North Carolina Botanical Garden

Wonderful mix of forest... stream... educational... and right in the center of town!
Heavenly ❤️
Ps. You even have a couple of benches if you are a little "banged up" like me 😆 (2 massive heart attacks and 7 surgeries... but still around 😉) so you can rest up on the hill mid trail (the yellow one)... or simply enjoy the view and reflect ❤️

Marvelous things abound here. So many unusual plants await the twisting trails you’ll take. Fun sculptures mark out idiosyncratic icons. Artistic history lies hidden and waiting at the Paul Green cabin, which is full of memorable stories and photos. Lizards hang around near carnivorous plants. Local goodies for sale in the gift shop. Free!

My children and I love visiting the garden and they've taken camps there which they really liked. We used to meet up there with friends for playdates when they were little and play in the creek. My oldest loves to watch the birds in the viewing area and my youngest likes to visit the carnivorous plants. We have a Venus flytrap license plate and used to donate yearly but I have been feeling frustrated with the Native Plant Studies Certification lately. I started it before my kids were born, took a hiatus and came back to it two years ago. I'm almost done with my project for the advanced NPS certification but need one more hike I just can't seem to get. There's such a huge demand for each course, you have to sit at your computer at the very moment it comes live to grab a space (& that's if you've been given warning or figured out when this time will be). I recommend just taking the classes you want and can get into easily and not doing the certification. I really enjoyed Plant Communities of NC and the seasonal flora classes the most. Update: NCBG connected with me on this issue and are working on a resolution.

my first time here for the sculpture in the garden exhibit- i really enjoyed it.
there are a few garden parts, and then also trails. the garden parts are mostly paved and wheelchair accessible.
i would like to come back in the spring or summer!
there is limited parking.

Wasn't hard to find the place when you first drive in. Love the cobble stone entrance and where you park your cars ,we live in Virginia in historical areas that have cobblestone roads so it was nice to see it here.😊
At the entrance to the trails,on a table it had papers with pictures for scavenger hunt to look for on the trails my granddaughter loved that (we ended up doing it 😀) the weather was nice so it was enjoyable walk but not much was in bloom yet but still enjoyable
If you want something to do with friends or family outside and you're in the area go there and it was free
If we're in North Carolina and in that area yes we would go there again 😊