Sometimes in life you have to be opportunistic. After boating we saw a sign that stated, "Orchid show today". Who doesn't love orchids?! So our car turned right into the Austin Botanical Garden. Cost per car was $6 ($2 discount from living in Austin...score!) The garden was peaceful and serene in the heart of downtown Austin. We spent most of our time in the Japanese gardens, one our favorites. The gardens are nicely laid out and enjoyable to navigate. The solace that pours over you makes the visit more than worth it. The tranquil Japanese garden with koi ponds and stone bridges almost puts you in a meditative state. Informational signs line the garden were clear at making it easy to learn about native Texas plants, sustainable gardening, and seasonal blooms. Now for the orchid show...we thought it was going to be a display of orchids. It was actually a competitive show. Wow...so many beautiful orchids...a fortuitous encounter. read more

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What a great! We spent over an hour here and got some amazing views of Austin's downtown skyline. Overall, just a great place to hang out and enjoy the weather and see some amazing plants, animals, and views of the city. I think this is our first time here, I'm surprised I've never came here before because this is something that we both like, being outdoors and in nature. It's definitely worth the price of admission. I would definitely recommend come in during the cooler season in Texas cause they can get pretty hot here. Definitely come in the morning time but once summer is hit, there's no way you'll catch me out here. It's extremely hot in the summer in Texas. We really enjoy the botanical gardens. It will probably come back again soon. Thank y'all for maintaining an amazing property. read more

I came here on a random Saturday to shoot some simple pictures of my cousin and her fiancée and was super impressed by its sheer size. It is a great place to wander around and enjoy some nice scenery. Some of the areas can be hit or miss depending on the season, but the Taniguchi Japanese Garden happened to be one of my favorite places. It was just so serene and peaceful. While we were there, there was a wedding ceremony going on, which was cute to witness, along with plenty of other visitors getting great pictures. If you need some easy scenic pictures, this is the place to go. The view above Zilker Park next to the main building with the Austin skyline behind it is another great spot. RIYL: Botanical gardens or waterfalls. I really like the waterfall here. It was super cool. Shoutout waterfalls. read more

This was truly a magical place. My mom and I went here today and I really enjoyed the beautiful landscape and plants and flowers. The rose garden was starting to bloom and there were some impressive yellow roses. I enjoyed the bonsai garden, it was peaceful and calming. Definitely worth stopping by when you're visiting Austin. Admission is very reasonable for $8 (adults). read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Parking was $6, but aside from that, this place was completely free which honestly surprised me in the best way. I guess I've just gotten used to everything costing money these days, so this felt like a real treat. The gardens were beautiful even though it's basically winter. I can only imagine how much more stunning they must be in the spring when everything is in full bloom. The absolute highlight for me was the walk up to the waterfall, such a peaceful, beautiful spot. I also loved the huge wind chime. It was unique and added such a calming vibe to the experience. Overall, this is a lovely place to wander, relax, and enjoy nature. I can't wait to come back in the spring to see it at its peak. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Free the day after Christmas! Found some free parking right by the main entrance. Dogs on leashes welcomed. What a nice treat to just be. Especially when today 12/26 is 84degrees! Quiet, appreciative of Mother Nature, kids running around NOT on devices. People talking, smiling, interacting. There's something for everyone and all ages here. Bring some comfy shoes the gardens are big, lots of places to sit and just take the beauty in. Can't wait to be back in the spring! Thank you team at the gardens! This is a gem filled with love, peace, hope and a welcomed space for ALL! I love showcasing the history of Immigrants to Texas and how they represent the true American spirit by honoring their roots and making sure to grow the community where everyone belongs for generations after them. Thats the Texas spirit I really identify with. My fav's were the prehistoric gardens, the beautiful ginkgo tree with its bright gold leaves falling in the warm breeze today, the bird dino tracks you can walk and the Japanese gardens, reminds me of my great grandma's garden she made when she immigrated from Japan to Kealakekua Hawaii. The gardens have bathrooms, a small central center with a tiny gift shop and small assortment of drinks. They have a picnic area to the side if you want to make a day about it while you stare into the heart of downtown ATX. Come visit for solo quiet time, family time, a date, a friendly walk with your bestie or your furry fur baby. read more

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Absolutely beautiful place to walk around and enjoy nature. The Japanese garden had a quaint koi pond with a truly relaxing atmosphere. There's also a nice rose garden. Plenty of photo opportunities available. We spent about an hour and a half walking around enjoying the day. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - View - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The Botanical Gardens is located in the popular City of Austin. It's a great place to escape from the busy pace of life, it's a gift from Mother Nature. The facility spans more than 20+ acres. I enjoyed the Japanese Garden, Koi Pond and Pergola with beautiful plants and trees. There is a small waterfall here, I did not make the hike to the larger waterfall. AMENITIES (in Alpha order): Auditorium Community Events Exercise Classes Gift Shop Hartman Prehistoric Garden Nature classes Restrooms School Tours Volunteer Opportunities Wellness Program You must add this to your list of things to do when visiting Austin. Sincerely, Rosemary (Southern California) read more

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Zilker would probably be a lot more vibrant in the summer and spring seasons compared to the fall, but either way we had a good time. We showed up during a shift change so it took a while to purchase our admission tickets, however once we did it was smooth sailing. We were able to walk the entire gardens in less than an hour but ended up sitting and chatting for another hour or so. My favorite area was the Japanese tea house section, and I liked the little bridge / ponds. Most other patrons were older folks, parents with their children, or other out of town visitors. It was fairly quiet throughout the gardens - with many people snapping pictures of the wildlife and greenery. read more

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Great place to take kids who love nature. Got some great nature pictures and pictures of the koi fish. My daughter used her pictures of the koi fish for her JR Art Competition and got gold! read more

Watch out for coral snakes! That said, it's a really beautiful garden. I really appreciate how shaded it is as a break from the hot Texas weather. Many beautiful blooming flowers even on the tail end of summer. Butterflies, koi, lizards, and unfortunately, we did run into a snake. The visitor center has guides for adults and pamphlets to encourage kids to explore the garden looking for hidden details. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Oh my gosh, from the time we drove into the garden... Everything is beautiful, well kept and enjoyable to every sense!! The gardens are so well kept and there was a surprise around almost every turn. Something new, something beautiful, something surprising! Absolutely wonderful! read more

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It was a lovely space. However, several sections didn't seem cared for as attentively as one would hope for a botanical garden. I favored others in the area more. read more

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Zilker Botanical Garden is within Zilker Metropolitan Park in the heart of downtown Austin. They have several themed gardens including Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and Rose Garden. The garden is an Austin icon with several memorable landmarks that I recall visiting as a child. These include the historical pioneer village with a blacksmith shop, school house, log cabin and well. The iconic Butler Window aka brick keyhole in the rose garden that is the perfect photo op. I was visiting for the Bands in Bloom summer music concert series in the rose garden. This was the perfect backdrop for the concert in the garden with all the blooming flowers. This particular evening Rob Baird was performing. Was a great evening of good music and natural beauty. They also host other paid or free events at the garden that can be viewed on their website. With the beautiful blooming flowers, walking paths, live oaks, streams, and ponds, the Garden offers a peaceful escape from daily life. read more

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Spent a nice afternoon exploring the nature of Zilker botanical garden. Entrance fee was only $8 for non-Austin residents but there were discounts for residents and students. Each section had a theme including the Japanese gardens and succulent garden. Enjoyable place to hang out. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Gazebo - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The botanical gardens are part of Zilker Park. You buy a ticket upon entry into the glorious garden. Quick note-parking is sketch sometimes, meaning it can be tough to get. But, you're in a park...enjoy a little stroll to get in here if you have to park further away. I am a big fan of botanical gardens because it's just such a relaxing way to be surrounded by the beautiful bounties of nature. I love seeing peacocks and of course the butterflies in the butterfly area. Vegetation surrounded by various water as well. Take a load off, sit on a bench for spell and just breathe. read more

Such a cute spot. My boyfriend and I love to go on walks around the lake every weekend to de-stress and this time I wanted to mix it up a bit and walk around somewhere different, I'm originally from Austin so had been before on some field trips with school but that was years ago so I was interested to see if I remembered much. I loved walking around here. It was absolutely beautiful and we were lucky enough to go in a super nice day- not too hot not too cold. We walked around and saw a bunch of stuff such as beautiful koi ponds, bushes full of monarch butterflies, a cute dinosaur part, etc. overall, it was such a good idea to stop and walk around here for an hour instead of around the lake for a bit of a change of pace. Since we are both Austin residents it was only $12 for both of us, which seemed like a great deal for all the lovely stuff we saw in the time walking. My favorite part was definitely the butterfly bush and koi ponds. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Lillies - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

Zilker is a super fun park to explore. You can hike through in less than 2 hours, but there are so many different gardens, landscapes and terrains to explore that it has the feel of a much larger park. The rose garden and the Japanese garden were our favorites. Everything is well-marked and well-maintained. read more

A beautiful garden blooming with lush green trees, herbs and exotic plants right in the heart of Austin. There's a cute Japanese garden with a soothing waterfall and walking bridge, so many great spots to take pictures. Kids are sure to enjoy the fish pond. It's a great place to be close to nature even when within the city limits. You can even see the downtown from here! The park is distributed into several different areas such as prehistoric era with dinosaur statues, butterfly garden, children's play area, blacksmith shop and more. Most of the area is stroller friendly, a plus for parents with young kids. There's parking available right next to the garden and you can usually get a lot of you wait for a few minutes. People are always coming and going here. There's additional parking across the street in the main Zilker Park area too and a short walk to the botanical garden. read more

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The botanical garden at Zilker Park is a nice quiet getaway from the rest of the hustle and bustle of Austin. It's also very shady in a good portion of it, so it can also be a nice way to be outside, without being completely cooked by the sun/heat of Texas. The prehistoric and Asian sections are by far the best parts of the gardens. Lush and full of nice features like koi ponds and waterfalls. Absolutely worth a visit if you're in Austin. read more

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The staff here are friendly, and I appreciate how family-friendly this park is! We visited in March, so there weren't many flowers or butterflies to see. The teahouse is still under renovation. Unfortunately, the koi fish in the murky ponds seemed hungry, and I only spotted four or five of them. It was disheartening to see, as koi thrive in clean water. If anyone working here happens to read this, please care for the pond in the Japanese Garden as well as you do the vegetable garden--I could sense the stress from the koi. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - The pond is dirty - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

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During our stay in Zilker we decided to visit the Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful time strolling through the gardens. There were tons of plants, waterfalls, ponds, paths, and cute spots for a photo op. There was also a nice view of the city. My favorite was the koi pond. read more

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Zilker is a very inexpensive garden to visit in the Austin area. I had to take a few stars because I believe the name is misleading. It's more of a nature walk with native plants along the way, not a botanical garden. In March I found most things to be green but not much has flowered yet. Parking is free which is nice but it wasn't anything spectacular. read more

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We stopped by botanical garden because we had free tickets with our hotel today at JW Marriott. I'm not sure if it was because it was winter, but the grounds seemed a bit less bountiful than expected. There are several different paths so you can walk around the garden. The paths were uneven and at times steep, they were also not labeled well which caused for some confusion. When we were leaving we noticed an entire area we had missed. It was a nice day for a walk, but there are plenty of parks in Austin that were comparable if not in even better condition than the botanical gardens. read more

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It is rare, probably a first, that I rate a botanical garden with one star. But this is the worst botanical garden I've ever seen in the free world. There's plenty growing here, but it's difficult to navigate, and nothing is impressive. A walk down 2nd Street is far more botanical. One parks, pays, then carries a ticket around wondering what they paid for. No one checks your ticket, and there is apparently no controlled entrance. Sadly a couple hours I will never get back. read more

Good parking Locals get discount or if your a Veteran from out of town gets a discount. Super laid back place for a date or a quiet stroll for collecting & processing. Does not hurt to have a journal and embrace the stillness and nature. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Trails with unique trees and fruits. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

I took my 2 year old niece here for a visit. The grounds are somewhat stroller friendly. There are several paved paths, however there are a few that are dirt paths which make it a bit harder to maneuver. Other than that, it's a cute site, well maintained and has an area for kids too. The waterfall is a nice touch and the Koi pond is really calming. There is a gift shop at the main entrance and plenty of parking. I would visit again. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Calming waterfall. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

Loooooove this place!!! This is NOW on our annual pilgrimage through central Texas... Every turn was an adventure, every living thing was both beautiful to the eyes and a literal bouquet of scents. Amazing! We had 4 generations there this morning (79y to 9y) and literally all of us left loving that place - including one teenage boy! Don't walk, RUN to this place!!! Beyond affordable, and there are tons of paths. Dog friendly!!! Yessss! read more

Beautiful greenscape right in the heart of Austin -- perfect for a walk, jog, or just hanging out. We visited for a few events, and the last one was AKF. The atmosphere was lively, and the setting made it even better. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Austin Kite festival at Zilker park - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nice outdoor activity! Too hot weather but their small shop had a fan and was cool! Also restrooms were clean and available. Plants were well labeled and strategic layout. Will come back when it's cooler! read more

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I'm sad to say that I just wasn't that impressed with these gardens. I've been to a lot of BG's over the years and was expecting something a bit more I guess. On the plus side it was very cheap to get in and it was small and walkable. But the gardens themselves were just not very interesting. The best part was the Japanese garden area with some Koi and different bamboos. As a diversion if you already live there or if you've run out of other things to do this is fine, but I wouldn't make a special visit here like we did. read more

3 WORDS: AWESOME FAMILY EATERY! There is something for every taste or palette at this place! The prices: $$-$$$ based on the chosen menu items. One caveat: the only free refills are for the tea, no refills on soft drinks. The food is prepared to order and delicious. read more

I decided to visit this place on a nice January day. The weather was still chilly, but the sun was shining and it made for a lovely winter day. When you're pulling into the entry, please be cautious as there is no designated turning point if you're making a left. It's $6 per person (or maybe it's per vehicle). You're free to roam around as you get access to the whole garden; the place isn't too big, but there are plenty to see and places to stop by and just chill. My favorite points were the little area where you can see downtown, plus the koi pond! I enjoyed walking around here, and encourage anyone visiting to come visit with the family, or even spend a morning/afternoon getting lost in your favorite book somewhere in the garden. read more

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This botanical garden was very nice. It was a bit smaller than I had been expecting but the grounds were well-tended and it was nice for a short walk (~1hr). The butterfly garden was definitely the highlight! read more

Although I didn't get to enjoy the gardens, this staff saw my dog wonder through the gates after I lost him at Zilker Park. They closed the gates and searched Nextdoor and saw my missing post. One of the employees trekked through thick bamboo and had him. They were so incredibly wonderful and I am very thankful for them. I will be making a donation because this staff was so amazing. read more

As members of Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Nate and I have reciprocal benefits that get us into botanical gardens across the country. We really enjoy using this perk when we travel, so we decided to visit the Zilker Botanical Gardens while in Austin in early March. When we arrived, we showed the employee at the ticket booth our Meijer Gardens membership card and she told us to go right in. Normally admission is only $6 for Austin residents and $8 for non-residents. We didn't have any real idea of what the gardens contained and didn't see any maps anywhere, so we just started wandering. At the beginning of March there wasn't really anything blooming, but it was peaceful to walk around and look at the koi ponds. There's a great view of the city from the gardens which was nice. I thought we would get lost as there aren't a lot of signs anywhere. At one point we saw what looked like a trail leading into a wooded area, but it also kind of didn't look like a trail. We didn't go that way since we only had about an hour or so to spare and didn't want to get lost. Some of the paths were really narrow which made it tough to navigate at times with other guests taking photos and just standing in the pathways. Also, there's a lot of uneven terrain and stone pathways, so if you have mobility issues it might not be the easiest to navigate. Overall we had an ok visit - if we weren't able to get in for free I don't think I'd go again in March. I'm sure the gardens are beautiful when things are in bloom! read more

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I came here on a Sunday morning to get some exercise before a long flight out. The gardens were so beautiful, with the Japanese one being one of my favorites. Another one of my favorites was the Butterfly garden. It definitely lives up to its name! The dinosaur area was small but interesting. The Koi ponds were nice too. I thought it was awesome that dogs (on a 6ft leash) were allowed. If I lived in the area, I would love to bring my dog here. There are nice shady areas to walk around too. They have doggy water bowls near the main entrance, as well as a small gift shop and clean bathrooms. read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Pretty - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

We visited in early April and everything was blooming! It was such an easy walk, peaceful, and at only eight dollars, you can't beat it. Would definitely recommend coming in the morning before the heat hits, but we really enjoyed it! read more

Zilker Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Austin, Texas

Beautiful garden in the heart of Austin. So nice to be a able to enjoy a sunny, tranquil day at the Zilker Botanical Gardens. Love the uniqueness in each section. Roses. Koi ponds. Dinosaur tracks. Butterflies. Swedish log cabins. Panoramic views. The Taniguchi Japanese Garden is really stunning, After entering through a stone gate gifted by Austin's sister city, Oita, Japan, follow the winding trails to reach a bamboo grove, a tranquil tea house and a series of ponds filled with Koi that spell out AUSTIN. So fun to walk along the stones or cross the bridges over babbling brooks. The garden was loving designed and built by Isamu Taniguchi over a year and a half. Taniguchi was a Japanese farmer who moved to California in 1915. He was interred during World War II for almost four years. After the war, he relocated to Texas to resume farming. In the 1960s, he moved to Austin to be closer to his son, who was the Dean of the UT Austin School of Architecture, and his grandchildren. He did not receive any payment for creating this beautiful, tranquil garden which has amazing panoramic views of the Austin Skyline. The Swedish village pays homage to the early settlers in the area. Nice to be able to visit a log cabin, one room school house and blacksmith red shed in this section. Dinosaurs in Texas? As the garden was being expanded in the 1990s, a series of well preserved dinosaur tracks were uncovered. Coordinating with a paleontologist, the fossils were protected and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden was created...including a Cretaceous habitat with ferns, ginkgoes and a Ornithomimus dinosaur statue. The butterfly garden was filled with beautiful monarchs. Although the roses were covered to protect them from the "Texas winter," I am sure that they are beautiful in full bloom. Book your tickets on line. Parking is free. Use your American Horticultural passes for reciprocity. Such a beautiful garden to explore on the last day of 2021. read more

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I would not recommend this place, or at least in August. They aren't watering their plants so everything is brown and dried up. Not sure if there is a no water ban or just that no one is keeping up with it. The 6 bonsai trees were cool, and some of the walkways. One section in my pictures looked a little kept up, but for $8 I was there less than a half hour. read more

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