Local’s Guide to the Atlanta Botanical Garden

The moment you step into the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the city fades away and your surroundings are replaced by orchids dripping with color, towering sculptures made of greenery, and winding trails under a canopy of trees. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is an oasis in the heart of Midtown. Get all the best tips for visiting in my ultimate guide to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Visiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden is my favorite way to connect with nature without ever having to leave the city. This 30-acre urban oasis has stunning gardens, art installations, and seasonal events that are worth timing your visit around (especially during the winter when they have their fan-favorite light show!).

With so much to see and do, planning your first visit can be overwhelming. After multiple visits to the Garden, I’ve put together this local’s guide to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, filled with must-see highlights, things to do, and practical information to make the most of your visit.

About the Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden first opened its doors in 1973 in Midtown Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. This urban oasis has grown to covers 30 acres of beautiful gardens that are the gem of Midtown.

The gardens are a work of art, from the giant topiary Earth Goddess to unique blown glass creations from Dale Chihuly.

Each season brings new blooms and exciting events, so the Garden is worth a visit any day of the year!

Atlanta Botanical Garden Highlights

There are over 30 different garden areas for you to explore. Check out some of the most popular gardens and see what’s in bloom. You can view a garden map here.

Earth Goddess of the Cascades Garden

The Cascades Carden is one of the most tranquil spots in the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It’s highlighted by the Earth Goddess, a 25-foot living sculpture that has flowing locks of living plants and an out-held hand that captures the water spilling from the waterfalls that give this garden its name.

In the winter, the Earth Goddess is transformed into an Ice Goddess and decked out in icy blue holiday lights.

The arbored pavilion is the perfect place for a quiet rest. The pools in this garden are surrounded by tropical like bananas, cannas, gingers, and palms.

It’s definitely my favorite place in the Garden!

Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory

Opened in 1989, the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory highlights tropical and desert region botanicals from regions around the world.

The 16,000-square-foot conservatory is divided into five display areas:

• The Tropical Rotunda highlights the equatorial tropics with both plants and animals (like Coqui Frogs and the Phantasmal Poison Frog, plus an alligator snapping turtle!). Plants include ferns, cycads, melastomes, epiphytic plants, tropical conifers, and tropical palms.
• The Orangerie is a greenhouse that grows fresh citrus fruit, tropical fruits, nuts, and other economically, medicinally, and industrially significant plants. You’ll find oranges, lemons, nutmeg, cocoa, coffee, and more here.
• The Conservatory Lobby hosts the annual Orchid Daze exhibitions and amphibian displays.
• The Desert House highlights the unique plants that thrive in a harsh desert environment, mostly featuring succulents.
• The Special Collection Exhibits features themed plants that change seasonally.

Fuqua Orchid Center

The Fuqua Orchid Center displays a rare collection of high-elevation orchids never before grown in the Southeast. There are more than 200 genera and 2,000 species represented in the Center’s vast colleciton.

Some of their featured collection include orchids of Madagascar, tropical Asian slipper orchids, Euglossine bee-pollinated orchids, and moth orchids.

There are also other tropical plants plants cultivated in here as well.

Storza Woods

Storza Woods covers 10 acres and is one of the few remaining secondary growth mature hardwood forests in Atlanta.

Tulip poplars tower over the woods; they’re the tallest trees in this forest. You’ll also find the Carolina silverbell, daffodils in bloom in the spring, and plenty of wildflowers and ferns.

There are several distinct gardens within Storza Woods. These include the:

• Glade Garden
• Bowl Garden
• Channel Garden
• Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlook
• Azalea Walk
• and Camellia Walk

Kendeda Canopy Walk

Kendeda Canopy Walk opened in 2010 and allowed the Garden to double its size. This walkway soaring 40 feet above the ground winds over Storza Woods and connects the original gardens with 15 additional acres of woodlands.

The suspension bridge is considered the largest tree canopy-level walkway of its kind in the US. It’s towering masts disappear among the treetops and make you feel like you’re floating above the forest floor.

Skyline Garden

The 1.5-acre Skyline Garden overlooks Piedmont Park and contrasts the modern Atlanta skyline with a variety of plantings.

Terraced planters are filled with cacti and succulents that love the heat and still thrive in Georgia’s winters. The Aquatic Plant Pond houses tropical and hardy water lilies, lotus, and rare Victoria “Longwood Hybrid” water lilies.

Other plant highlights include the Chaste Tree, the White Pitcher Plant, Thistle Cholla, and Rattlesnake Master.

Japanese Garden

The Japanese Garden was started on this site in the 1960s by the Atlanta Bonsai Society before the Atlanta Botanical Garden even began. It was then part of Piedmont Park and consisted largely of bonsai plants.

The Garden restored the site in 1980 and added a small pond, stone walls and fences, and incorporated several styles of traditional Japanese gardens. The Moon Gate provides a picturesque view into the garden that’s Instagram-worthy.

Plantings here include Satsuki Azaleas, Irises, Japanese Maples, Japanese White Pine, weeping Japanese Persimmons, and rare harp-string Nandina bamboo.

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights

The annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights in the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s festive winter holiday event with nearly 2 billion lights adorning the gardens.

It’s one of the most popular holiday light displays in Atlanta. The Ice Goddess covered in twinkling lights, the dancing Nature’s Wonders in Storza Woods, the dancing Orchestral Orbs on the Great Lawn, and an elaborate miniature world of Model Trains are just a few highlights.

For many Atlantans (myself included), this is one of their favorite holiday traditions!

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights is on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from November 15, 2025 through January 11, 2026.

Alice’s Wonderland

Alice’s Wonderland is a crowd-favorite larger-than-life Alice In Wonderland exhibit that the Atlanta Botanical Garden has hosted a few times now.

It’s a traveling exhibit, so it’s not always on display, but it’s a huge crowd-pleaser when it is here. The exhibition features 38 living plant sculptures inspired by Alice In Wonderland.

Sculptures include things like the Queen of Hearts playing her curious version of croquet, Alice spinning in a whirl of teacups and playing cards, the Cheshire Cat grinning down at you from a hidden perch, a Chess Set army, and a 27-foot-tall White Rabbit.

Alice’s Wonderland is on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from May 10, 2025 through September 14, 2025.

Things to Do at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Discover more things to see and do on your visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

See What’s in Bloom

The best time to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden is when your favorite flowers are in bloom! And there’s always something beautiful in bloom. Here are the most popular blooms and when you can see them in color at the Gardens:

• Early Spring: Daffodils (early March to mid-April); Cherry Blossoms (mid-March and lasts 2 weeks); Tulips (March to early May); Dogwoods (early April and lasts 2-3 weeks).
• Spring and Early Summer: Azaleas (early April to early Fall); Fern Dell (mid-April to late October); Dwarf Drift Roses (April through November); Native Azaleas (April to June); Encore Azaleas (April to June); rhododendrons (early May and lasts 2-3 weeks); Knockout Roses (early May through November); Hydrangeas (mid-May through October); Waterlilies (mid-May through November).
• Summer: Daylily (June through July); Crape Myrtles (early July through August); Annuals and Perennials (Spring-Fall with the peak in Summer).
• Fall: Encore Azaleas (September to November); Japanese Maples (mid-October through mid-November).

Attend Special Events

Attend special events at the Garden, like their popular Cocktails in the Garden series in the summer, their Alice’s Wonderland topiary display, or their seasonal events like Scarecrows in the Garden in October or Garden Lights, Holiday Nights in the winter.

The Garden always has some sort of art display, whether it’s new sculptures or a new addition to their Chihuly Collection, or a special exhibition like Enchanted Tres by Poetic Kinetics.

They even have culinary experiences in their Outdoor Kitchen, plus garden tours, garden courses, exercise classes, art classes, and more.

Eat at Longleaf

The Garden has three on-site dining options: the Longleaf Restaurant, the Longleaf Quick Café, and the Snack Bar. There are also beverage and snack carts located throughout the Garden.

• Longleaf Restaurant is a full-service restaurant that offers table service. It has scenic views in the heart of the Garden.
• Longleaf Quick Café offers grab-and-go pre-made or made-to-order takeout that you can take home or enjoy at a scenic spot within the Gardens.
• The Snack Bar offers quick bites and beverages (including beer, wine, and cocktails) near the Japanese and Perennial gardens.

Shop at the Garden Gift Shop

The Garden Gift Shop offers one-of-a-kind items like art, home decor, paintings, books, children’s toys, and more.

The gift shop is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Address: 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Admission: Tickets to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for a weekday visit cost $27.95 for adults online and $29.95 for adults in-person; $24.95 for children ages 3-12 online and $26.95 in-person; and free for children under 3.

Tickets to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for a weekend visit cost $32.95 for adults online and $34.95 in-person; $29.95 for children online and $31.95 in-person; and free for children under 3.

FLEX Tickets allow you to change the date of your visit and can be added to any ticket for an extra $5.

Hours: The Atlanta Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Garden does not require timed tickets. Online tickets are purchased for a specific date, but they can be used anytime that day for entry.

Please note that this is a card-only establishment; cash is not accepted.

Parking: On-site parking is available at the SAGE Parking Facility via Piedmont Avenue. Parking costs $3 for 31-60 minutes, $2 for each additional 30 minutes, and a max of $30 per day.

Accessibility: Nearly all of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is accessible to wheelchairs. Complimentary wheelchairs are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. Scooters can be rented for $30 for 4 hours.

Where to Stay Near the Atlanta Botanical Garden

There are so many great hotels in Atlanta to choose from! But if the Atlanta Botanical Garden is at the top of your Atlanta to-do list, then you might want to choose the closest hotel. Here are the closest top-rated hotels near the Gardens:

• The Starling Atlanta Midtown, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Residence Inn by Marriott Atlanta Midtown/Peachtree at 17th
• Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
• AC Hotel by Marriott Atlanta Midtown
• Moxy Atlanta Midtown

Atlanta Botanical Garden FAQ

• Epicurean Atlanta Review: A Foodie Hotel in Midtown Atlanta
• 20+ Best Things to Do in Spring in Atlanta
• Ultimate Guide to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival
• 16 Fun Things to Do During Summer in Atlanta
• 10 Best Parks in Atlanta for a Picnic
• 99+ Fun Things to Do in Atlanta (From a Local)
• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden

---

Ready to visit Atlanta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Get Familiar With the City: Check out my Ultimate Guide to Atlanta to help plan your trip!
• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Atlanta using Booking.com.
• Save on Attractions: Save 50% on admission to Atlanta’s top attractions using the Atlanta CityPASS.

---

Cheers!

Paige

Did you find this guide to the Atlanta Botanical Garden helpful? Let me know in the comments!