Children's Gardens
This page is offered as a public service without charge to any Children's Garden open to the public. If you know of a garden I should include, please send me an e-mail.
Gardens are listed alphabetically by state
Life Lab Garden Classroom
Santa Cruz, California
A two-acre model school garden learning center located at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS)
University of California at Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, California95064
(831) 459-2001
Atlanta Botanical Garden Children's Garden
Atlanta, Georgia
(404) 876-5859
Lloyd C. Erickson Park
Elwood, Illinois
The Children's Garden
Lloyd C. Erickson Park
Elwood, Illinois 60421
(815) 423-6112
Developed by Donna Banas, a local area, early childhood education professional in cooperation with the Village of Elwood, Elwood School District #203, Jackson Township
The Coyne Center Elementary School
Milan, Illinois
The web site is quite extensive, with lots of pictures and information about how the teacher works the garden into the regular school curriculum.
http://cc.sherrard.us/tg/intro.html
Coyne Center Elementary
11310 16th Street
Milan, IL 61264
ph. (309) 787-1512
fax (309) 787-1538
The Morton Arboretum
Lisle, Illinois
The Morton Arboretum is opening a new, permanent Children's Garden, opening September 10, 2005, packed with adventures and activities that will
excite kids about nature. It's one of the largest of its kind in the country, with four acres of trees, shrubs, aquatic plants and exhibits.
For more information, visit our online media kit: http://mortonarb.org
The Morton Arboretum
4100 Illinois Route 53
Lisle, Illinois 60532-1293
630-968-0074 phone
http://www.mortonarb.org
Weezie's Garden
Wellesley, Massachusetts
This whimsical children's garden opened with a gala celebration on Sunday, June 8, 2003. Designed by Julie Moir Messervy, the garden is designed as a series of small spiraling gardens, each with its own theme and different ways of engaging the senses. Located off the main path, each smaller spiral gives visitors the opportunity to plant, water or interact in some way with the garden's elements. Children's classes are held throughout the spring, summer and fall in this special garden. Weezie's Garden was recently named 2005's 'Favorite Outdoor Playspace' by The Boston Parents' Paper.
Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank
900 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
617-933-4900
Leila Arboretum Children's Garden
Battle Creek, Michigan
The Children's Garden is a one-acre site that through delightful, engaging guided programs or self-discovery, makes this connection real. Plant-related activities in this safe, easily-accessible environment encourage kids to use all their senses to connect plants to the sciences, history, literature, and the arts. The Garden's many Battle Creek and Michigan-themed features are kid magnets!
Leila Arboretum Society
928 W. Michigan Ave.
Battle Creek, MI 49017
269)-969-0270 ext. 119
http://www.leilaarboretumsociety.org/
Michigan 4-H Children's Garden
East Lansing, Michigan
Michigan 4-H Children's Garden
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
A garden where plants, children and imaginations grow. Be sure to visit, in person and on-line, "the most creative half acre in America". Don't miss this special place for the young and the young at heart.
Camden Children's Garden
Camden, New Jersey
(across the river from Philadelphia)
Camden City Garden Club
3 Riverside Drive
Camden, NJ 08103
Children's Fantasy Garden
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque Biological Park's Rio Grande Botanic Garden
903 Tenth Street SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 764-6200 ph
(505) 764-6281 fax
Part of the Albuquerque Biological Park which includes the Albuquerque Aquarium and the Rio Grande Zoo.
The Friends of the Rio Grande Botanic Garden sell sponsor walkway bricks and tiles leading to the garden.
The Everett Children's Adventure Garden
Bronx, New York
The New York Botanical Garden
200th Street and Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458
(718) 817-8700
This is a wonderful addition to the New York Botanical Garden. Full of hands-on activities, it is an internationally significant model in science education. Young people will learn about plant diversity, pollution, plant generated oxygen, solar energy, and medicinal plants. They will discover that science is fun and exciting and enjoy nature in a garden filled with adventure at every turn.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Read the history of the oldest children's garden in the U.S. http://www.bbg.org/edu/children/cg_history.html
Ithaca Children's Garden
Ithaca, New York
Tompkins County Cooperative Extension Education Center
615 Willow Avenue
Ithaca, NY 044850
(607) 272-2292 phone
(607) 272-7088 fax
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/tompkins/ithacachildrensgarden/
Hershey Children's Garden
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland Botanical Garden
11030 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
(216) 721-1600
info@cbgarden.org
The 25,000 square foot addition to Cleveland Botanical Garden will give urban children the chance to experience the natural world first-hand. It will also enhance learning opportunities for all children and their families.
The garden is being funded primarily through grants from the Hershey Foundation and members of the Hershey family of Cleveland. It will serve as a model for educators who come to Cleveland Botanical Garden to learn about the installation and maintenance of gardens and green spaces on school grounds.
"The garden will be an interactive, playful outdoor world where kids can learn about the value of plants, gardening and the interconnectedness of nature, and we are proud and excited to be part of this worthwhile project," remarked Debbie Guren, Hershey family representative. The garden will include a treehouse, a cave, a bog, a pond, an orchard, a root viewing and activity garden, a scrounger garden, worm bins, playhouses, vegetable and flower gardens, and other attractions -- all designed to appeal to a child's sense of curiosity, imagination and fun.
The garden was designed by Herbert R. Schall and Joe McGrane of EDAW, Inc., Jeff Knopp of William Behnke Associates, Inc., and noted children's author and lecturer Sharon Lovejoy, with significant input from Botanical Garden staff and board members, local educators and Cleveland area children. "As a public institution and catalyst for community and educational initiatives, Cleveland Botanical Garden is striving to reach broad and diverse audiences and involve people of all ages in plant-related activities that can enhance their quality of life," said CGB Executive Director Brian E. Holley. Located in University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland Botanical Garden is a non-profit public garden and center of horticulture education for the community.
Pinebrook Children's Garden
Pinebrook Bible Conference and Retreat Center
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
In close proximity to Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Pinebrook Children's Garden has been developed as a tribute to Laura Ziegler Cassel, a warm and full-of-life woman who loved nature, children, her family and God. The goal for the garden is to provide a place where children (and those young in heart) will visit frequently to enjoy the themes of the garden, have fun while learning and be able to interact with garden displays. One strength of the garden is the labelled identification of most of the plants and flowers.
On the property of Pinebrook Bible Conference (on Route 191, four miles north of Stroudsburg, PA), the Garden is at its optimum in the heart of the summer. But visitors are welcome at other times of year as well. There is no fee for visiting.
Laura's sister Nell (Eleanor Z. Ruch) is the garden's caregiver. She may be reached via cell phone 215-237-6877 or by emailing russandnell@gmail.com. She will provide a cost-free personalized tour for individuals or groups. To see photos of the garden, go to http://fbfawana.com/lauragardrev.html, then link to Pinebrook Children's Garden in the middle of the Home Page.
More information can be obtained by contacting:
Pinebrook Bible Conference and Retreat Center
PO Box 1
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 424-1212.
Pinebrook is a year round ministry of the Bible Fellowship Church.
Bee-aMazed Children's Garden
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Longwood Garden
Route 1, PO Box 501
Kennett Square PA 19348-0501
(610) 388-1000
Visit the Bee-aMazed Children's Garden: http://longwoodgardens.com/WhatsNew/Renovations/BeeaMazedChildrensGarden.htm
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
One Schenley Park (Frank Curto Drive)
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Pamela Reddy
Communications Coordinator
(412) 622-6915, ext. 6802
Carolina Children's Garden
Columbia, South Carolina
Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center
Physical address:
900 Clemson Road
Columbia, SC 29229
Mailing address:
PO Box 23205
Columbia, SC 29224
www.carolinachildrensgarden.org
(803) 459-3212
E-mail: carolinachildrensgarden (at) gmail.com
The Carolina Children's Garden (CCG), located at the Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center in northeast Columbia (across from Village at Sandhill), invites you to explore, imagine, and enjoy our site! With approximately two acres of land, twelve themed gardens, an amphitheatre, a sandbox, playhouses, picnic tables, and several benches, the CCG offers hours of fun to children (and adults!) of all ages.
The American Horticultural Society
George Washington's River Farm
Alexandria, Virginia
American Horticultural Society
7931 East Boulevard Drive
Alexandria, VA 22308-1300
(703) 768-5700
(703) 768-8700 fax
E-mail: info@ahs.org
Designed to stimulate children's interest in gardens, these 10 examples include 3 designs: Beau Beau's garden, the Boat garden and the Zig-Zag garden. Beau Beau's garden was designed specifically to a child's scale, intentionally made to host children more comfortably than adults. The Boat garden design recalls the simple flat iron skiffs common on fishing grounds in the early 1800's. At one time these skiffs could be seen from River Farm sailing on the Potomac River.
Norfolk Botanical Garden
Norfolk, Virginia
(March 29, 2006) After months of construction at the site of World of Wonders, tomorrow the Children's Garden at Norfolk Botanical Garden will really start to take root. At 9:30 Thursday morning, the first trees will go into the ground, helping to grow the groundwork for what will become the largest children's garden on the East Coast.
Tomorrow's plantings will be in Plant Safari. The first to go in the ground in the Children's Garden will be the Quercus bicolor, or Swamp White Oak. Curators and gardeners will also plant Querius falcate, or Southern Red Oak, and Betalus nigra, or Riverbirch. All of the trees to be planted tomorrow were generously donated by the City of Norfolk.
To watch the landmark plantings at World of Wonders, to schedule a private tour, or for more information, contact Mariesa Woodring at (757) 441-5830 ext. 346 or mariesa.woodring@nbgs.org.
The mission of Norfolk Botanical Garden is to enrich life by promoting the enjoyment of plants and the environment through beautiful gardens and educational programs. The garden is open to the public 365 days a year. Visit www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org for photos, hours, special events and other information.
Waisman Center
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/dg/
Discovery Garden is an outdoor learning environment for children that is affiliated with the Waisman Early Childhood Program (http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/ecfr.html).
Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280
Telephone: (608) 263-5776 or (608) 263-5910
TDD: (608) 263-0802
FAX: (608) 263-0529
Gertrude B. Nielsen Children's Garden
Green Bay Botanical Garden, Inc.
P.O. Box 12644
Green Bay, WI 54307-2644
The Gertrude B. Nielsen Children's Garden is an interactive formal gardenat Green Bay Botanical Garden. Children are able to weave their way through a maze, slide down the slide from a treehouse, and look for tadpoles in our frog pond. They can also see what's growing in the Peter Rabbitt Garden, tell time by the sundial, or enjoy a story with a topiary rabbitt.
Green Bay Botanical Garden also offers a nationally recognized children's summer gardening program. In the summer-long program, children ages 5 through 14 plant and care for their own garden plot and participate in a variety of activities to engage their energy as they learn more about plants and nature.
For more information on either of these children's gardens, please feel free to contact the Director of Education, Matthew Cole, at mcole@gbbg.org, or visit their website at www.gbbg.org.
