I visited Maymont on a recent trip to Richmond and was surprised at the size of the estate, especially considering that the gardens and outdoor areas function as a free public park. The grounds are beautiful with plenty of areas to relax and picnic. There were lots of people out enjoying the good weather but it never felt crowded. It's a little confusing trying to figure out what things require a ticket/paid admission. On the map they provide, there's no indication that a ticket is needed for the mansion, but one is in fact required. However you have to buy a ticket at the Stone Barn by the entrance. You can try buying on the website but I didn't have great signal. Instead I backtracked to the Stone Barn to get a ticket but the prices were higher than what I was told at the Mansion and they appeared to be limited to timed entry and all the time slots were sold out. Long story short, I didn't see the inside of the mansion, but still spent a good couple hours exploring the outdoor areas. Which was all free so I count that as a win. read more

See all

Gorgeous home to tour! We really enjoyed our visit and all of the people working were super helpful answering any questions we had. read more

See all

GARDEN GLOW This can't miss Fall event is absolutely beautiful in this gorgeous park that time leaves alone. Maymont is a special park for Richmond, but Garden Glow is the event of the fall. read more

See all

We had a lovely picnic celebrating my daughter's birthday. With ample parking acres of lush grounds and animals to feed an interact with it was a great place for the family. read more

See all

I was super impressed with this free green space in Richmond, VA. Maymont came up in a search result for things to do in Richmond and since it was free, I was all about it. That said, I went during a heatwave in July, and thus I was only able to see about 1/3 of the grounds before I was at risk for heat stroke. My recommendation is to go when the temps are lower to experience everything. Otherwise, the portion of Maymont I was able to see was spectacular! I loved the herb garden! It was well maintained and smelled so very good. It's funny to see how different dried spices look from their plant state. There was a LOVELY garden area with a ton of trellises, I assume it is used for weddings. If not, they should totally start having weddings in this garden. From there, I descended some stairs near an architectural marvel fountain, then found myself in another forrested area, but with a stream and a waterfall, plus the cutest little idylic bridge. Shortly after this, the heat made me have to leave, but I wished I could stay longer. I definitely wanted to see Maymont in it's entirety. If I'm ever in Richmond again, and the weather is right, I'll be back for the remaining 2/3rds. read more

See all

Marymount was a beautiful donation based garden with volunteers about to answer questions or provide details about the gardens. I forgot to grab a map and only saw 1/2 of the place but what I saw was beautiful. The Japanese and Italian gardens were natural and seemed like hidden gems. I'd love to go back and explore the rest. There was a Kona water ice truck on location which was nice because it was so hot. The only downside was that there was trash everywhere from the Kona truck. read more

See all

What a gem! We stopped here on our way to Williamsburg and it was the highlight of our trip. I was blown away by the beauty of the grounds. The Japanese garden is absolutely spectacular!! It's a bit of a stroll to get there from the entrance and definitely not stroller friendly. The paving is uneven in some areas- so keep in mind if visiting with small kids or elderly, but other than that it is absolutely breath taking!! Since this was a pit stop we weee going to stop for no more than 1 hr and ended up staying here 3 hours! We also walked to the little farm on the opposite side and was surprised that all of these attractions were free. We bought some food for the animals and my girls had a blast feeding the goats, cows and horses. This place is a must and can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Pretty public park. The back story is that this was a large private residence that was donated to the people of Richmond. It has since been enhanced with petting farms, Japanese gardens and more. A lot of great photos spots as we explore these grounds. Saw other photographers on site. I do recommend staying on the pathways because there's a lot of geese on the grass that have left their droppings. Some areas are being improved but I enjoyed the Japanese gardens. read more

Maymont - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Maymont Botanical Gardens is truly a hidden gem in Richmond. The gardens are beautifully maintained and offer a peaceful escape with something new to see in every season. From the stunning Japanese Garden and peaceful waterfalls to the colorful blooms throughout the Italian Garden, it's a perfect place for nature lovers, photographers, or just anyone needing a relaxing stroll. It's free to visit (though donations are appreciated), and the grounds are battling with the geese to be considered well-kept. I just wished they upheld their "no pets allowed" rule to dog owners who unleash their pets. I was shooed away at the gate for bringing my cat in a stroller (enclosed environment) but then later saw a bunch of dogs off-leash in the park that same day (none of which were service animals). Whether you're looking for a romantic date spot, a quiet walk, or a fun family outing, Maymont never disappoints. A must-see if you're in the area! read more

If we were local to Richmond, I could absolutely see us coming to Maymont more regularly. There are people having picnics, taking pictures, and coming here in large groups everywhere, and we came on a cold day so I can't imagine how busy it must be when the weather is nicer. You're able to just walk in without buying tickets for the main grounds, but for some attractions, you may have to purchase tickets. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to really maximize our visit, and for whatever reason they had some power outage so we weren't able to do the Maymont mansion tour. Be prepared to walk a LOT to see everything, it's pretty spread out and while the walk is beautiful, we had to prioritize particular areas due to the limited time we had and we were powerwalking for the majority of it. We opted to see the Italian and Japanese gardens - which I absolutely recommend if you're short on time. We also visited the aquarium which was fairly small but we enjoyed looking at the various animals. Overall, I'd recommend visiting here! Just plan to spend a half day to a full day if you really want to see everything. read more

I love Maymont. I've been coming here ever since I was a child. We came here for field trips in elementary school and my mom would bring us here for all the events they host. Now I just visit anytime I want to go for a walk or see all the animals. There's so much to see here and I think it's great to have a little gem of preserved nature and history within Richmond. read more

See all

We went during the off season so it wasn't as pretty but the weather was really nice! Parking is free and entrance is free too unless you want to go to the visitor center aquarium area which was $8. There was A LOT of walking and it was VERY HILLY. The animals were fun and I wish the mansion was open but it was under construction. Overall fun place for families and all! read more

See all

Great place for photos, a picnic, some learning, and a beautiful nature walk with a waterfall and rotunda and beautiful gardens read more

Maymont - Bridge at maymont waterfall - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

See all

My family visits Maymont in every season of the year. Springtime flowers and vibrant green and natural aroma are spectacular. Summertime is filled with a huge collection of native and non-native plants and trees. Don't miss the Italian gardens. The gardens are a great place for special event photos in the spring and summer. We recently visited Maymont to experience the Merry Marketplace which offered decorative and useful crafts for holidays by local artisans. For many years Maymont was the perfect host for the Victorian Christmas experience. The rich history of the Dooley mansion provides insight into Richmond in the late 1800's. It was so wise to preserve this area to share the beauty for all to experience with future generations. Paved walking paths provide a scenic walk through the rolling hills on which you will see many types of birds and other wildlife. The park is truly a gift to all generations of RVA. read more

Maymont is great for many things. Tonight we went to see the Summer Kickoff Concert. There were 2 different bands playing from 6:00-10:00 on Friday. Then on Saturday there were multiple bands all day. Like most other activities in Richmond they had beer and wine for sale. When you enter you need to show an ID to get a wrist band. Then you have to buy token a that are exchanged for beer. They were pretty packed for a Friday night. Last year we went on a Saturday and there were a lot more people. You can bring chairs or blankets to have a place to sit. There were 2 different locations with multiple port a potty's. This year there were more food trucks than last year. It is a little bit of a wait for food so get on line before you get too hungry. But last year there was less of a selection so the wait was longer. Definitely lots of fun. read more

Maymont - Summer kickoff concert - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I've been to the park on three separate occasions , all years apart. Once for a friend's wedding eons ago which I recalled was lovely. The second time I visited with friends to check out the mansion. It's very beautiful & elegant inside and the tour is very informative & interesting. It has to be one of my favorite historical mansions I've visited. I have no idea why I get a kick out of seeing the swan bed. But it's pretty cool. My most recent visit was for Glow 2023. A friend of mine had asked if I've ever been, which led me to searching on IG for more pics to investigate what else it entailed other than colorful lights aimed at trees. **It's a decent priced activity at $16 pp which meanders down a one way path through the Italian & Japanese gardens. It's a visual feast for the eyes, as well as a euphonious delight with ethereal music piped in the background. It's a mesmerizing outdoor immersive experience, fun for the whole family. They do have some accessibility via a trolley for those who are mobility challenged for certain areas which is nice so everyone can enjoy the event to a degree. As mentioned on Maymont's website, 90 minutes is a sufficient amount of time to enjoy walking through the event. Food trucks are on site. It is recommended to purchase tickets online in advance for the weekends, as it was crowded and "sold out" this Friday. The last day for the event is NOV 12 for 2023. Parking can be challenging, but on the website they list numerous free parking options. Maymont's website is very detailed re: event info. The path is a series of hills and unlevel terrain with dimly lit areas. Wear sneakers or shoes with good grip. read more

See all

Recently visited Maymont for Garden Glow, and it was such a great experience. The garden was decorated beautifully and our toddler absolutely loved it. It took us about an hour and a half to walk through, with tons of points of interest along the way. Highly recommend for families with young children. There were some areas that might be difficult to navigate for older patrons, young toddlers or patrons with disabilities, especially a particularly steep hill, but I did see that there was assistance set up that it looked like people were waiting for. read more

See all

This park is gorgeous! Don't miss the petting zoo! You do need tokens for animal feed, there is a machine to get them! Baby alpacas, loads of goats, pig, chickens, horses and a donkey! It looks like they will also be expanding the animals that they keep there! So fun! Bonus it's free!!! read more

See all

Been waiting OVER AN HOUR to get into the garden glow event. Our time was supposed to be at 6 pm. It's 7:06 pm and there are still a lot of people in front. They have a very slow moving line and a slow security check in. Almost no parking. Be warned!!! read more

Maymont - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Richmond loves Maymont! It's such a staple of the city, you have to visit. If you like gardens, history, and animals, this is the spot for you. It's a huge space. It's good for children, picniking, photoshoots, and more. I love how you can feel like you're in completely different places within the park. The Japanese Garden feels like a different world from the petting zoo, the same as the Italian Garden and Maymont Mansion. The best part about Maymont is that it's completely free to visit! You'll have to pay to take a tour of the mansion, but besides that everything else is free. You could spend hours here wandering through all they have to offer. You won't want to miss on visiting Maymont because there is something for everyone here. I love visiting especially in the springtime when all the flowers have bloomed, it's so stunning. I also love visiting the farm. At the start of April 2023, they've brought in five new baby goats! If you love animals, be sure to look into their "adopt an animal" at maymont.com/adopt. You can help provide care for Maymont's farm and wildlife animals, and get cute merch in return! read more

See all

Beautiful grounds! Visited this morning right at their 10 AM opening. My biggest complaint is a lot of the water features are turned off which was disappointing. Couldn't tour the mansion as it's being remodeled. Must be a popular place in Richmond for portrait photographers as we saw at least five posing families or engaged couples. read more

Love Maymont! The gardens are always so beautiful. I've gone during the summer, Christmas, Garden Glow. The only bad time is during prom/homecoming/graduation season cause everyone is getting photos in all the good spots. read more

See all

A beautiful place to visit! I am new to Richmond and decided to visit this past Sunday. I toured the gardens, and although it's fall, there were still spectacular colors in the Japanese garden. I did the paid self guided tour of the mansion and thought the inside was stunning. I'd definitely come back in the spring/summer to appreciate the flowers. It's a great place to walk, have a picnic, and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. read more

See all

We were in Richmond for a day and we were looking for a place to visit for Sunday cloudy morning and decided to visit Maymont which was one of our the must visit place in Richmond. Maymont was such an amazing place to visit with friends and family to visit the palace as well as visit botanical gardens and Japanese gardens and also view different birds in Maymont. Maymont is also a beautiful walking place as place is covered with trees all around. We loved our time at Maymont as it was a beautiful time. read more

See all

[Pandemic review - 2020, 2021] I can't believe this place is free (for the most part)! See pics for how gorgeous this place is. You can't visit Richmond without visiting Maymont. This place has gardens, zoo animals, lake, picnic areas. The Japanese garden in particular is just gorgeous. It has those stone walkways and water lilies. Though the highlight is the waterfall. There is a bridge in front that is a popular tourist photo spot. There is also plenty of green space to throw a frisbee or football or simply lie down to stare at the clouds. You can also take a stroll, walk your dog around the lake. A few places were closed when we went because of the pandemic (Maymont mansion, nature center). But all the outdoor attractions were open. The only thing is that depending on what you want to see, it may be difficult to find parking near that particular attraction. Overall: great place for tourists and locals alike to enjoy the scenery. read more

See all

When we were visiting Richmond for a weekend, we decided to visit Maymont since there is so much to see and do in one place. We did a tour of the mansion, which was nice but not something I think is a must see in Richmond. The gardens were okay - some areas seemed really dry and brown. It was a nice place to walk around and stretch our legs, but it wasn't a place that stood out to me! read more

See all

Not sure where else to post this. This will have to do. The Garden Glow event was extremely unenjoyable. Parking was probably the worst parking experience of my life. It was so insane that folks, myself included, ended up parking along the lake - a whole 15-20 minute walk away. Compounding the negative experience, I couldn't even eat food. The food trucks were so over worked, it was projected that I would need to wait nearly 2 hours for my meal. This was an absolute disaster. The clear solution would be to heavily limit ticket sales. Something tells me though that the pursuit of increased sales will overshadow the desire for improved visitor experience. read more

What a nice find! I moved from South Florida a few months ago and was missing the parks there. I did a quick Yelp search and saw this not so hidden gem! This park is great for walking and running. So many things to see and some many places to explore. I think I found my new favorite park here. Can't wait to return with friends. read more

See all

Beautiful Park! Conveniently located in Richmond, this park is a great outdoor activity. There are lengthy trails that allow you to really see nature and enjoy the beauty of the landscape. There are a few animals in captivity here including a couple of black bear and some beautiful hawks and majestic Bald Eagles. My favorite parts are the Italian gardens and the waterfall. If you're in the area and looking for some outdoor recreation for only the cost of a donation, be sure to check out Maymont Park. Enjoy! read more

See all

After 3 years of hearing about Maymount I finally got to go. Many of my friends go there to lay on a blanked and read a book but I decided to do a more active exploration of the area. When I first entered I didn't expect to see animals, it was a huge surprise when I met the eyes of a bison. I really liked the farm animals and variety. There were two bears which had a huge area for them to roam. The Japanese and Italian garden were beautiful. It was nice that there was plenty of shading and seating to admire the florals or to take a break. My friend and I walked the whole of Maymount, there are some big hills that if I had bad knees would be troublesome to get over. Luckily there seems to be many paths through it that don't seem as treacherous. Very happy I finally got to explore Maymount after all this time. read more

Maymont - Bison - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

If you haven't checked out GLOW IN THE PARK when it comes around you need to. It was beautiful and the lights were so fun. Walking through the grounds and how they had everything set up was so much fun! We did try a couple food trucks as well which I forgot the names of the ones we tried but nonetheless it was yummy and we enjoyed our time. read more

See all

I can't believe I never heard of this place driving through Richmond so many times over the years. One Google search of things to do in Richmond changed all of that. My kids and I spent four hours walking around and walked over 6 miles seeing the gorgeous grounds of this incredible historical paradise. Can't wait to go back! read more

See all

This place definitely is a must visit when you are in Richmond. Definitely one of the largest and best kept parks I've been to. With a huge mixture of different gardens covering different styles (Italian Garden, Japanese Garden, etc.), you feel like you are stepping into different worlds and cultures when you are moving through the various gardens and areas. Going in spring is especially beautiful when the various Cherry Blossom Trees are in full bloom. You see a variety of vivid whites and pinks from the cherry blossoms. This park also has a great area set aside for kids with their large petting zoo. Overall, fantastic park. I would definitely come back again :) read more

See all

This was a nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon. The grounds cover several acres and include a nature center, the mansion with garden, and a wildlife exhibit. There really is something for all ages and interests. I was mostly interested in the mansion and gardens. I was disappointed to find out that the mansion tours were not available on the day I visited. The few pictures and associated text were interesting. I would have liked to do the tour and learn about the family who inhabited the house. There was no indication when tours would resume. The Italian garden and Japanese garden area were not what I was expecting. There were several fountains in the Italian garden but none of them were filled with water and operating. I could not tell if that was because they were just turned off or if they never worked. They would be pretty amazing if they were functional. The Japanese garden was nice but the water fall indicated in several of the maps was not on or working. The rest of the area was nice to walk through but not as impressive as if the water parts had been working. The day was not a total waste of time. I did like walking around the property. The bald eagle exhibit was pretty impressive and there was a bear exhibit which was interesting. read more

See all

We have visited Maymont during three seasons now, and it's been amazing each time. Cliff notes: wear comfy shoes, bring your camera, and be sure to visit the Japanese Garden. There are multiple ways to enter the grounds, all which bring a unique perspective to the beautiful nature all around. The farm area has well kept barns and animals. The mansion area, where the house and grounds are located, draw the biggest crowd. The Italian and Japanese gardens are our favorite. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and bring a bottle of water. The winding paths and stone stairs lead to so many adventures! Flowers and trees make up the gardens areas and surrounding, and the mansion grounds are beautifully kept up. We prefer to park at the top, historical lot to enter. To get here, turn right out of the nature center lot and turn right at the next two stop signs. The views are breathtaking, and a perfect spot for a picnic lunch! read more

Maymont - Mansion - Parks Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This magisterial edifice and the grounds that surround it are open to the public. It is free to enter, though they do ask for a donation. If I was local, I'd probably get a membership. One can roam slowly up the paved road or take the hill; it is a very hilly area. The mansion is presently closed for COVID, but the gardens surrounding it have plenty to offer. A nature center is open a couple of days a week for a price. The area is not far away from downtown Richmond, but is totally quiet, and large enough to accommodate its demand for visitors. It'll be nice when the history and tours can resume, but for now, outdoor spaces like this are the way to go. read more

See all

Thank to Yelp Richmond Community Manager, Lauri W for leading me to this gem! We were on a road trip back to DC and decided to stop by to help break up our day and stretch our legs. I wasn't expecting much but wow, I was completely blown away by the massiveness of the place (and we didn't even get the chance to check the whole place out because it was so hot!). We saw massive waterfalls, bald eagles, brown bears, colorful koi fish, blue dragonflies, owls, hawks, train tracks and more! The Japanese garden was just as beautiful and there were so many little wonderful sitting spots in the shade so you can just sit in solitude in nature and soak it all in. Based on the amount of children in wet clothing, it looks like the waterfall is a popular spot to cool off as well. The whole garden is over 100 acres so it is easy to socially distance as well. I probably could have stayed for four more hours and thoroughly be entertained. And did I mention that this was all the cost of free? What a perfect day! read more

Maymont is one of my favorite spots to visit in Richmond and has so much to offer. Their gigantic grounds are home to a very cute farm and they also have some other local animals spread out throughout their park. Not to mention that all of this is free to visit so makes an amazing spot to go if you're looking for an activity, especially with kiddos! Their Japanese gardens are also not to be missed. So beautiful. They host some incredible events and I'm always wowed by how they do up the gardens for those too! read more

I'm rating the PARK and Visitor's Center. We have been here a couple of times and we have had such a great experience at the park. Entering via the Robins Nature Center is easy peasy. Now walking the park is not necessarily for the faint of heart. Some of the walking is steep and some paths are stone or natural and one must take a modicum of care. That said there are definitely ways to get to the Japanese Garden via a longer and relatively flat pathway that is paved with blacktop. The trails are beautiful and other than an occasional train one can forget about being in the middle of the city. We are interacted with the staff at the nature center who were very friendly and helpful. Overall this is a beautiful place to spend a few hours, even bring a picnic lunch (please throw trash in the park bins not on the ground). Not being judgmental just reminding as we had to pick up some wayward things. I know not our job. Great place! read more

Absolutely beautiful gardens and cute farm petting area. There are other things to do there like visit the mansion and other wildlife centers but we did not have enough time that day. Definitely want to bring some decent walking shoes. Will definitely do again! read more

See all