The kids and I are always looking for fun spots to check out after our swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School in Ann Arbor. One spot I’ve had on my list all year is the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
The destination not only includes the botanical gardens, but also a 10,000-sq. ft. conservatory, walking trails, and the Gaffield Children’s Gardens.
I could admire flowers all day, so I never pass up exploring a gorgeous garden. The kids don’t always have the patience though, so I try to loop it in with some fun. Thankfully, the children’s garden was such an incredible spot to explore and picnic {and away from the chaos that is parking in Ann Arbor with three little ones}.
Best of all? It’s FREE to visit. Parking is $1.60/hour with a maximum of $5 for the day — and yes, credit cards are accepted. We spent around 2 hours exploring.
Before hitting the trails, pop into the conservatory building to hit up the bathrooms and grab a map to navigate the grounds.
Gaffield Children’s Garden
The children’s garden is just a short walk behind the building. Just follow the signs! The entrance is a tunnel of trees, and it makes it feel so magical.
Once inside, the garden itself includes a maze, a nature trail, sandbox and more. It looked huge on the map, but it was the perfect size for little ones. My kids had a blast exploring each area, which was made with children in mind.
There were all sorts of nooks and crannies for the kids to check out and get a dose of nature — the world’s best medicine in my opinion 😉
Isn’t it amazing when you can tell your kids “YES! You can go climb in the tree!”
The trail surrounding the outside of the garden was short for little legs and had some fun surprises along the way, like a bridge and this little cabin house. {As soon as we got back home, my kids tried to recreate this, bless their hearts!}
The kids could’ve easily spent a ton more time exploring, but heat made us craving some indoor time, so we headed back toward the conservatory, and through the desert area. My kids have never seen cacti, so they had tons of great questions and we enjoyed looking at all the different types.
The conservatory provided some great educational tidbits along the way, and everything was clearly labeled, which I appreciated. After the cacti in the Arid House, we checked out the giant Koi in the pond inside the Temperate House. They were really neat to watch!
Along the walkway, the kids were able to spot a chocolate {cocoa} tree, pineapples growing, and even a sausage tree {that was new to me}!
It was truly gorgeous and had me regretting not bringing my DSLR to shoot photos of the gorgeous blooms.
Overall, we had a ton of fun exploring and will definitely be back for a future visit and picnic.
Make sure to check out the Matthaei Botanical Gardens website for educational programs and workshops for adults and children throughout the year. The Conservatory, Garden Store, and Lobby are open 7 days a week, year-round. Matthaei Botanical Gardens is located at 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. in Ann Arbor.
Where are your favorite gardens to explore?
[…] the flora inside the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and the Gaffield’s Children’s Gardens in Ann […]