Atlanta Botanical Garden
"Let’s start big picture. What’s the vibe here?Adjacent to Atlanta’s verdant Piedmont Park, it’s easy to see why this 30-acre oasis in the heart of Midtown welcomes more than half a million visitors each year. In 2010 it nearly doubled its size when it opened the Canopy Walk, a 600-foot walkway suspended in the trees. Guests can visit the steamy orchid house, walk through the edible garden of native plants (though they are edible, resist the temptation!), and stop for an upscale meal at Longleaf, one of the few restaurants in the world to be housed in a botanical garden. Installations and special exhibits like a holiday light show further the wow factor. There are a host of different gardens around the rambling grounds, and it’s serene, sure, but it’s more than that. ABG leads a number of nationally recognized conservation efforts, including the Orchid Conservation Institute, the Conservation Greenhouse for endangered plants, and a program to save rare frogs. Any standout features or must-sees?Two elements of the Garden’s permanent collections seem to get the most rave reviews: the Fuqua Orchid Center and the aforementioned Canopy Walk. There are more than 2,000 species in the 16,000-square-foot Orchid Center, the largest collection of its kind in the United States. It’s fragrant, steamy, and impressive, and the conservation efforts help save 60 species native to Georgia. When you walk along the 600-foot-long, 12-foot-wide suspension bridge that is the Canopy Walk, you’ll be 40 feet above a woodland tangle of hydrangeas, azaleas, and perennials below. The bridge, anchored by huge masts among the trees, feels like it’s floating between some of Atlanta’s oldest hardwoods. Is it easy to get around?The Gardens are large, but simple to navigate. Snag a map at the entrance and explore at your own pace. There are plenty of benches, restrooms, and shade throughout the grounds, so visiting is comfortable year-round. Most everything is accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, both of which are available to borrow or rent at the ticket counter. All said and done, what—and who—is this best for?While you’ll get your blood flowing walking around the 30 acres, this isn’t a place you’d come for a workout (if you’re determined to run, bike, or rollerblade, Piedmont Park is immediately adjacent). You’ll want to take your time and meander around, taking in the different themed gardens—Japanese gardens, native plants, ponds of water plants, dwarf and rare conifer, and hardy palms to name a few—at a leisurely pace." - Jennifer Bradley Franklin
