Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Beautiful botanical gardens. We spent three hours wandering through the walkways throughout the gardens. Very peaceful and tranquil. The peonies and roses were just starting to bloom. So beautiful.

A FIVE-STAR stop at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, just off I-95 in North Richmond, VA! What a refreshing break from driving—and an uplifting experience for the entire family, surrounded by nature. This 50-acre property features over a dozen themed gardens, including a delightful Children's Garden and Storytime programs for all ages. The on-site gardens, gift shops, and restaurant are top-notch—a perfect mix of food, shopping, beauty, and exercise all in one stop! Take a look at the photos and see what I’m talking about!

Superb gardens, well maintained, master designs, extensive grounds, and very peaceful. Cafe inside, ample parking. They are restoring huge glasshouse building, will be interesting to return.

Sylvia in the restaurant demonstrates excellent customer service and personal care. Add this to the beautiful setting of LG gardens and you’re sure to have a memorable experience with your visit.

Spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon strolling the gardens, sitting by the water and enjoying nature. Unfortunately, many of the spring flowers had already passed and not too many of the summer ones were in bloom yet, but the grounds is still beautiful and worth the visit. We saw many turtles sunbathing which always brings a smile to my face. And it was very relaxing sitting by the lake listening to the birds. We came on Mother's Day and I was disappointed to learn that the Tea House is not open throughout the year as it would have been a nice refreshing stop along the way. Two of the vending machines by the children's area were also not working, but at least we were able to get some water there. It would have been nice to have a refreshment booth or something out in the gardens.

The botanical garden in Richmond is a must-visit! It’s incredibly spacious—you can easily spend several hours exploring. There’s a beautiful variety of plants, including lots of dragonflies fluttering around and a stunning collection of roses. The grounds are peaceful and well-maintained, making it a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature. They also have a large café and a great gift shop with plenty of unique items. If you're visiting Richmond, this is definitely one of the top attractions to check out!

Any member of the family can enjoy a leisure and educational day here, even if visiting for only a couple of hours. We visited late in June, and there was so much in bloom even tho it was very hot. The gardens feel more formal overall and are well maintained. It's an excellent choice for a wedding venue. There are well shaded trails, a tropical house (butterfly exhibit is currently closed), a café, a library, a gift shop, and a children's play area. They partner with the American Horticultural Society. So, with my current family affiliated membership at another garden, I was able to visit this location for free. There's a year-round tree house and seasonal splash pad for the children. The café serves fresh, wholesome options at reasonable prices. The majority of the gardens are mobility friendly. There's plenty of free parking. The ladies at the entrance were friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Huge place. Adding more. Beautiful flowers. Peaceful . Kid friendly. Highly recommend

Took my mom here for her birthday as part of a Richmond trip. It rained for the first few minutes of our trip but once the rain stopped, the grounds were so pretty. I particularly enjoyed some of the shaded walking paths with streams and huge bonsai!

We just sort of happened o this garden. Absolutely LOVED this place! We could have stayed here all day! Everyone was so kind and helpful. There was soooo much to see! Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the conservatory, but we saw just about everything else. The flowers were amazing. Everything was well manicured. It was just stunning! They even had a plant sale! I highly recommend going!

A picture perfect day to walk around the garden. Some flowers were still hanging on to their blooms since there hasn’t been a frost yet. There were quite a few roses still blooming. The conservatory had several blooms and a wide variety of tropical plants. There is a major construction project underway to increase the size of the conservatory. There is a library and meeting rooms along with a gift shop and dining room.

Lewis Ginter visits are part of the reason we decided to move to Richmond from Northern Virginia. Now that we are local, so glad that it is much easier to visit. Every season brings new vistas. If you have kids, it is a great investment to get a membership, play areas for kids are varied and sure to be fun no matter the age. Absolutely love this place. They have discounted entry and membership options for SNAP users and FT students. The gift shop is wonderful. In the summer through October there are late hours for twilight wandering. The butterfly exhibit is wonderful. If you are local, a membership is highly recommended so that on any random day, you can take a garden break. It is simply wonderful. During the winter holidays, the light show is wonderful. Throughout the year, there's always so much to enjoy.

Amazing experience!! Loved it...all of it. Went on a Saturday afternoon. Went to see the Orchid Show, which was fabulous. It was a wee bit crowded inside the conservatory but it was worth it. The orchid displays were worth the trip. It's late winter but the gardens were beginning to show color. The gardens have really nice walkways. Nothing strenuous. You can even walk on the grass! Children were rolling down the hills. This is a great place for kids. I look forward to my next visit in April; early Spring...everything should be in bloom or almost. Highly recommend this treasure.

We visited from Maryland. This place is heavenly beautiful. Our daughter loves flowers and she couldn’t stop exploring. Kids area has a tree house and a fun splash pad, games, all very well kept. The visitors center has a nice cafe that is so crucial when you are out and about with a kid.

The gardens are a beatiful location in Richmond for photos! I photographed a recent surprise proposal for a couple at the gardens! IG: @jonflemingphotography jonflemingphotography.com

Great grounds, very friendly staff and beautifully maintained area. There was some construction going on when I went, but we didn't mind, there's a really nice kids area, visitor center, and gift shop as well.

It is a lovely place no matter the season. It was full of beautiful plants and landscaping. Great place for couples with or without children. Love to see the hydroponic plants growing. There is a children's garden and huge tree house to explore.

First time visiting. Went on a Thursday a bit after it opened. Did a full loop of the place in less than two hours but could definitely have spent longer it was just too hot to linger outside long. The inside of the brick buildings were nice and air conditioned. It wasn't busy at all. Was disappointed the tea house wasn't open but really don't know what it's hours we're anyway so maybe that's a weekend thing. Anyway, the kids area looked like a lot of fun and wish I had brought my own bathing suit lol

Lovely place to get your steps in. We did go in February, so there is not much plant life outside of the conservatory. Still ver much enjoyed it. We arrived a few minutes after they opened on a Saturday. Staff was friendly and informative. We felt very welcomed. There was staff walking through the grounds, so that was helpful when we had questions. Would I love to see this place in the spring or summer. We'll be back.

Beautiful experience, even with the greenhouse under construction. Had a great and peaceful time.

I love coming to see the Gardenfest of Lights each year! 💗🎄☃️ Great job, yet again!

No matter what time of year it's a beautiful place to visit. Very educational, staff is always great and make you feel welcome. The Garden glow light festival was simply magical.

I had the opportunity to visit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on 3/26/24. What an amazing place. So peaceful. So beautiful. I went a little crazy with the photos but just couldn’t help myself. Definitely a 5 star location. I’ll certainly be back particularly if I need some grounding.

We love Lewis Ginter, such a beautiful garden. Just a nice place to walk around and see some of Nature’s Beauty. We highly recommend a visit. Also (Pro tip) if you are a member of Norfolk Botanical Gardens you can get in free, other gardens qualify also, check the reciprocal garden membership.

One of our go-to spots whenever the weather is nice. Love the variety of events here. Can't wait to see the greenhouse renovations and the butterfly exhibit!

Made wonderful memories together as a family in the garden of lights for Christmas 🎄.

This place is absolutely beautiful! Whimsical gardens bursting with life, So much to see and do. The aromas from all the variety of flowers was gorgeous. Such a wide variety of plants to see and explore. I also love how all of them are labeled as to what they are...very educational. Will definitely be going back.

The orchid show is absolutely gorgeous and Lewis Ginter gardens is so beautiful and relaxing with lots to explore. The pagodas are beautiful and the conservatory is breathtaking! I highly recommend this experience if you are a flower gardener as myself and love anything to to with beautiful landscape and gardens!

Great scenery and lights during night. I snapped a photo that is absolutely stunning and i do not regret going here. Bring you family's too because it's best with them

This is a beautiful venue. We enjoy their gardens, tea house and Christmas lights extravaganza. But, this past weekend, we had a family wedding here, and I can't think how it could have been more beautiful. The setup was lovely. We had just south of 100 people and the space was just right. I highly recommend Lewis Ginter as a great botanical Gardens n a very fun Christmas light show and as a venue for any of your events!

We attended the holiday lights festival with a couple of friends - all of us 70+ y.o.. As would be expected for botanical gardens, the grounds were immaculate. There were far more lights than I thought would be there and there are lighted signs to help you navigate the large grounds. We sat for nearly a hour in the Tea House sipping fortified (i.e. "adult") hot chocolate listening to the jazz duo (who were pretty good) and just enjoying the relaxed conversation. There were numerous families with strollers enjoying the lights plus there was a playground over to one side to wear out the kids not in strollers. We had a wonderful time and I recommend it for multi-generational visitors. Two of us used canes and we had no trouble negotiating the paths. Definitely a five star evening.

Visited the light show 2 separate years- 2023 & 2025 and both times were very nice. I felt like the 2023 display was bigger? Maybe it’s just my memory. 🤷‍♀️ Either way we enjoyed it!

4 Stars Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden truly impressed us with its expansive, beautifully maintained grounds! We didn’t anticipate just how large it would be, with multiple themed gardens, a serene lake, a children’s garden, and a stunning conservatory. Currently, there’s some construction going on behind the conservatory, which looks like an expansion project—exciting to see what’s in store for future visits since conservatories are usually my favorite part! During our visit, there was a lively festival or event happening, which added a wonderful vibe to the day. We enjoyed delicious Indian food and browsed through a variety of art stalls. It really seems like a fantastic place to bring kids—so peaceful, beautiful, and family-friendly. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the gift shop was a delight for frog and mushroom lovers like me (I couldn’t resist the adorable wool frog Christmas ornaments!). The reason for 4 stars? While we had a lovely time, I wasn’t completely “wowed” by the displays, likely because we visited between peak blooming seasons, so there were quite a few empty spaces or dead plants. We’re moving to Richmond next year and are looking forward to visiting again in spring, when we can see it in all its glory!

A beautiful botanical garden but temper expectations depending on your season. We knew going in February wouldn't be an ideal example of this place, but it still has some charm if you look for it or judge it respectfully. At this time of year, instead of witnessing life flourishing in every direction, you find life holding on and displaying its resilience. A bit inspiring in its own way.

Came here for the first time during the Christmas light festival. The decorations were beautiful, though initially felt like a sensory overload. Plenty of parking available. Well run event. And the ground had hard top so it was easy for everyone to navigate. Super chilly night and wish I had brought a warm beverage like many others. Now I'm curious to see all the plants inside and definitely will have to come back for a daytime visit.

Beautiful place, it’s amazing and clean and organized and maintained well. It’s huge, it has a library and during the cold they offer story time and art activities for the little ones. Amazing, definitely will recommend, it’s great for birthday parties, wedding and much more.

It was a lovely garden, with benches along the way to pause throughout the journey, and there was a treehouse for kids. The paths were quiet and the wind chimes added to a peaceful vibe. For people allergic to bees, the rose section was a bit overwhelming. We were a bit bothered by the noise of the construction taking place in one area of the garden when we visited (April) and I also didn’t like that the maps were only provided for members. However, the gift shop was larger than expected and full of a variety of beautiful items, and the beauty of the space brought joy to my day.

Very disappointed in the Santa Brunch. We went back in 2022, and we were welcomed in the large dining room with Christmas decor, a personalized name tag on our table, an interactive Santa experience, and a small buffet through the middle. This year, the other side of the building was open and had no table cloths and minimal decor. We were told it was “overflow” yet our family booked the brunch the morning it was available to the public. Additionally, we had to seek out our own high chairs, crayons, coloring sheets, etc. which is fine for a normal restaurant but not for $250+ brunch! This “overflow” room did not have the same holiday feel at all and the increased number of people which caused the buffet lines to be long and food to be cold. My husband had to go with the kids to get food while I sat with our 1 year old. By the time I could get food, the line was so long it took 20 minutes to get through which means I didn’t get to eat with my family. Then, the kids (1,4,6) were served their drinks in stemmed glassware, waitstaff never tended to our tables for any refills, coffee was self serve, and lastly, I was told Santa doesn’t come through the dining room any more! This was one of the reasons I booked - my kids loved how magical it was to hear Santa coming & ringing the bell! I feel totally bamboozled for paying $58/adult and $40/kid for this. The event manager was also unpleasant in an interaction with a guest at the buffet.

We came for the Dominion Lights Show for the holiday season. Unfortunately it was much shorter than expected and a little pricey at $25 per person. Parking was fine, as they had people directing traffic. I enjoyed the shops, filled with ornaments and cool holiday decor. I would come back in the spring/summer when the plants are in bloom. As for the lights, I felt like it was worth about $10 per person an not worth the 2 hour drive for us.

The place is under massive renovation. In a nutshell, at the current moment it's a large noisy and dusty building site, with some flower meadows and walking paths around it. The major attractions like conservatory and butterflies are out of use. The place at the moment is not worthy a visit even if it was free for public. But! They would still charge you a full price. And, the fact of rennovation and limited availability is not well illuminatied. In fact, the lady who sold the tickets told me about it only after she charged my card, and drew my attention to a small fine print sign on her desk. Which i wouldn't even notice otherwise. So, me and my daughter went in... tried to enjoy what was available, but there wasn't much. Mostly spectacular views of the renovations in progress, that only a building engineer would appreciate. So I was somewhat disappointed, since the plan of tranquil morning in nature with my daughter went down hill. I even tried to request a refund when leaving 20 minutes later (I never normally do it, but the way it was managed this time - it was just pissed). Well, no refund, of course.