Weve been enjoying everything this venue has to offer for many years. From grooving in the gardens to the festival of lights at Christmas time. Last night we were able to introduce our 3 year old to the fun. We enjoyed hot chocolate and treats before heading into the lights. This year seemed exceptionally beautiful.

Tonight we visited the Garden of Lights, they put on a wonderful array a Christmas lights and decorations throughout. We have been members for years and the Gardens of Light is a spectacular event. Even if your not a member you should come and enjoy the lights. They always have a little hot chocolate and boozy drinks for the adults. The whole place is beautiful anytime of year and they have great events yearlong. The Butterfly event is awesome as well. Once a year the hatch a bunch of butterflies in the Arboretum and get to walk through all of flying around. They have a nice Tea House on site as well, where you can grab a snack, have lunch or a nice dinner. Well worth your time any time of year. Highly recommend getting a membership, they have lots of membership only events.

This past weekend I visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with my family and was quite impressed. Im no green thumb, but there were certainly more exotic plants than I had expected, or even just incredible amounts, sizes, colors, or beautiful placement of ones with which I had already felt familiar. I guess because of COVID-19, much was closed, but there was plenty left to impress us. The greenhouse was pretty amazing, but we also enjoyed the trails. The various elaborate metal wind art sculptures that move around in various ways were also a treat to observe.

Wife and I have been members for years. Their Holiday Light display is a cherished annual event that we love seeing. The lights bring out the kids in all of us.

Awesome space to visit for an outdoor activity, especially during COVID since it’s fairly spaced out and most people wore masks.Tons of great spots to enjoy a day with great weather and there are plenty of sculptures on display now (through October if I remember correctly).Definitely recommend spending an afternoon smelling the roses, taking in all the plants in the greenhouse, and admiring the sculptures.

Phenomenal garden! Cannot say enough about how beautiful it is. We greatly enjoyed the dynamic sculptures. Its a temporary exhibit so if you can get there soon, do! If not in person, they have online tours available for $10 a few times this month.

We went for the lights because thats been a family tradition for years. We picked 12/03/20 because they were allowing DOGGOS!! I honestly dont know which was better. The lights or the pups. The fact that they put them both together AND have the most amazing staff ever made this years tradition the best its ever been!

Really enjoyed it. We finished the garden tour in about two hours. I thought wed be there longer. The gift shop is not to be missed though. I spent over 30+mins alone in the gift shop!

Absolutely magical! The lights were everywhere and the staff was wonderful. Must visit

My wife and I discovered this little gem of a garden when looking for a place for a stretch break on a run between NC and DE. This is a beautiful garden with many unique plants, sculptures, and a conservatory. We particularly liked the set of Forrest paths. We recommend it as a unique stopping place off the beaten path!

Visited for the lights show on supposedly the most covid-safe night of the year. Kitsch, social distancing optional, massive Covid-19 risk for relatively no return. Walked by at least three different people wheezing through masks tucked beneath their noses. If the recent spike in cases and 250,000+ death toll means anything to you, this garden is a hard skip at least until the pandemic has passed.

We went for the Christmas lights but I cannot wait to go back in the spring for the flowers.Best gift shop.

Visited for OktoberFest event. Fabulous! Beautiful place, great food & music, did a good job following Covid-19 guidelines.

We always love the garden, so it was exciting to come back after not getting out much over the last several months. We were SO impressed by the organization and precautions during the Fridays Alfresco! The process of checking and picking up our preordered food and wine was very smooth, all employees and volunteers were friendly and helpful, entrances and exits were clear and easy to follow, and the garden was magical as always. Our evening was so much fun, and it was easily the safest and most distanced I have felt going anywhere. Thanks for all of your hard work!

First post-Covid visit and it felt safe to visit. Appointments required, masks required but so good to return to a favorite place.

Been twice now and have not been disappointed. Really enjoyed the scenery and the staff is very pleasant and helpful. Be mindful that this place is expensive and the gift shop will hurt your feelings with their prices if you aren’t prepared. Worth the money though, very enjoyable.

Perfect day, weather wise! more visitors than I had anticipated, but not crowded... had to be patient and wait for pictures with no passerbys

Love, love, love the gardens. It is very relaxing to walk around. Plenty of places to sit and take in the views. They have events here too like Octoberfest, Garden of Lights, etc. If you love flowers, plants, and being outdoors then this is the place for you!!!

My granddaughter and I had a delightful time there today. We loved the fairy houses on the tree trails. We made boats out of tree bark and leaves and had a great time floating them down the many streams throughout the park. Disappointing she was unable to enjoy the childrens garden including the tree house and International Village. Covid19 sucks. Certainly glad children are so flexible.

This is a well developed and organized garden with lovely vistas and lots of water features! I am going to put this garden on my seasonal rotation!

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was beautiful the highlight of the botanical garden was the butterfly garden. The butterfly garden offered a variety of butterflies and plants that support the butterflies. The botanical garden is an amazing place to the children place with a water area, sandbox, clubhouse and numerous house and greenhouse for children to play and have fun. For the adults just walk around and enjoy the beauty of flowers, trees and other plants. I highly recommend the botanical garden.

Outstanding staff and again the gardens are beautifully decorated for the season

Amazing Xmas light display as always!

Went on vacation and this was one of the places I visited. Was hoping it could be walked at night to just see it lit up but its not open right now for evenings. It is fall so do think ahead on what will be bloomed and what is not. Not a great choice for a child beings butterflies are not there and it is a lot of walking. They will get bored very quick. Not really worth the money that was paid but that was my bad not thinking about the season.

Very enjoyable morning at Lewis Ginter. They did a great job with social distancing and the Wind, Waves & Light displays were awesome!

Came down to Richmond for my nephews orientation at VCU for two days.On the second day we stayed back at the hotel but my little girl wanted to go somewhere. Checked out things for kids to do in Richmond and this place was suggested. The website mentioned a play area for children which included a spray ground. So, we decided to check it out. Im so glad I did. This place is absolutely breathtaking.

Gorgeous. Tons of places to sit and enjoy the day. Very spacious, easy to respect social distance guidelines.

So great to be back in the garden after 3 months of being shut down. It is always SO beautiful & well maintained. The exhibit of Wind & Water is unique & fascinating. Despite the heat today, it was a wonderful experience.

The roses are in bloom! Take a relaxing (socially distanced) walk and forget about the madness.

Gorgeous any month of the year and most importantly, year round interest. I went in January and still found new things in bloom and winter interest. Also more kid-friendly and interactive than I would think. Hit the kids area in the back, build a gnome home, and watch your kids playing like we did as kids in the woods while you enjoy the tranquility of the flowers and the calm (obviously I have young children).

So pretty!! Staff was really kind!! There was a great exhibit there also!

Vising the festival of lights is a fun family activity. Its easy to get around and the atmosphere is very festive. Some years are better than others, but I still recommend going. Going a bit later in the evening will help you avoid the crowds. Buy your tickets online to make entry quick and easy. Small children may enjoy seeing the lights (for a little while) but there really isnt a whole lot for them to do.

Pretty awesome place to visit and relax. Beautiful garden!

Have been here many times. Reduced somewhat due to Coronavirus, but still enjoyable. Nice paths, restrooms and exhibits which change yearly.

Superior botanical garden with WAY more to it than I originally thought. The outdoor gardens were way larger than was expecting with was a very pleasant surprise, especially so since they were impeccably manicured.And the greenhouse is SPLENDID. Visiting the botanical garden was an awe-inspiring experience!

Lovely gardens & gift shop. Plenty of parking.

Amazing place full of colors and textures. The contrast with the fluffy clouds is something awesome. The weather today was very hot but you can find a lot od shades and places to rest. You can order some drinka and food on the tea house, and keeping enjoying the beautiful garden. They have a very nice gift shop.Today September 18 /2020 visited the Fall Plant Fest. Nice plants, you can visit again tomorrow. I hope you like it.

The lights were nice and they were social distancing.

Only been at Christmas time but it was really beautiful! We had free tickets so I don’t know if I would pay full price to do it again but we had fun with our two nieces. I loved that they had a fire going and hot chocolate to sell. The tree in the green house was beautiful!

Beautiful place to visit. Atmosphere for family, children, old, and young. Very Serene all kinds of plants and flowers around the world. Enjoy my visit.

Beautiful gardens with a variety of flowers. The gift shop is top notch with a unique selection of merchandise.

Good place to hang out with family and kids. Nice collection of flora. May not be super big but very apt for the place. Kids can enjoy the place too. Nice botanical green house with wide variety of flora. Nice display stalls.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden currently features artist Box, whose origami stainless steel sculptures are out the box. Butterflies Alive! is now open. Visit the conservatory to witness its beauty and then explore 50 acres of immaculately manicured grounds, the botanical library, cafe, restaurant, and gift shop. Let the kids swing from an ancient tree, build homes for creatures with logs, dig in the sand, climb or stroll up to the wheel-friendly observation tower, play in the mini house, splash in the little water park (summer). No wonder this garden is ranked as one of the best in the country!

Best kept secret in Richmond. Weve had a family membership here for 3+ years and absolutely love it. They have numerous special events - Peter Rabbit Easter Bunny, fall/halloween themed events, Gardenfest of Lights at Christmas, concerts for Mothers Day/Fathers Day, and the summer concert series - all included with price of admission. Some of the concerts even welcome dogs. Hours are expanded on weekends and Thursdays in summertime, which is fantastic. There is a butterfly house every spring/summer included with admission. There is a splash pad open from April-October weather dependent. The childrens garden is absolutely amazing. The gardens are always so well kept - benches/seating areas always clean, pathways very well maintained, etc. My daughter has spent many hours exploring and playing. The special exhibits are constantly changing and are so family-friendly. I am very picky about 5-star reviews, but Id give this place 6 stars if I could. Cant recommend highly enough.

I was in heaven there.Please dont go there.Its all my little heaven!

A wonderful way to spend two hours looking at beautiful gardens and sculpture (current display) while in peaceful relaxation. You can order lunch online while touring the grounds and pick up your food already bagged and waiting at the tea garden cafe. A perfect afternoon!!!

This is a beautiful place. Last time I visited during Christmas Eve and that was amazing.. Beautifully decorated with lights and it was a fantastic experience.Visited it again today on the fourth of July 2017. Its free admission today and it is fully crowded but the staff and volunteers were so helpful that it remained yet another memorable day.Definitely worth a visit.Also included pics from my Christmas visit..

A nice place for the family, we go here often.

Words cant express the absolute saturation of natural beauty that exists here. A great place for all ages.

Beautiful, peaceful place to walk or sit. Good for the soul.

We went on Fido Night and it was so much fun seeing all the different breeds of dogs, many of which were dressed up for Christmas. The dogs are a great icebreaker, opening up conversations with a lot of nice people. The lights and displays were beautiful, and the gift shop was packed with unique gift items.

Absolutely beautiful gardens! Staff are very friendly and helpful. Admission prices are very reasonably priced for what you get. There isn’t an extra fee for the butterfly exhibit which was a nice surprise. Our little one really enjoyed the splash pad! It is near the children’s garden and a great stop on a hot summers day. I really enjoyed the Origami artwork presently exhibited throughout the gardens. One of my favorite parts was the kaleidoscope potted plants, very interactive and innovative! I would recommend to anyone that loves exploring gardens!

Love this place! Went for the day when I visited Richmond. Good food too.

The gardens are amazing. The butterfly room was an incredibly peaceful experience that i could do all day long.

It was really nice. Great place to take lots of pictures.

LOVE coming here for Festival of Lights by Dominion. Every year is something special and new, and my boys LOVE it!!! We also used to go see Santa, but Im not sure if theyre still hosting that as it was downgraded last year to the smaller restaurant. Tons of activities for littles ones to enjoy, a great chance to teach them about nature and taking care of plants! Beautiful gardens!!! Well worth the time and visit!

A wonderful park with large variety of flowers and trees, outstanding

My family and I had a wonderful visiting the garden of lights this year. Always a must see in my book. Yall do such a amazing job putting this together. Thank you

What a beautiful Garden! Beautiful place to visit! Recommend to anyone visiting VA

Its a wonderful and magical experience every time!!

A Great botanic garden with a variety of things to see

Weve been to Ginter many times. Went yesterday to see the roses. They were absolutely beautiful. This place is very well run and maintained. Its one of the best attractions in Richmond.

My favorite place in Richmond. Love the butterfly exhibit the tulips and roses. The Japanese garden and teahouse are just lovely. Also come at Christmas and see the light show.

They have the most beautiful plants here, and some amazing exhibits. I recently visited for the LEGO exhibit, and wandered into the Butterflies Alive!, which was wonderful. The Childrens Garden and play area is incredible.

Thanks for the Free Ticket on 7/4.. We enjoyed a lot.. So many beautiful flowers and plants to see. Very well groomed for our viewing pleasure! Beautiful area, lots for the kids to do and enjoy. Will definitely head back that way again in the future, The gardens were absolutely beautiful. The entire place was so clean and well taken care of. It is truly a magical place. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. Beautiful variety of flowers and plants, just a peaceful place to stroll around and take it all in. Great giant treehouse that is loved by kids big and small. Wonderful and inventive areas for the kids to play. My favorite area is the fountain pool. Also Dont miss Butterflies Live.. This place is very hot but Its very good too..

Beautiful gardens and lakes. The views are amazing. There is also a butterfly garden but you have to make sure you come before 5. Also if you are a student you can get the 1 year membership for half the price. Totally worth it. It is also very family friendly with places for children to play in the water.

Beautiful gardens. Staff was friendly and helpful. While we were there, they were setting up for their Christmas light display. We didnt get to see it, obviously, but judging from what we saw, it should be amazing. We also got a sneak peek of their Christmas tree made of flowers. It was very striking. The greenhouse had some amazing plants and the fountains and ponds across the property are gorgeous. Highly recommend for a relaxing afternoon stroll. Will be back!

Its a magical place you can let yourself explore and enjoy natures botanical varieties.

Beautiful and nicely laid out...and we went in the winter! Cant wait to see it in full color in the spring.

Lovely evening in Richmond to view the botanical gardens. Perfect venue to take your children. Lights are magical.

The best Christmas lighting decorations and walk you’ll have in Richmond, Virginia.

It was ok for Covid being here.

So happy i got to visit this place I am filled with Gratitude to all the people who created and are taking care of this oasis of beauty, peace and healing Thank you

This place is always great to come too on their free days. It does cost alot to come here regularly but even with the amount of people its still not that bad on free days. The splash pad and childrens garden are great as well. Plenty of pokestops if you still play pokemon go.

This place is very nice and well kept. Would love to see live music here.

One of my familys absolute favorite places, the arts, the butterflies, the gardens, activities and tree house by the lake, all breathtaking & Christmas time is absolutely magical! Tranquil and is definitely a Must see.

The gardens are beautiful in their summer glory and the conservatory is a gem on the hill with orchid and cactus wings! The Wind, Waves and Light: Art in Motion by George Sherwood exhibition is fantastic!

Beautiful as always. Tea room was great!

My daughter wanted to check this place out for backgrounds for some photos. We were not disappointed

Visited in December during a mild evening. Beautiful light display for the holiday. The library at this garden is incredible. I was really impressed with their seed sharing program - very organized. The gift shop is massive. If I lived locally, I would visit monthly!

This is a beautiful area. Spent almost two hours touring the grounds and I still feel like I havent seen it all and that return visits are a must. We came out to see the LEGO sculptures that are currently being featured at the time of this review and they did not disappoint. In addition to being wonderful pieces of art, the Gardens provided educational information to accompany each sculpture. Our admission was free today to honor those who have been affected by some of the recent violence in our country which was a welcome gesture. If youre in the area you owe it to yourself to visit both to see some natural beauty and to learn about nature and conservation.

It was a nice experience when we visited during the Christmas time. Full of lights every where. The garden was decorated with one million lights.

Gorgeous gardens + orchids + unique art

Lewis Ginter is not only a beautiful location to visit for both locals and from out of town, but also a spectacular wedding venue. The staff are wonderfully helpful to both vendors and guests alike. I had the honor of photographing a clients wedding in the gardens during the spring and was blown away by how sweet and accommodating the workers and event staff were and my bride and groom had nothing but fantastic things to say about their experience as well. 10/10 will absolutely recommend the venue to future clients.

Wow, amazing and beautiful beyond words. The children were mesmerized the whole two hours. We had spent four hours during the day enjoying the gardens too. We had lunch in the Tea House and my picky eaters ate their entire meal and my salad was wonderful. What an amazing chef. I would like to take a moment and thank the people who returned my purse (left by a bench) to an employee. :). Everyone have a great Thanksgiving.

Beautiful during cherry blossom season

One of our familys favorite outings. Absolutely breathtaking. Every season had its own magic - never a missed opportunity to enjoy natures bounties. Awe inspiring and effortless exercise - dont even notice the mileage you put in out there, lol. The kids dont even complain...

Such a beautiful place with gorgeous gardens. Lots of walking. Kid-friendly.

It was absolutely beautiful and there is so much to see

It was lovely here. We went during the rose fest, when they had music and ballet going on. Id recommend it.

During the holiday season, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights. There are lights all over. They have a huge fire pit in the back, there is also station for hot chocolate and warm drinks. If you dont want to be outside then go inside the library building and enjoy one of the biggest toy train sets youve ever seen. Dont forget to get a picture in front of their gigantic Christmas tree.

This is my favourite place in Richmond.I am overwhelmed with how amazing the place is just moments of entering the garden.That view of the greenhouse far away with colourful plants surrounding made me feel i am in an utopian world elsewhere.They have childrens corner which makes it an ideal day out for families as well as for photoshoots idea.They also have an amazing gift/souvenir shop.It was worth paying usd13 admission for this place.

Just beautiful. The gardens are amazing. The butterfly exhibit is so cool. You can go back to that several times a year because different butterflies hatch at different times. I’ve been to a wedding here that was just gorgeous. The cafe is also great and has lots of options. You can eat there without paying admission. The gift shop is one of the best I’ve seen. The only bad things are the parking lot is not great and the admission is expensive.

Beautiful gardens. Loved the sculpture exhibit.

I could go on & on but simply put everything about this place is amazing! A photographer’s heaven. Love how they mixed the streams, ponds, & lakes throughout the entire garden. First time seeing a butterfly house & it was great. Laid out nicely & easy access to everything. Very clean & all staff were friendly. The kid’s section was really nice & different. This was our first visit & definitely plan on returning.

We went for the holiday light display and it was amazing. While it was night and we couldnt see the gardens, we were able to access a number of the buildings and really enjoyed the displays. Will definitely go back for a day visit. I was visiting Richmond for business and wanted to be outdoors on a beautiful Spring day with the temperature in the seventies. I searched Trip Advisor and saw these gardens recommended. Im so happy I went and will definitely visit again. I would love to see what it looks like in April as things are just getting ready to burst! I wanted some exercise and had plenty of space to walk for almost 2 hours.

My husband and I got a year membership here for a wedding gift. We’ve only been to see the lights so far, so I’d like to see how it is in spring and summer, but from what we’ve seen it’s a bit over hyped. Yes, it is beautiful, but Maymont is far more impressive in our opinion. I’m sure we will make it back during the different seasons, I’d love to see some beautiful flowers and succulents. After our membership expires, we most likely won’t feel compelled to return. Will update later on though!As a side note, during the lights event they charge $4 for a cup of hot chocolate that is clearly just Swissmiss.

My girlfriend and I went to see the holiday lights presented by Dominion Electric. Might I say it was a fine display of lights and a truly creative work of art. We hadnt been before so we were uncertain as to what to expect.What a wonderful evening and a wonderful display. I hope the photos help more than the review did.#ScottMcNuttReviewsRVA

Well worth the $13 entry to support this place....

Fantastic garden! The Christmas light show is a must see!