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    Matthaei Botanical Gardens

    4.6 (113 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Matthaei Botanical Gardens Photos

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    Annette M.

    It was nice to see so many University of Michigan students studying plant life here. There is much to discover both indoors and out. We especially enjoyed the bonsai exhibit and walking some of the trails which were teeming with songbirds, frogs and other signs of spring.

    Colleen L.

    Today I visited the Matthaei Botanical Gardens' indoor multi-climate conservatory. The building is beautifully designed, well-maintained and full of beautiful and unusual plants, including a Titan arum or corpse plant. I never thought I'd ever see one in person, but there it was. Can't wait to see if it blooms. The conservatory is a terrific place to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Check it out!

    Garden
    Gabrielle S.

    I love visiting the botanical gardens. It's a super affordable excursion if you are on a budget. You pay for parking and if you can make a little donation! I will often bring a book or e reader and sit in some of the chairs they have available and read for an hour at a time. It's a big relief when the weather outside is intolerable. Everything is always clean. The bonsai tree display is my favorite. If the weather is nice outside, make sure you spend time on the grounds and enjoy the trails along the creek. Lots of nature to see!

    They jumped the broom after 5 years, bravo!
    Barry W.

    *** Absolutely beautiful spot for a wedding. *** Indoor/Outdoor really makes no difference imo. This a great scenic spot to exchange your vows. *** Something about nature makes it pure. ***

    peonies here too!
    Elizabeth B.

    A beautiful visit that complimented our visit to Nichols Arboretum. Stunning plants, trees, flowers and nature walks. We really savored our time at the Conservatory and in the Bonsai Garden!! Parking is per time requested and affordable, we spent less time than we paid for - if you're not taking a long walk this could be a quick visit. We spent about 30-40 mins and saw everything.

    Aurora display
    Linda I.

    Wonderful place to visit for people of all ages, visitors and locals alike! The standout here is their stunning indoor conservatory with tropical plants, a cool dessert plant area, and more temperate plants. Really beautiful and interesting species, and multiple paths to take a few loops through each area. This year they also unveiled their brand new outdoor bonsai collection, made possible by a large single donation. Get to it by going through the conservatory and out the back door to the right. It's truly stunning, and interestingly features a bonsai that's 1000 years old!! Visiting is free! But there are cash donation boxes as well if you'd like to contribute while you're there. Parking I believe is $2.20/hr. Today I went for a special temporary exhibit they're doing called "AURORA", which included a transformation of the conservatory with lights and colors, as well as an accompanying art exhibit called "Earth and Sky" with art by local artists. Check it out through the end of the year! They also have a couple extra select days with extended evening hours, in addition to their normal extended Wednesday hours. It was cool to visit at night / in the dark for the first time! Totally different experience than in the daytime. Ultimately I think I prefer visiting in the day time - much easier to see all the plants - but it definitely felt right to experience "AURORA" at night.

    President Ono at Matthaei Botanical Gardens
    Amanda L.

    Matthaei Botanical Gardens is a bit of a hidden gem in Ann Arbor. Located right on the Ann Arbor/Dixboro border on the East side of AA and on the outside of the highways that border AA, and farther away from its Nichols Arboretum counterpart on campus, it is always significantly less trafficked and probably more popular with locals and out-of-towners alike not looking to deal with all the people and traffic more within city limits. But this place is worth a half day's (or more) visit regardless of who you are and where you're coming from as the gardens boast so many unique garden exhibits and botanical varieties to enjoy! Matthaei is free to visit with a small parking fee, but if you're a student you can get an extremely discounted Matthaei membership (I believe it's $15) for a year or a regular annual membership is $45 and gives you access to a ton of other wonderful events that Matthaei puts on and access to a slew of other botanical gardens throughout the country! Matthaei has both indoor and outdoor exhibits for you to enjoy! The indoor ones go through a few different rooms and biomes of gardens. Dessert, tropical, etc. and they are so beautifully laid out (I particularly enjoy the balcony walkways they have so you can get an elevated view of a lot of the taller botanicals) and so impressive to see! The outdoor space is personally my favorite and boasts their new bonsai garden (SO STUNNING), native garden with a ton of different Michigan-based biomes and plants, herb garden, and so much more! It's truly a great place to check out and I highly encourage everyone visit here on your way in or out of Ann Arbor!

    Keith F.

    Beautiful! Simply put, an educational and peaceful environment just outside of the hustle of downtown Ann Arbor. I really enjoyed each separate climate and environment of the buildings. My favorite was the desert because I love how different the plants look. I also recommend the sausage tree and the lobster claw plant. You don't have to pay to go in but it is paid parking. The maximum charge for a day is 5 dollars. I'm planning on coming back when the outside is in bloom. They have a lot of trails to hike but we didn't want to go out in the rain and muddy conditions. Definitely worth a few visits.

    Kim R.

    Beautifully landscaped botanical garden. Admission is free and parking is quite reasonable. Nice gift shop and friendly staff. Great spot to relax, take pics or read a book. Lots of benches to sit and take it all in. We spotted a hummingbird in the bee balm area. Children's garden area and playground was so nice!

    Gabrielle V.

    Free Beautiful Botanical Gardens! Absolutely loved all the gorgeous flowers, succulents and all the lovely people drawing them. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming. It's my first time in Michigan and I loved it! They still have the outdoor children's garden where children can hike and climb! I really liked it there looking at the kaleidoscope of plants - I can watch that all day and forget all my worries! They have a neat gift shop and have classes offered for students and adults alike. I absolutely loved this botanical garden in the winter and hope to come back in the summer! If you stop by here, you must also visit the Creature Conservatory too both must see areas in Michigan!

    Grace K.

    Beautiful location with well-maintained indoor conservatory and outdoor trails. I really enjoyed seeing all the different bonsai trees and ample trails to walk on as well as benches to sit on and enjoy the plants and scenery. It's a great place to relax, take a walk, and catch up with friends. This is also a good location for photo shoots both inside and outside. One downside however is having to pay for parking if you get here by car. Before the pandemic, I came here for plant sales once in a while which were really fun. Definitely a gem of Ann Arbor and good place to take visitors.

    Stacy K.

    This is one of my favorite places to come in the winter to get a bit of the outdoors in my life when skies are gray. It is a tradition for us to spend the afternoon here right after New Years. My kids grew up coming here and exploring the plants and hidden gems, like the fairy gardens and the fish. The gardens are considered Ann Arbor and part of U of M, but are located several miles outside of the University. There is plenty of parking, but make sure you bring money or a credit card if you are not a member of the gardens because they charge for parking. It is not too much. I usually start with an hour, but ultimately pay for more since this place is so enchanting. The inside garden is small, but you could spend a surprising amount of time exploring the various sections. It is great place to relax, take pictures, or explore the minute details. They have fountains, koi fish, and a desert area. You can climb the steps and survey the gardens from above. Bring a novel, bring a sketch book. This is a splendid place to bring the kids. They have small activities they love, like finding plants and fairies on a scavenger hunt. When it is warm, they have a remarkable children's garden where my kids used to spend hours playing. When it is warm, the outside gardens are perfect for a stroll. They also have a hiking path. It is noteworthy to bring water, we have been quite lost on a hot day, the path is longer than you think, but worth the walk around beautiful nature tucked away in a suburban area. They host events, like bonsai tree workshops, and often change themes of the gardens. During Christmas, they have fun trees to look at covered in natural ornaments. They have a charming gift shop. I love buying stuff here, the prices are reasonable, and they have plenty of fairy garden items. They also sell a few snacks and drinks in case you forget to bring your own, but they have a couple tables and chairs where you can eat your food. We usually pack a small picnic to eat during our visit. This is a great place to visit and support. It is relaxing, fun, educational, and a nice place to take a break from the fast paced life or a get away from too much screen time.

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    1 month ago

    An outstanding place to visit during the winteriest of weather! Warm, bright, and GREEN!

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    2 months ago

    Everything is lovely. Nice programs. Ambiance is very relaxing. Always learn something.

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    3 years ago

    Beautiful botanical gardens very educational lots of photo ops and trails to walk - not pet accommodating

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    Ask the Community - Matthaei Botanical Gardens

    Review Highlights - Matthaei Botanical Gardens

    Conservatory is fun to explore, which has fruit trees, a small pond with carps, and insectivorous plants.

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    Nichols Arboretum

    Nichols Arboretum

    4.7(134 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    The first time I came here in April and there were no flowers or green and everything was brown!…read more I came back on the last day of May with my husband and it looked completely different!! There is a lot of green everywhere and soo many different flowers (especially the peonies before they were vandalized)!! We parked in the back where it is about a 15-20 min walk to the peonies. It was a nice and mostly shaded walk. We even saw a new bird (Great Crested Flycatcher)! I think it's only worth coming for the peonies but otherwise, it's free (unless you park in the front and then you have to pay).

    We spent two days in AA and this was my favorite activity! What a beautiful time to…read morewitness the thousands of peonies in the peony garden. So many different variations and colors. We stopped by the visitor center and got a guide to the different types of peonies. They also had a restroom which was nice. We took the 2.7 Nichols Walking Trail and really enjoyed the nature, wildlife, scenic city overlooks, and the Huron river views. I would say it's a medium level of hard given that most of the path is easy walking but some steeper inclines and steps that get your heart rate working. It was incredibly pleasant, we spent a little over 90 mins exploring. Also, we learned there is free parking in the Blue M28 lot on the weekends and were able to utilize it! Looked like dogs were welcome, met some friendly pups. Saw people having a picnic in the park and a cute little free library! Such a wonderful place, really glad we came!

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    Nichols Arboretum
    Nichols Arboretum
    Nichols Arboretum - Blue's Tree - an Eastern White Pine, the state tree of Michigan @ The Arb!

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    Blue's Tree - an Eastern White Pine, the state tree of Michigan @ The Arb!

    Matthaei Botanical Gardens - gardens - Updated May 2026

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