A chance to connect to nature just a short drive from Austin's busy downtown, Zilker Botanical Garden encompasses over 12 hectares (31 acres) of varied topography on the south bank of the Colorado River. Originally established in 1955, the garden now features exotic, native, and hybrid plants. A welcome escape from the city's hustle and bustle, this nature park contains several themed gardens interconnected by scenic trails. Begin your visit with a walk to the prehistoric garden, designed to represent plants from the Cretaceous Period when dinosaurs roamed these grounds. The garden also includes a life-size sculpture of an Ornithomimus, the dinosaur believed to have left his tracks here. In the Japanese garden you'll find a teahouse to explore. A visit to Zilker Botanical Garden represents just the start of the adventure when you use our Austin road trip tool to plot your vacation.
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Zilker Botanical Garden reviews
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I’ve been to at least half a dozen Japanese gardens, and the one here might be my favorite. Everywhere you look, there’s a beautiful view. The prehistoric garden is nice, too. Great views of the city.... more
I’ve been to at least half a dozen Japanese gardens, and the one here might be my favorite. Everywhere you look, there’s a beautiful view. The prehistoric garden is nice, too. Great views of the city.... more »
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We went on a Thursday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. Plenty of room to meander and enjoy the grounds. Felt very lucky to go during the temporary neon art displays (only thru April 2022...
We went on a Thursday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. Plenty of room to meander and enjoy the grounds. Felt very lucky to go during the temporary neon art displays (only thru April 2022... more »
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An absolutely gorgeous garden with something for every nature lover to connect with. Been to Botanical gardens all across the country. This is easily one of best. Gorgeous views of city. Wildlife abounds. Various gardens within garden make for stunning vista's 360 degrees round. I would say gift shop leaves a lot to be desired if you are into that sort of thing however. Gardens were stunning and I would go back weekly.
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If you have a Botanical Gardens pass for another park - it gets you into about 300 of them across the US! If you are a gardens member elsewhere - make sure you mention that prior to paying an entrance fee. The lovely gentleman who checked us in at this park let us know that and we have had a Dallas Botanical Garden Pass for two years and had no idea! It’s great to know she doing road trips and wanting to check out other gardens! Now….onto my review for this property. Beautiful flowers, landscaping, and friendly staff! You can see the Austin skyline at one spot in the park and it’s beautiful. There’s a waterfall with turtles and a few small snakes as well. Huge variety of plants and awesome landscaping.
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