awesome place come enjoy and hang out Ill have to try it
Breathtaking!!! Beautiful! What a hidden gem. Went there with my family this weekend and will be returning soon.
Beautiful place for picnic
Really a negative experience, staff not helpful and the signage is poorly done. For the amount of money we paid to get in I really expected it to be a better experience.
So excited to see this place grow! Just got a membership and am looking forward to using it this year!
Great Lightscape!!! Beautiful Christmas lights!
Nice place, Go and check it outStay Safe !!
Needs more plants and variety since it literally more than half trails.
Beautiful space. I look forward to many additional visits as the plants grow
The garden will open in fall, but now there is an opportunity to volunteer and be part of something special for the community.
It was a pretty place to wander.
Well manicured gardens with a bayou running through it. Pleasant place.
Beautiful place! Want to visit again to see more.
One of my favorite places to spend extra time.
This garden was opened prematurely. Save your $15 for when it’s finished.
ABC13 REPORTED THIS MORNING THAT THE NEW HBG IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC & ADMISSION IS $15. LOOKS GORGEOUS!!!
A lovely, peaceful place to exercise and enjoy nature.
Good very good
We had a great time on Grand Opening weekend!
Beautiful and relaxing garden.
Beautiful place the staff is amazing
Beautiful
A great spot for beauty and education.
Nice place to visit, but still a long way to go
Its a brand new Park,not open yet,but its going to be open this fall!!!!
Beautiful place to unwind and enjoy nature
Amazing work being done! I cant wait until its complete!
Do not like it, it stole our community golf course
Beautiful space and the staff are incredibly friendly.
Nice land acquisition. Like the direction its going. Will take some time.
So beautiful, go early!
Beautiful! And it’s only going to get better!
Beautiful garden scenery!!! 💕 🌺 🌹
Beautiful. I learned a lot.
Beautiful, spacious, and peaceful
Beautiful place
Not impressed, maybe in a few years.
So zenlike. Was very relaxing
Need time to grow, and recuperate
Ok not bad
Nice
Wonderful experience
Its still being built.
Beautiful layout.
Nice and clean
Fun Fun Fun
Too expensive
Looking forward to this!
It is beautiful full of peace and a lot to walk. I 100% recommend it.
The least there are flowers, I feel cheatedHow can they charge so much, there is nothing to see hereI do not recommend it
We are working with the desire to be able to finish in time so that people can see the work that is being carried out for real, a lot of work and effort is being invested to make it spectacular
Excellent place to visit
Charmingly invested and modern
Very pretty
Excellent place I like a lot
Good little menu food and they do not change it
Well, a lot of variety
Total reviews rating 4.4
196 Reviews for Houston Botanic Garden 2023:
Review №1
2021-12-30This is a relatively new attraction in Houston, but such a nice place to spend the day. Really enjoyed it. The staff were very friendly and even had wheelchairs for the elderly- thank you!There were lots of areas to walk around and the garden areas were very interesting and beautiful.Fun for adults and for kids to burn off some energy while learning g a bit.
Review №2
2022-01-17Has great potential. Definitely a lot of areas still in development, without a lot of plants or signage. However, it’s clearly a project of love and dedication and I expect it will continue to thrive. It’s absolutely worth the visit. Lots of wonderful local insects too and butterflies
Review №3
2022-01-03We went to the Botanic Garden as a family. We all loved the gardens and the variety of plants on display. The grounds are spacious and well maintained. The kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed the family discovery garden, which includes a seesaw that powers a water fountain when you use it. It’s great to have something so special in Houston and it looks like they’re working to make the gardens even better.
Review №4
2022-03-21This is my second time visiting the botanical garden. This time we went to an event where you go and try different cocktails. Love the place and the energy that you feel walking around. They host different events during the year and you can combine a fun day with the wonder of nature.
Review №5
2021-12-22It was our first visit to the garden (didnt know it existed to be honest!) We went for Lightscape. Dont expect traditional lights, this is more art installations. Each was unique and beautiful! The garden is huge, and as you wander the path something new opens ahead of you. Loved the surprise element each turn! Of course there were some we liked more, but all of them were enjoyable.Our tickets were for 6:30 on the Friday prior to Christmas. We had paid for on-site parking and found that to be extremely simple! Parking lot had plenty of room and we waited less then 4 min to show our parking pass on the phone and park. Each and every employee we ran into was friendly and helpful, and the run hot chocolate was just what we needed!Will definitely go back in the day light to see the gardens.
Review №6
2022-01-19Just not ready for prime time. Over 80% of the garden shown on the map is just the old derelict golf course. The discovery garden and the parts near the entrance are nice but I death marched my children through miles of nothing looking for the other parts of the garden. I wish they were a little more honest about the current state of the garden.Edited to add:I would like to update that my kid almost stepped on 3 small snakes on the trail, and there was working construction equipment directly adjacent to open trails which is a safety issue. I was trying to be diplomatic about it in my earlier review but quite frankly large parts of the open part of the park are unsafe given the common expectations of a botanical garden of this type.
Review №7
2022-05-11The Butterfly & Family Garden exhibit was definitely my favorite part. Dont forget sunscreen and your best walking shoes on this 100+ walk over lush green gardens and beautiful bridges. I had a wonderful time overall and can wait to return once its fully completed.
Review №8
2022-04-16The botanical gardens are a nice place to spend the day. You could take the whole family and walk and enjoy different terrains. Theres also water attractions fountains and various types of indigenous and non-indigenous flowers. Cruciferous to conifers, vascular to succulent plants they have it all. Its a horticulturist dream! Lol
Review №9
2022-01-04Love the Lightscape at The Botanical Gardens it is a very peaceful and relaxing event. The parking attendants were extremely rude we had a horrible experience with them However once we walked into this magical place I felt at ease and at peace we will definitely make this a yearly trip.We paid $27 per adult ticket and $20 for parking.
Review №10
2022-01-12The HBG is one of my favorite places to visit in Houston. I recommend going on a week day, and go early to avoid crowds. They also host a Christmas holiday light event, multiple nights, that is really spectacular.