Has it really been 16 years since I last visited Reiman Gardens and wrote a Yelp review about it? Maybe, and it seems that the facility has significantly expanded since then. Gayle and I stopped by today to wander and enjoy. It's still a little confusing to get here as it seems that you're entering the Jack Trice Stadium complex instead of the Reiman Gardens parking lot. But once we were parked, it was an easy walk into the main building to pay our admission and start our journey. Reiman Gardens is a year-round facility that is owned by Iowa State and no doubt also hosts various University events and weddings. The Butterfly wing is still there, plus some sort of goth theme in another greenhouse. Also inside is a cute little gift shop and lots of office and meeting space. The outside is expansive, with lots of nicely landscaped grounds and plenty of shade in various areas. Gayle and I especially enjoyed the large Gnome, the Sycamore Falls complex, the various hordes of pollinators on some flowers, and just wandering around the various curved paths. Some parts are a little close to a busy road, but we chose to concentrate on the Gardens present. Maybe it was also the soothing sound of water in various places. We spent at least a couple hours here and allowed ourselves to be immersed in the various shades of solitude within a campus that seemed so far away. Gardens staff were friendly, helpful, and excited about being there. Hopefully, I won't wait so many years before coming back. read more

Reiman Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Our family visited on a Friday morning. We spent most of our time in the butterfly wing. There were nearly 1000 butterflies fluttering about and our girls had the most wonderful time observing. Afterwards, we walked around the gardens and had some interesting finds, such as the Up house replica and world's largest concrete gnome. read more

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What an amazing experience to see the butterfly exhibit and all the plants in full bloom at the Reiman Gardens on the campus of ISU. Membership to the Chicago Botanical Garden allows for entry into this beautiful 14-acre garden! It did disappoint! Thank you! Keep blooming! read more

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Beautiful place. Love the butterfly exhibit. Has great parts for kids. Amazing seasonal events read more

Reiman Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Ames, Iowa

We loved our recent October visit to Reiman Gardens, as it was a nighttime Fall/Halloween-themed event that featured 1000 carved pumpkins all around the beautiful property. The images ranged from superheroes to movie scenes to cartoon characters and were carved solely by volunteers. It was a lot of fun to see that level of creativity. The lighting was pretty amazing, and they even included some levity with pumpkin-like figures taking on animated forms while talking and laughing. The lines moved slowly at the start but picked up speed as you got deeper into the property. Open late, loads of parking, and The Famous Gnome also was partaking in the event! read more

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Very nice! Also loved the butterfly garden! the grounds are all beautiful and kept up well.

Gorgeous place to sit, relax and watch the butterflies. I had a blast volunteering here as well. Took my fiancee to this place and he loved it too. Well- maintained and the staff/volunteers are so sweet. read more

Wonderful gardens! The butterfly house is not to be missed! It's a beautiful space to show my artwork. The staff are amazing and super helpful. I love this place! read more

Held a 4-hour presentation in their conference room. Staff were very helpful and the room worked well for our exercise. While there, staff and students were decorating for their Winter Wonderland. So beautiful, I bought tickets to come back and see the garden's Christmas lights. The gardens were beautiful and amazing. I plan to go back next year since I'm hoping the weather is better. We walked through the garden display in -6 windy weather. Thanks to the Boy Scouts who were selling hot chocolate at the halfway point in the walking tour. A must see during the winter holiday season. read more

This is an amazing place. So piece full. I loved the butterflies. The flowers were pretty. I loved gnome. There are a lot of place to sit and rest. read more

I attended the Halloween event and it was amazing. All the pumpkins carved by Iowa State students was a joy to see and all the staff were very kind. I would highly suggest this to anyone who has a free night and loves to see carved pumpkins. read more

We were driving from Maine to Montana and took a detour through Ames to see Elwood the gnome. Sadly the gardens were closed so sat in the parking lot to decide our next stop and a maintenance man stopped and asked if we needed help. We told him what happened and he directed us to a group of people that included the guest services manager. She very kindly let us scoot in and see the gnome. We got our photos and quickly got back on the road! It was the highlight of our trip. Thank you so much! read more

Reiman Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Reiman Gardens is truly wonderful. This was my second time visiting. There is so much to see and discover. Their exhibits are ever changing and you'll see something new on every visit! Currently, they are displaying art from artist Dale Lewis who makes amazing sculptures out of scrap! These were truly a sight to see. I wish we would have been in state to see their "Cy Comes Home to Roost" exhibit... from what I've seen on their website, it looks delightful! The butterfly wing and Hughes Conservatory do not disappoint, either! There were so many different kinds of butterflies and moths and being able to walk among them as they flutter by is simply magical! We will make it a point to visit whenever we make it back to Iowa! read more

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Great place to walk and view the nature. Awesome butterflies exhibit . And we came to see the Gnome from Chicago. read more

Reiman Gardens - Came from Chicago to visit Gnome - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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I loved the butterfly museum it was so fun my and my fiancé got to see so many exotic butterflies and got lucky enough to see the biggest butterfly in their it was a great experience. read more

Reiman Gardens - Garden area with leafy underpass - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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Only gave a 2 because the beautiful exhibit was extremely small but nice. The grounds were brown and dead. No upkeep. Water fountains off. Boring, ugly and a waste of money. read more

A great place to visit, especially in the spring and fall. Bring your walking shoes because their are great paths full of beautifully maintained gardens in addition to the butterfly experience. The price is also decent if you have a student ID or based on age ( young/elderly) read more

I cannot say enough good about this garden. I am so glad that Des Moines botanical garden was closed and I found out about this place. It's beautiful. I enjoy spending time with a bunch of foreign butterflies and checking out the attractions like the giant gnome. The flowers weren's as plentiful as I had hoped, but that is to be expected this early in the season. Still I spent a few hours here and had a great time. I will definitely be back to check it out read more

This is such a relaxing and nice place to just spend the day. When you first go in that you be sure to see the butterfly exhibit. It is truly amazing. read more

Beautiful place with lovely flowers, beautiful butterflies, and of course, the world's largest gnome. read more

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this is a beautiful location. many great flower beds and sculptures. we went for the pollenatorfestthis spring, I was at a booth so I didn't get to experience everything but it's so beautiful. read more

Wow! What a treat in Ames! Beautiful plants and flowers, arranged and labeled, well-taken-care-of, along well-maintained paths. There is also a magical butterfly garden, a tropical zone, and a kids zone. Aaaaaand lovely sculptures all throughout. A gift shop tops it off so you can take something with ya. Enjoy! read more

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Super beautiful place! So nice to be able to go walk around on a nice day or even just take some pictures. I have encountered nothing but friendly staff! read more

Good garden in Ames, IA. Iowa doesn't have a lot of formal gardens so this is a good one to go to while you are visiting Ames or Iowa State University. It's located at the south end of campus next to Jack Trice Stadium (home of the Cyclone football team). If you are looking for something to do on a nice summer day go check out the garden. It's a nice walk and they also have a butterfly conservatory which is pretty cool. read more

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These gardens are fantastic and absolutely unique! During our visit, the exhibit they had, named "Nature Connects", featured lego creations made with thousands of legos. The exhibit had the following creations made of thousands of lego pieces: 1. Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly 2. Mosaic 3. Rose 4. Water Platter and Koi 5. Germinating Acorn 6. Darner Dragonfly 7. Bison and Calf (mother Bison was made of 45,143 legos!) 8. Garden Worker 9. Goldfinches 10. Lawn Mower 11. Hummingbird and Flower 12. Fox and Rabbit 13. American Bumblebee 14. Moth Orchid The artist of these Lego creations is Sean Kennney. The exhibit runs until October 28, 2012 so make sure to check it out! The pictures do not do it justice! read more

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Beautiful place to spend a day. All staff/volunteers were amazing. My only concern was going into the butterfly enclosure requires you to leave purses/ bags at the entrance. But overall a great day. So much to see. read more

This is by far one of the most gorgeous places I've been. I do a lot of landscape photography and I was blown away by these gardens. read more

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This was first experience with Reiman Gardens. The parking lot is just south of the stadium and a little confusing to get into, but once we were there I was excited to finally check this place out. I didn't really know what to expect, however I did know I was excited about the art that I heard about on a commercial. I did find on their website they have a great motto: "educate, enchant and inspire environmental stewardship through displays of living beauty." I was coaxed up there by the current exhibit "Washed Ashore." I was not disappointed. They had 10, larger-than-life sea creature sculptures made from trash collected from beaches. It was a excellent day to visit the beautiful garden. We first got to see the butterflies. There were a bunch leaving their cocoons just inside the display case. We made our way into the butterfly room. This was pretty cool. There was a ton of different colored beauties floating silently about the room. They were awesome to just watch. There was one that had a wing span bigger than my cell phone. We took our time in there before we headed outside into the the 17 acre garden. There was a lot to explore. Kids area where there was a really cool kaleidoscope that looked into the garden. A covered bridge, fire pit area, vegetable garden and so much more hidden all around as we walked through. This is really a great learning environment for kids of all ages. There is lots to do and learn. There is even a place to have class or a meeting. Everything is really well kept and looked great. Even the bathrooms were taken care of and decorated with flowers. The staff was fantastic and very helpful. We spent over 2 hours walking around and checking out the grounds. Don't forget to go check out the gift shop at some of their cool items. They have a collection of wind-chimes and many other things. I think I would go back to see what other things come into bloom and other exhibits when they come in. Especially since there was an area that was under construction that read "Hillside Garden Improvements" Its their first major construction since 2008 and it looks like it will be a great addition. Just keep in mind they don't have their own parking when it comes to game time at the stadium but well worth the stop. read more

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Beautiful grounds, lots of private spots, an amazing butterfly garden... we had a great time exploring on a lovely fall day.

Reiman Gardens is absolutely beautiful. The art pieces each year make it interesting to visit more than once. Even in the winter the indoor garden and butterfly garden make it worth the visit! read more

My brother hadn't had a chance to check out the Reiman Gardens when he moved a few weeks ago, and pretty much insisted we all go there. Didn't sound too interesting to me, especially after noting the highly rated Botanical Gardens in Des Moines, but I went along with his plan to please him. Turns out, he was right. Reiman Gardens is a must if you're in Ames, and if you live here, definitely get the annual membership! I would come here all the time! Single day admission for adults is $8. BUTTERFLIES Right near the entrance, so you'll likely come here first. Instructions are given upon entering, and really do look down, tons of butterflies were landing on the walkway and you don't want to step on any!! I think I counted over 10 different species, but there's likely more. Awesome! LEGO The lego statutes around the gardens are a site themselves!! Very impressive and they made the day that much better. I think the largest one was over 60,000 lego pieces!! WOW! ROSE GARDEN My brother was a little let down by this section, but I loved it. Who knew there were so much unique rose species. EXERCISE It's not huge, but if you walk the whole gardens you'll get some steps in for sure. MODELLING Apparently this is a popular spot for some photo shoots. We saw two different photographers getting shots of teenage girls. GIFT SHOP Some very unique items and I ended up getting a birthday present for an upcoming party! read more

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I come here every time I visit Ames. The entrance fee is $8 for non-student adults (ISU students are free) . My boyfriend and I visited during December so not much of the garden was available but the observatory at the end of the hall and the butterfly garden were available. If you plan on going into the butterfly garden you need to remove your coat and leave your bags in the room before the garden (I normally bring a smaller wallet and stick it in my pocket) The garden at the end of the hall had a special event. They had a train set up made with recycled materials infused with the garden. It was amazing and beautiful. The butterfly garden was beautiful as always but do be warned if you're visiting during December that they use a heater in the butterfly room to keep the butterflies alive so it will be pretty warm. read more

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We love all the special exhibits and events put on by Reiman Gardens throughout the year. Peaceful, beautiful place for all ages.

Beautiful......the first words that come to my mouth. I had talked about going up here for years. Huge excitement when a bridal shower invite came in the mail and the location was here. After the shower we were able to wander the gardens. So many many cool sculptures. The highlight was seeing the butterflies. The staff was very helpful and friendly read more

Such a peaceful and relaxing place to go. Love seeing the frogs when they're in the pond, and just walking through all the beautiful plants. One of my favorite places to go in Ames. read more

I liked it so much I got a membership! Clean. Friendly staff. Very family friendly place! I had many pics that I posted on another site, but since they don't seem to put them up, I'm reviewing here now. It's worth getting the membership if you are local. The Butterfly Garden is amazing! And open all year long. The rest is beautiful as well and this year they have creations made of trash picked up from beaches around the country. It really is saddening how much trash ends up in the water! Plenty of parking. Marcydiner tantrum scale of 5/5-no screaming kids. Plan to spend 3-4 hours here if you really enjoy plants and gardens! There is a huge rose garden here as well. read more

I was recently at a Twins game in Minneapolis and there was a question on the big screen... Where is the Largest Gnome in the world? I knew right away! It's at Reiman Gardens in Ames! Along with trails of beauty, butterflies, and the wonder of great plants! Reiman Gardens is quite beautiful! It's a fun place to spend a peaceful afternoon, or I have a attended a wedding here as well, and the setting could not be better! Sometime you need to feel, see, and smell the world around you and the nature that it is.. And it's even better if you don't have to leave city limits to do so! Worth the money every time! read more

I don't gno a lot about gnomes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Hmmm... they like to wear giant pointed hats and make love by rubbing their noses together? They're shorties. Because they're tiny and weird they ride pals like Swift the fox and a birds and owls to get around. Have ugly imbred hater cousins called TROLLS. Scandinavian people (Swedish, Norwegian, Finish) are obsessed with them and put them in the windows of their houses for respect and luck. They also think these little shts have "Santa" syndrome. They LOOOOOOOVE hanging out in gardens. And the BIGGEST garden lurking gnome lives in lil ole Ames, Iowa! in Reiman Gardens site of the the world's largest concrete garden gnome. Weird and cool. Also this spot boast really neat gardens (Roses & wildflowers)and educational exhibits. I adore the butterfly house. You can't touch the butterflies, especially their fragile wings, but you can let them crawl on you. Reiman Gardens is a fun diversion good for a date or kiddie outing or by yourself you'll definitely feel at Gnome! read more

Spent a few hours there on a day trip to Ames with the BF (an ISU alum). I'm a Hawkeye, so I was a little skeptical, but Reiman Gardens is fantastic! There are various outdoor gardens (rose garden, herbs, backyard setup, kids area), and an enclosed conservatory. The indoor butterfly room was really cool, and the docent was very knowledgeable and friendly. Reiman Gardens is also committed to sustainability, and there are lots of examples of how they use recycled materials throughout the gardens. This place also had some of the best bathrooms I've ever seen. Flowers and plants on the counter made it look and smell nice. Bonus -free parking right outside the entrance! read more

I think that Reiman is particularly fitting for my 200th review, as it marks something of a milestone in both my yelp and my personal life. Woo! Dan and I toured these gardens twice in an effort to make some kind of decision regarding our wedding venue. In fact, as far as we were concerned on our way home, we had chosen this place for the special occasion. However, none of the packages quite accommodated our needs, so after a couple weeks of pouring over papers and emails, we had to go with another venue. None of that changes the fact that this place is absolutely beautiful. I don't like talking in absolutes (only the Sith do that), or calling things beautiful (as I am not now, nor will I ever be, a poet), but... there are exceptions to every rule. And this place was my exception. Sorry, I stopped for a few minutes to make dinner. That is a significantly harder task when you have been drinking, as the bandaid on my right thumb will attest to, but let's move on. Lee Chapman, the Reiman Gardens event coordinator, was amazing. She answered every one of our questions (most of them twice, some of them more) very patiently, and was a wonderful guide. She would have been amazing to work with, and is a big reason why Dan and I are a little disappointed we couldn't make one of the wedding packages here work for us. We are, however, very grateful for all of her help. This place is definitely a gem in Ames, and should be frequented accordingly. ... Might even be a good venue for a bridal shower. Not that that was a hint or anything. Mom. read more