Nice ground. Not huge but plenty to see. Nice walking tour with lights at Christmas. Decent gift shop. Ample parking, except can be full at Christmas for lights.
wished we had been able to use it more. the exhibits are always changing and the christmas exhibit is spectacular
It's obvious that no expense was spared when the hardscape and waterscape features were developed, but much more money needs to be spent on the plantscape. I had hoped to be wowed by a wide variety of winter berries and unusual bark, but that was not the case. I was also disappointed by the limited variety of plants in the greenhouse. This botanical garden is probably at its best in the spring, summer and fall.
The garden cafe is very good, and the two soups on offer were as good as I've had anywhere.
The garden shop is really just a gift shop. They are missing out on a great opportunity by not offering a wide variety of bulbs, seeds, implements, etc. And, although it is early December, there were only 3 boxes of Christmas/Holiday cards in the store. This store could make a lot more money for Lewis Ginter if it were properly merchandised.
We went for a day trip at the request of our 9-year old son who had visited it a few days earlier with his school group. We were just in time for the butterfly exhibit but perhaps a little too late to see the real majesty of the flora. Still, despite it being the end of october, flowers and greenery were plentiful. We spent nearly a full day there and still missed out on parts of it. The place is very well maintained, excellent for walking around and relaxing and is also educational for young children and adults alike. Parking is not a problem, especially when it's not a very busy time of the year. I've read about their lighting show in the summer but we didn't get a chance to see that. Must be good, from what I hear.
In summary, worth a day's visit and the price tag. Probably not the kind of place to get a season pass for as you may or may not wish to pay repeated visits.
I had a really nice time at Lewis Ginter, it's just hard when you grew up loving Longwood Gardens (Kennett Sq, PA). We took the stroll at night to see the Christmas lights. They were pretty typical for christmas. It was very crowded when we went (lots of children running around, so bring the kids for the playgrounds!), but we did have several romantic moments alone. It was a nice change of pace, a good way to get into the holiday spirit.
If you own or manage Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.
