Brookside Gardens is a great venue for a small wedding ceremony and reception in the Spring or Fall. As a videographer, I have shot a number of weddings at this beautiful venue. I have also used the gardens for making some scenes of "Love Story Videos". Even if you don't have a wedding there, it is a wonderful place to visit, to enjoy nature, and the stunning flowers and foliage. read more

Brookside Gardens is the most beautiful public garden in Montgomery County. Compared to botanical gardens that charge admission, it is quite impressive to find such a well-maintained garden that has free admission. Every time I go I see the horticultural staff working hard and they always greet me with a smile when I walk by. My favorite areas are the flower bed against the front wall of the Visitors Center and the area located between the parking lot and the retention pond. Most of the classes offered by the garden are affordable and the level of instruction is usually outstanding. I just wish that they did a better job at promoting their activities as I rarely see young people attending the classes. Also, I think that the garden should lead by example and offer many more activities focused on sustainable practices. read more

Horrible customer service! Sinai the owners daughter is unprofessional rude and condescending. She talked badly about the mother of the bride to the bridal party, yelled at several of our guest, didnt followthrough with any of her responsibilities and ended our wedding before our contracted time was up. All they have is a beautiful venue... however the harassment wasntworth it and RUINED our special day! They owner which is her father doesn't seem to care either! read more

One of those hidden little gems in the DC burbs. Brookside Gardens has very beautiful sculpted gardens. Highlights are the early spring when you get Azaleas, tulips, and red buds. They also have a very nice Japanese garden, and an indoor greenhouse. It isn't far from suburban sprawl but when you are in the gardens you feel very removed. The gardens itself are not huge but it abuts Wheaton Regional park so you can make much longer walks if you want to. They also have a gazebo space that I've seen used for weddings. I've never been a wedding at Brookeside, but I can only imagine that it is a great space. They also have holiday lights in the winter that my family loves. The gardens themselves are free but there is a cost for the holiday lights. read more

Really great place to walk around and enjoy nature. The butterfly exhibit is fantastic- a must for spring in the Silver Spring area.

Beautiful and free! It is a great place to go on a romantic days or with your family. I even had my engagement photos done here in the fall and they were gorgeous. Parking is very difficult because their lot gets filed up very quickly, especially during the summertime and weekends. Alternative parking can be found at the nature center (but that fills up quickly too) or finding somewhere in the neighborhood and then walking to the gates. Plan accordingly and you should be fine. read more

This is a beautiful place. Of course when the flowers bloom it's the best. This is one of my favorite places to go. It was within the suburbs of Maryland. The Japanese Garden had a nice overview of the water. I've had some great pictures there and great memories. read more

This is a true gem. It's sort of hidden in the middle of the plain Glenmont/Wheaton area. Beautiful, free, and relaxing. What more could you ask for? Various (paid) events are hosted year round to raise money for the Garden, including a winter light show and butterfly exhibit. Good for jogging, leisure walks, photoshoots, dates, chess, and family outings. No dogs or food allowed. There are bathrooms, a gift shop, and occasionally food sold inside the visitor center. read more

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I love this place and go every summer. Had fewer kinds and quantities of butterflies this year and price went up which is not cool for less of an exhibit. read more

I visited Brookeside Gardens for the very first time this week, and I thought this place was absolutely beautiful and such a relaxing and calming environment! I enjoyed it here very much. The flowers are so pretty and I loved the open field/outdoor space they have in the back. It's perfect for a walk or jog. The one thing I didn't like is that they had no trash cans what so ever. But it was such a nice place. read more

I love coming to this place. The flowers are vibrant and it is a peaceful place to come and unwind. I had my wedding pictures taken here and they came out beautifully. Every time I come here I am without disappointment, just a great place to relax and spend time with family. read more

Love the walk rather than looking from inside a car. Decorations were beautiful and awesome! Plenty to see and do. There are live performances done by a chorus and snacks for sale. Snack bar is CASH ONLY which was a bummer cause there was a fire pit outside to make s'mores. Overall really enjoyed it with my family. read more

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A beautiful place to spend a day, especially in the spring. Great for walking, jogging, picnics (if you can find a spot without goose poop), friends, dates, or what have you. A bit tough to get to via public transportation (it's like a 30 minute walk from Glenmont metro, but the sidewalks occasionally cut out), but it's possible. read more

There is no other way to kick off a fun, relaxing, summer outing than going to a place which literally feels like the garden of Eden, Brookside Gardens. With a peaceful ambiance in the midst of such beautiful, unique species of flowers, it is hard to not get lost in this majestic location. Bring your family and friends, or maybe just that special someone ;) to share an eye capturing moment, where time will fly as you enjoy an experience you'll never forget. read more

I got my rose garden wedding without breaking the bank! Brookside Gardens was one of the only affordable places within reasonable driving distance of DC that matched my vision of an elegant, outdoor all-in-one wedding and reception venue. The staff know how to run a wedding like clockwork - I think that's their main business, and they're very good at it. Planning and coordinating everything was a breeze with the help of their wedding guru Jennifer. On the day of everything magically came together with the help of Brookside's team. When I was left alone by the busy wedding party and family, nervously sitting by myself outside the hedges surrounding the aisle, the team members checked on me and gave me a thumbs up, which I remember and appreciate so, so much! The gardens are exquisite and the perfect background for photos. Our reception in the auditorium was lovely as well - all it took was a little uplighting and a dance floor to turn it into party central. Best of all - I can come back and visit any time I want to relive my wedding day. We love Brookside gardens, and we'll definitely be back next year to catch the blooms! read more

You know that early scene in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy, after her house has crash landed, opens her front door and the world bursts into color? Thats what you'll feel as you swing open the gate from Wheaton Regional park into this botanical wonderland. Beautifully manicured flowerbeds, Japanese gardens, a greenhouse with exotic plants...worth the trip from anywhere in the dc area. read more

Overall a pretty place but can do more to make it less toxic. Lost stars because it still allow people to smoke in the park and still uses pesticide/herbicides thus exposing vulnerable people are in the park to harmful toxins. There are paths that lead you, and it's just awful when there's a person in front of you smoking a stinky cigar. A while ago, I talked to the head of Brookside and ask why this place - which include guests such as school kids on fieldtrips, moms with baby strollers, toddlers, elderly - is not already smoke free. The answer: it cost money to put up No-Smoking signs and change the few maps they have. I thought it was a pretty pathetic answer as to why everyone else has to endure second-hand smoke, especially people and kids with asthma! Also, they use herbicides/pesticides without advance notice to people entering the park. It would be nice to know when spraying poisons is going to be in progress so parents can decide whether or not to enter with kids and babies, and also for people with health issues. Large parts of the grass areas can be treated with pesticides and only posted with a single tiny sign - we only saw the sign AFTER the kids had already run all over the freshly treated grass. The US Botanic Gardens in DC is all grown organically so we know it's possible to have a park without all these toxic chemicals. Upper parking area is in construction, makes parking hard to find on nice weekends during spring and summer. read more

It was still fairly early spring, but we caught the tulips in full bloom -- they were wonderful -- and has a great stroll on the extensive walks. It's one of the nicest gardens I've visited, and we're going to be back when we're next in the area. read more

This is really a beautiful, quiet place for a nice walk. The grounds are well-maintained and plants/flowers/trees nicely labeled. It's a nice little get-a-way tucked in the DC metro area. Highly recommended! read more

Had a wonderful time today visiting the gardens with my Mother and Grandaughter. The Chrysanthemum Show was spectacular. It makes for a very relaxing afternoon! read more

This is a great place to visit if you love the outdoors. The butterfly greenhouse is amazing!! Great for macro photography

Beatiful gardens. Very peaceful. Lovely ponds. Great exercise walking around the grounds. A great place to visit.

Wow, I actually lived near here for 9 months not to long ago, on Briggs, and never actually went. Until I moved to DC that is. Funny how that works. Had I seen this 2.5 years ago, perhaps it would have amazed me more. But it can not compare to the Kenilworth aquatic gardens, National Arboretum, Roosevelt Island and DCs many trails. If you have been to the aforementioned, I would not make an effort to come out here. I did because I had visited the National Museum of Medicine in Forest Glen (which was cool) and figured I could pop by since I was in the neighborhood. WARNING: (AS OF 4 MAY 2014) Much of the park is a construction zone right now so if this is a first visit, like it was for me, you might be bummed out. I think I missed out in seeing quite a bit and the lake you can see is dirty and gross. You have a few pretty flowers but it is a small park. I would not make an effort unless you are within a mile of the place. read more

My all time favorite place to walk, run, and relax! Coming here during the spring and fall time is the best because you get to see the tress either blossom or turn into beautiful colors. read more