Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Richmond, United States

4.7

Closed now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 804-262-9887
Website:
www.lewisginter.org
Address:
1800 Lakeside Ave, Richmond, VA, 23228
Lakeside
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.4 miRichmond Staples Mill Road
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Bussiness info

Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Richmond) 10:37 PM Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We offer year-​round beauty on a historic property with more than 50 acres of spectacular gardens, dining & shopping. A classical domed Conservatory is the only one of its kind in the mid-​Atlantic. A Children’s Garden offers a wheel-​chair accessible Tree House, WaterPlay, an International Village &more than a dozen themed gardens. Families love it here!

Join us for seasonal exhibits: Butterflies LIVE!, A Million Blooms, Flowers After 5, Dominion GardenFest of Lights, & more. Enjoy extended evening hours on select nights.

With something for all ages and interests, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a place to learn about plants, to marvel at nature, to relax in a beautiful setting, to take gardening classes, or to have a wedding or a business meeting. A wide variety of experiences are offered through its diverse gardens & facilities. No wonder we are consistently one of the most-​visited attractions in the Richmond, VA area. Please check our website for special events info.

History

Established in 1984.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is on property that was Powhatan

Indian hunting ground and was once owned by Patrick Henry.

Timeline:

1884 Lewis Ginter bought the property and built the

Lakeside Wheel Club, a one-​story structure that

was later modified and incorporated into

Bloemendaal House. The Wheel Club was a

destination for Richmond bicyclists.

1913 Grace Arents, Ginter’s niece, bought the

Lakeside Wheel Club. She remodeled

the structure, made it a convalescent home for sick children from the city.

Later, she moved into the house with her companion, Mary

Garland Smith.

1968 Mary Garland Smith died at the age of 100. The

city of Richmond took possession of the property.

1981 A group of botanists, horticulturists

citizens banded together to form Lewis Ginter

Botanical Garden, Inc. to uphold the will of Arents.

A lawsuit ensued.

1984 An amicable settlement allowed the formation of

the Garden. The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

was chartered by court decree.

Meet the Manager

Jonah H.

Manager

I am the PR & Marketing Coordinator for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, where I specialize in social media.

My favorite part of my job is sharing the Garden with others — whether it is sharing photos of the Garden on Facebook or telling the story of how we plant and plan for A Million Blooms each spring. I love hearing about how others experience Lewis Ginter and love it when I find someone who loves this place as much as I do.

My favorite spot in the Garden? The fully-​accessible tree house in the Children’s Garden.

My favorite flowers? Tulips & Sacred Lotus in spring. Passion Flower in summer. Cyclamen in fall. Paperwhites in winter.

My favorite memory? Sleeping in the Children’s Garden tree house with my family during a staff camp out/​team-​building exercise.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden also recommends

Dominion Garden Fest of Lights

8

reviews

Festivals

Jonah H. says,

«Dominion GardenFest of Lights take place each year at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: half-​a-​million twinkling lights, decorations & family activities.»

Groovin in the Garden

2

reviews

Music Venues

Jonah H. says,

«A concert series each summer that takes place in the Rose Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Groovin in the Garden requires separate admission.»

Garden Café

2

reviews

Cafes

Jonah H. says,

«The Garden Café is a casual self-​service style café in the Visitors Center at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden & offers both indoor & outdoor dining.»

Robins Tea House

2

reviews

American (Traditional)

Jonah H. says,

«The Robins Tea House offers restaurant dining in a beautiful setting overlooking Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Garden admission is required to dine.»

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Vicinity

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20 reviews of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Forest Hills, NY
The Botanical Garden was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the unique butterfly exhibit. Being surrounded by butterflies is pretty damned cool. Plus the Lego exhibits were just a nice added touch. If you are in Richmond, this is a place to check out.
Place rating: 5
Richmond, VA
Gorgeous weather … And we stopped in for the weekend Lego exhibit
Great day with some good friends.
Place rating: 5
Chesapeake, VA
One of the best perks you should take advantage of is purchasing a membership and using it at other locations. My initial home gardens is in Norfolk but I can be admitted here for free. No one garden is the same. You have different trails, flowers, exhibits and more to have the privilege of experiencing.
This botanical garden offers a greenhouse fu of tropical flowers to include orchids. In addition to the grand architecture of the glass greenhouse they also have a butterfly house filled with a variety of tropical butterflies. They butterflies are not found in your garden which makes this stop a must see when visiting the gardens. The colors alone grab your attention with their reds, blues and yellows. Step into this world and watch as they flutter around and possibly land on you.
There is a Rose Garden to enjoy for a limited time of year with their different hues along with their fragrances.
A children’s area guaranteed to entertain the kids and even the parents. A splash pad is included as well as a sand pit. Bring a towel and change of clothes because you know what’s going to happen with the combination of those two. Plants are growing at their level for them to explore. A clubhouse for further discovery as well as a station for their children’s programs.
All of these stations to stop at amongst all the trails and flowers will ensure you get your money’s worth but don’t forget to stop at the giftshop too. It is a good size shop with a bountiful variety of local as well as international unique products. They even have a clearance table to pick up random souvenirs. I swear I pick up something from the store everytime I go here.
This place never gets old. The flowers are always changing, something different is always in bloom. They also have daily classes programs for everyone. Everchanging exhibits as well. Currently it is a Lego exhibit!
Place rating: 5
Scottsdale, AZ
I love this park! I probably visit nearly every time I’m in town. So pretty. Family friendly. Wheelchair access.
And this time of year they have a butterfly room. I LOVE butterfly rooms. They do a great job of in/​out a small group at a time so that you don’t carry butterflies out with you. It’s important that they stay confined in that area.
Place rating: 5
Fredericksburg, VA
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to this amazing garden. I found it clean, well maintained and beautifully designed. Many flowers and trees were in bloom. The gift area, education area and dining area are top notch. We enjoyed the café lunch. I will definitely not let so much time go by before I return.
Place rating: 5
Cary, NC
I love this garden and am so glad I read about it on Tripadvisor as one of the top things to do in Richmond. During our last visit we went to Maymont and I enjoyed that visit yet Lewis Ginter was a fantastic find. We went on a Sunday morning at 9:30am and parking was very easy. As you enter the main building, you pay for an entry ticket. It was $ 13 per adult and well worth it. There are also restrooms in the main building with fresh flowers by the sink and then hallways lined with local student art. Future Georgia O’Keefe artists in the works right on the wall with all of their talent.
You get a sticker to wear after you pay for the entry fee and put that on. You then head through a series of beautiful gardens. We headed to the butterfly conservatory and it was a glass-​in building with a misty and tropical feel. You feel the humidity as soon as you enter the doors. If you wish to see the butterflies, it is a controlled area so you walk in the foyer area and a helpful and friendly garden employee will explain the process and that you have to watch your step and be mindful of the butterflies. They are on the floor and may fly on you and land. After the tour, you have to do a little circle pirouette in the foyer again to make sure there were no ride-​along butterflies trying to escape. They are South American butterflies and the FDA does not want them entering the North American space. The butterflies were beautiful and I learned so much. Our next stop were the Japanese gardens and they were very tranquil and peaceful. There are descriptor signs everywhere that tell you the name of the plant or flower and Latin name. We then crossed over a lake where the turtles are basking in the sun on their little island and it was fun to watch them. There are play areas for children in the children’s garden and then a beautiful carriage house with more gardens and tulips. The garden is a great place to bring a family or walk and it was so tranquil and beautiful. It was really a sensory feast and I could spend hours here. Definitely stop here while in Richmond and wear comfy shoes to walk the premises and take in the sights and smells of the flowers and plants.
Place rating: 5
Glen Allen, VA
ROSES!!! be sure to visit Lewis Ginter when the roses are in bloom. It is so captivating and if there is a gentle breeze the scent of the roses is an extra treat. They also have the best butterfly garden I have ever visited. It is a feature that all ages can enjoy. Just make sure you check the schedule because the butterflies aren’t there year-​round.
Place rating: 4
Arlington, VA
So I came here in the dead of winter, which, in retrospect, wasn’t such a bright idea. In fairness, I didn’t visit Richmond specifically for a tourist trip, a friend of mine had an interview here and I decided to take a look around.
If I was rating this experience based on what I saw, I’d give it a 2. However, it doesn’t deserve it since of course the flowers and plants aren’t alive in 30 degree weather. I can see how it would be a beautiful garden during the spring and warm months. The greenhouse with tropical plants were absolutely beautiful. The orchid room was one of the most stunning I’ve ever seen, and it smelled like heaven. I loved the fountains outside and I will definitely come back to visit in the warmer months. The only thing I didn’t like was the $ 12 entrance fee, but again, I think it’d be more worth it in the spring.
Place rating: 3
Richmond, VA
I won some free tickets through Unilocal (woot woot!) for their garden fest of lights that they do every year for this season. I came with some friends on a Friday night a few weeks ago around 8 (they close at 10) and parking was relatively easy to find and the lines were short to get in probably because we were cutting it close.
I haven’t been in a few years and I think the theme changes every year as well. I am not sure how many distinct «sections» there are to the garden itself, but it took us about 1.5−2 hours to finish everything and enjoy all the lights and decorations. I think overall, for this year, I was not impressed. The lights and set up seemed to be pretty standard and nothing really extravagant. I think I have seen some tacky light houses in RVA with better lighting and decorations. They have this one area that is supposed to be a tree fort and I was pretty excited about going to see it and again my expectations were set too high.
I think my favorite part is their small indoor garden and huge Christmas tree set up. They have some pretty exotic plants in there and room kind of takes you to a jungle like area. The tree they have is enormous and decorated nicely and you have the opportunity to take pictures in front of it as well.
They have a couple of small shops located in the Garden itself like the bling house which sells sunglasses and turns ALL the lights into snowflakes! How cool is THAT? There was also a s’mores station as well which was really cool until I found out you had to pay more money to buy the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. but the sticks are free though!
Overall, it was a good time but I am glad I didn’t have to spend any of my own money. I would love to come here during the spring/​summer season though to see all of the flowers/​plants bloom!
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
Came here over Christmas to view the light show. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible, and we had to be constantly seeking shelter to get out of the sporadic rain.
The Christmas light installation was beautiful and so unique. It was an under the sea theme, and all of the decorations seemed to be made of recycled bottles and plastic. Although most of the gardens were not blooming in December, the grounds were still immaculately kept and beautifully lit even at 4 pm (it was overcast enough). I absolutely loved the train exhibit and the Christmas tree in the conservatory.
We enjoyed hot beverages in the small cafeteria just off the lobby and wandered around the gift shop, which was equally festive.
It was so nice that this place was open late as many of Richmond’s historic attractions close at 5 pm. I would definitely love to return when the weather is better and things are blooming.
Place rating: 5
Longwood, FL
We visit the GardenFest of Lights here every year and had a great time again this year. I would highly suggest arriving early and spending time viewing the garden as the sun sets, and /​or letting the kids run around the play area in the back. We arrived and bought tickets at 4pm with no wait. By 5:10pm, it was plenty dark to start viewing the lights. When we left around 6:30pm, there was a long line down the hallway and traffic was backed up into the street.
We look forward to the lights again next year!
Place rating: 5
Richmond, VA
Absolutely love the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens… especially during the Christmas season. Their Festival of Lights is something spectacular! Great family, friends activity… definitely makes for a great date night! You walk the gardens to preview all the light designs while sipping on hot chocolate
Or hot beverages you can purchase at their small garden concession stand. Dress warm and come with hat and gloves!
Aside from the Festival of Lights the Garden Host every year, Lewis Ginter makes for a great event venue and provides a great opportunity for nice photo back drops!
Place rating: 5
Richmond, VA
A must see place! Great for family and friends that are in town. I highly recommend going in the spring or during Christmas for the Festival of Lights. It is usually crowded so expect to sit in traffic to get in and for the path to be crowded.
Good for families, kids will love it. People with our kids will also love it but expect to see lots of kids. Food is good but over priced so I don’t recommend eating there. Gardens are stunning and worth the trip!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Beautiful garden with a butterfly exhibit :) my husband and I had a great time walking around enjoying all the flowers and plants! The butterfly exhibit was amazing with a wide variety of butterflies flying all over the place and even landing on us a few times! They were too quick so we couldn’t get a picture when they landed on us but they would spend a good amount of time on the plants there so we captured a few good photos :) the staff there is friendly and knowledgeable.
Place rating: 5
Midlothian, VA
These gardens are great! We usually go during the holidays for the Festival of Lights. We got a season pass for the year. On Thursday they are open until 9:00pm. Bring a blanket (or some chairs) and enjoy music, wine, beer, soda, and food. The bands change every week. Wine is sold by the glass $ 6 or by the bottle $ 20. The food is decent an all around good time.
We have a 4 year old. There is a children’s play area with a spray park. So on those hot days and nights (until 8:00 on Thursday) the kids can cool off and the adults can enjoy a drink.
Place rating: 5
Covington, VA
If I could give this place more than five stars, I would. There is not one sight to be seen that isn’t beautiful. They have a playground for kids that has an overlook that even adults can enjoy. I didn’t get to visit the tea house, but will hopefully have a chance to the next time I visit. The price is really good for adults, just $ 12 and that even includes admission into the butterfly house. The butterflies and flowers all looked well taken care of and the butterflies would even land on you! It’s definitely a must visit if you’re ever in the Richmond area.
Place rating: 4
Chesterfield, VA
A little secret a lot of people do not know. Is that I took agriculture when I was in Jamaica growing up as a kid. My grandmother raised animals, sold Coal baked, goods… The good thing about it is it gave me an appreciation for living things especially trees, plants, that we eat which sustains us. This only reminds me a little bit of the place I grew up in It’s a little bit more extravagant but it is nice to get away. Get out of the city see things you don’t normally see in the concrete jungle. ll in all so nice quiet place and I like it what more else is there to say.
Place rating: 4
Norfolk, VA
Pretty. Peaceful. Well-​kept. My idea of the best «Sunday Funday» in the Springtime if you like chill moments and flowers (obviously).
Do not NOT bring your camera. But iPhone take some nice photos, as well. Am I right?
Place rating: 5
Henrico, VA
My fiancée and I came here the week before Christmas to check out the Garden Fest of Lights, and we were not disappointed!
We got there around 8 and there was surprisingly a line. Down the road. A 30 minute wait to get into the Garden isn’t exactly the best way to start, but honestly this was the only downside of the entire visit. The actual tickets were $ 11 I believe, which is a bit steep, but the light presentation is worth it. And it probably runs up quite the electric bill.
The actual gardens were beautifully illuminated with countless lights ranging from simple linings of trees to glowing animals. Pathways and bridges were covered in Christmas lights and despite there not being a lot of lamps and other light sources, there was no problem navigating the garden due to the glowing aura of lights strung everywhere.
I’m a huge fan of colors, and they have certain themes to certain areas, which is neat. For example, one area had all red and orange lights on trees and another had white and blue lights lining a walkway. There were of course areas that looked like a rainbow threw up on everything, but that just added to the enjoyment.
Besides the elaborate display of lights, they also had some indoor displays in their large covered buildings. The displays varied from holiday floral arrangements, a large Christmas tree, and even extensive model train setups. I really enjoy trains, so these working and running displays were well appreciated.
There’s really no way that pictures or a Unilocal review can do this place justice. We will definitely be back here in the Spring to visit the gardens in bloom and see the butterflies, but I’m pretty confident that my high rating will be maintained after that experience as well because the place just seems to be run well in general. Can’t wait to return!
Place rating: 5
Richmond, VA
Lewis Ginger is another staple of Richmond.
And I’m proud to say I finally have a season membership, and I’ll be able to take more photos beyond the Gardenfest of Lights and Butterflies Alive exhibits. And everything in between. I plan to use a bank of my PTO to attend the garden on more frequent basis. It’s always lovely there, no matter what the weather. (That being said, I get a thrill from riding my bike to work in negative temperatures). ;-)
The only negative thing I can think of is two years ago, a volunteer scolded my friend for touching a wind chime. We were not playing with it or fooling around, we are both in our 30s. She shifted it to read the price tag. She was very close to purchasing it for $ 500 just to spite the cashier, but she used her better judgement and did not.