Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

I've photographed countless sessions at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden including proposals, weddings, engagements, and family portraits, and it never disappoints. The beautifully maintained gardens provide a stunning backdrop with lush greenery and colorful blooms that make every session special. The staff at Lewis Ginter are wonderful and accommodating to photographers. They understand how to help create these memorable moments while keeping everything running smoothly. The gardens offer endless gorgeous spots throughout the seasons. Whether it's a surprise proposal, engagement photos, or family session, the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere create the perfect setting every time. If you're planning any type of portrait session in Richmond, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an outstanding choice. I return here time and time again for good reason. Highly recommend! Stephen Lawson Photography

The lights of LG are a delight to behold this holiday season.The thoughtful intentionality of the displays is evident through out the garden. Bundle up and go. You won't be disappointed! After the lights be sure to catch the model trains display at its best. All aboard!

The gardens are beautiful. I was very impressed by the size of the gardens as well as how well everything was labeled. There were also interesting art pieces displayed throughout. While I do not have children, there were lots of play areas and even a little water sections that would be perfect for children. Be prepared to walk a lot as there is a lot gardens to see. My only complaint would be that the butterfly conservatory was completely closed but it was the same price. I feel like that is a bug part of the experience so if it is not opened, they should adjust the admission price.

What a gem! Had the lovely opportunity to visit the gardens and discover they were hosting a concert the next day — so fun! Incredible section for children and families. Pond is a great spot for taking some Time to see what’s swimming around. Quite a bit of construction at the moment, which didn’t interfere with the enjoyment of the gardens.

August 2025 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is beautifully maintained, with a nice variety of flowers, plants, and walking paths. It’s a relaxing place to spend an hour or two, and there are plenty of benches and shaded spots to just sit and take in the scenery. The themed gardens and water features add a nice touch, and everything feels thoughtfully designed. KID FRIENDLY! The Children’s Garden is a hit — with a splash area, play spaces, and sand box. It’s a great stop if you’re in the Richmond area and want to enjoy some fresh air and nature.

Visited the light show 2 separate years- 2023 & 2025 and both times were very nice. I felt like the 2023 display was bigger? Maybe it’s just my memory. 🤷‍♀️ Either way we enjoyed it!

More lights than last year. Hot choc, expresso available for sell near kids area. Parking crowded, but it did not take long for a spot to open up. Trains inside was fun as well.

We had our Elopement Ceremony at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on 5/5/25, and it was truly amazing! The entire setting was like a dream. The gardens were bursting with vibrant flowers in full bloom, creating the most beautiful and romantic backdrop for our vows. Everywhere we turned, there were gorgeous spots perfect for photos, which made capturing our special day so easy and memorable. The staff at Lewis Ginter were incredibly helpful, kind, and professional from start to finish. They answered all our questions promptly, helped us plan the details of our ceremony, and made sure everything went smoothly on the big day. We felt so well taken care of, and it allowed us to fully relax and enjoy the moment. I absolutely loved having our wedding here and can’t recommend this venue enough to anyone looking for a stunning, peaceful, and unforgettable place to say “I do.” Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden made our elopement everything we dreamed it would be!

Lewis Ginter still holds a special spot in my heart after 5 years since my last review. They are currently going through a renovation. I'm super excited to come back when that is complete. I've had the opportunity to eat at their restaurant and 5 stars all around for that. The staff overall continues to be engaging, helpful, kind and service with a smile! The store is pretty big and has so many great items. The merchandise changes throughout the season. Definitely a place you can pick up a gift of two. There is even a dedicated children's area. There are bathrooms throughout the property while visiting. They have always been clean when I've visited.

"I liked seeing the bees and the caterpillars. I hope they have good naps in their cocoons. I'm excited for the new greenhouses. The splash zone looked fun. They should make one adult sized." " I second Autumn, this boy wants to SPLASH. Yup, next time we'll bring the swimwear. Too many pretty flowers and buggies to not be smiling! Free.99 is a great price too :) Happy Labor Day from Autumn and Alex!" "Buzz buzz" - da bee.

Still 5 stars but can now recommend the Garden Lights. It is much more expansive than my local gardens-Meadowlark and Brookside- but is too far too recommend unless you plan to stay overnight or are already in the area. Adults are $25. I spent about 2 hours wandering. They have a few spots set up with drinks as well as s'more roasting. The garden cafe is also open serving light fare. Be sure to visit the model trains and fairy village inside too. The garden shop is lovely and all holiday items were 20% off.

We came for the Dominion Lights Show for the holiday season. Unfortunately it was much shorter than expected and a little pricey at $25 per person. Parking was fine, as they had people directing traffic. I enjoyed the shops, filled with ornaments and cool holiday decor. I would come back in the spring/summer when the plants are in bloom. As for the lights, I felt like it was worth about $10 per person an not worth the 2 hour drive for us.

Such a dreamy magical place right here in Richmond. Definitely worth exploring especially during the summer and the holidays when they have the light show

I was quite disappointed how bare this place was. March 30 is a peak Sakura, cherry blossom season and the day I visited was 81F. However, there was hardly any flowers in bloom. a row of tulip was cute, but sparse. A few cherry trees were in bloom, but it was one of the those white variety not the pink one. The inside tropical flowers I had high expectations since it is independent of outside temperature, but there was hardly much to see. I guess that 1 big aloe plant and 1 cacao tree was fun. I was hoping it would be as good as Minnesota's conservatory, but it was very bare. The education center/library was nice. Beautiful room with specialized books about plants in particular is nice. Food option was rather disappointing too. I will try to check it out again mid summer to see it gets any better.

We had a terrific experience working with Lewis Ginter to host our wedding. The event planning staff was great, from our initial inquiries, through the planning process, to the last few weeks leading up to our wedding getting all the details squared away. The Bloemendaal House was the perfect venue for us in that it allowed us to have an outdoor wedding near the city without having to pay to erect a tent ourselves. While we didn't need it, the staff was ready to accommodate a rain plan and kept the setup flowing smoothly. The catering and bar service were excellent, and it was so convenient to work with a venue that has a great in-house caterer. They kindly fielded requests from us all the way up to our wedding week. We had many positive comments on the food from our guests, particularly the mini beef wellingtons and tomato soup! They were also happy to have us bring in a non-traditional dessert option (an ice cream wagon!). The staff also took care to bring us drinks and food as the bride and groom to make sure we were well taken care of. Photos courtesy of https://vnessphotography.com/

It's a beautiful serene garden that has a wide variety of plants, comfortable walkways and an inviting children's garden. During hot weather, the water pad is a great place to bring children to cool off and play.

What a cool place this is! We came for the first time during the holiday lights season. The giant indoor greenhouse is so freaking cool! The leaves that are bigger than a child, the peaceful atmosphere. It was amazing. The lights are pretty cool, some of them are really hard to figure out what they are, but I still really liked the lights. And some of them are unbelievably cool. I am really interested in seeing this place again during different seasons to see how it changes.

Lewis Ginter has it all splash pad, beautiful gardens, kids play area, kids garden, kids library and adult library. We also love that you can get food here and eat inside or outside in the gardens. During the holidays there are really nice lights and they serve treats and hot chocolate along with adult beverages. The concerts are also really nice and setup well.

Beautiful garden grounds of course. I came with my friends kids, one of them being a toddler. Who loved the castle like play house area... although the windy narrow steep staircase made me a bit nervous... I see little ones going up and down those things, and I dunnnoooo, seems risky for a very small child.... We ate at what I guess is the cafeteria area... the place grows their own lettuce and what not which is always nice. I ordered a flat bread, it was okay.. was nice that it came with a side salad and fruit. I was just visiting from out of town... all and all, the grounds were most impressive and beautiful to walk around. I imagine it's wonderful when everything is in bloom!

Beautifully laid out paths. Very good food in the cafe. Can't wait to come back when the huge new addition to the conservatory is finished.

Excellent gift shop with garden related items and more. The grounds are amazing, walkable and were currently under construction with vast improvements and enlargements coming. We got in the last weekend before they closed the greenhouse for renovations. The are behind and below the greenhouse is expanding. Great play area for kids.

This was an absolutely beautiful sprawling garden. You sort of walk in and get the impression that the garden is mainly made up of a circular pond with a large greenhouse behind it. But if you follow the paths and trails, you're led through a really enchanted journey full of different species of plants. There's a treehouse style structure that is cute for kids to play on. There's even a little playground for kids as well. I'll say that I haven't been to many a garden, and the garden in my area that I love (Brookside Gardens) is still a favorite of mine. But I will say that the Lewis Ginter Garden takes it to a whole new level for me. Now, it is a paid entry. I can't quite remember how much it cost but I want to say somewhere around 10-14 dollars. But It is well worth the money. It couldn't have been a nicer stroll and a really peaceful and awesome exploration that I would 100% suggest if you are in Richmond. Truly a gem.

This was a nice garden location. I would love to see it here in spring. I love the treehouse with the rocking chairs on the deck and view of the little lake. It's very tranquil and peaceful. I could see having a picnic here when it's warmer on the lawn. Really neat place.

Thrilled that there is a beautiful botanical garden in Richmond. While a little further out from the main attractions in the city, it is a peaceful place to escape to. We came here for the evening glow event and you could tell the level of detail that is put into the event each year. There are miles of string lights around massive trees and walkways so you never feel that you are in the dark. While it seemed crowded, it was only a bit at the beginning so you could freely walk around. They have plenty of popup bars so if you need to warm yourself up you can or stop in the inside rooms for a break. They offer walkers at the front building and many of the paths are accessible. We could not tell much about the florals because of the time of day, but would recommend bundling up for the glow event and going once.

Beautiful local gardens. I've had the membership for a few years which is great to see the holiday lights, attend live music events, etc. The gift shop always has something good like festive earrings, ornaments, or items for your home/garden. Highly recommend a visit!

Feast for the tummy as well as the eyes! Vegan offerings in the Garden Cafe are very satisfying & beautifully prepared. Children's garden, shaded walkways, private event tea house.

Love that this garden is by our house. We had won family membership at an autism auction and I have no regrets. This was perfect for me and my boys to do on any (non-rainy) day. They even have story time on Friday and sat! If anything, we went typically every week and I'm so glad I did. I took this opportunity to get them familiar with the layout and settings before the garden lights event in the winter. This is a great place to get some fresh air and not overly crowded. (I guess it really does depend on when you go. We typically go first thing in the AM.) anyways, but the time the winter lights were up I felt very comfortable letting them slightly roam. If anything, it was not a new place so it didn't overwhelm them. Love everything about this place and themes. We will be renewing our membership! (They do also offer discounts for public service members. Be sure to check it out at the front desk!)

Lewis Ginter is totally worth it if you're a student. They have so many fun activities that happen throughout the year that make it a nice place to visit all year round. The light show during the winter is probably one of the best ones I've seen. They've been nominated multiple times as the best light show in the country. The fact that there's member only nights where we get in free makes the membership so worth it. I love the butterfly garden so any time it is open I stop there first. They host lots of events here too whether it's plant swaps or cooking classes.

Being a plant lover of course Lewis Ginger Botanical Gardens is one of my favorite places in Richmond! This winter I decided to go and see the light show and it was exquisite! The variety of light displays were very thoughtful and highlighted the gardens. We enjoyed taking photos by the giant Christmas tree and sojourning through the children's garden. I would recommend bundling up as the temperatures tend to drop while you're out having a good time. This is a place for all ages and a great way to spend quality time with friends and family!

This garden is absolutely beautiful. They have a daily pass and a membership pass and if you go more than once a year then the yearly is worth it. They have all kinds of classes for all ages for garden, plants, art and more listed on their website. You can spend all day here if you like with the day or yearly pass. In December they have the lights show, I do suggest bundling up as temps do drop very quickly. They have a splash pad during the summer months that is good for kids and adults together. They have a nice Garden Cafe and the staff and food are fantastic. Everything about this place is amazing.

This is an excellent botanical garden all year round. From unique, interactive experiences for kiddos to an amazing holiday light display, it's a great place to explore.

We love the Flowers after 5 music series at LGBG! The food and beer aren't cheap, but where are they? This week we had the chicken salad croissant and heard the Jangling Reinhardts- a good night all around.

VENUE GOOD: The garden is expensive to join, concert is free all well and good but at that hour we need and want some food MUSIC GREAT FOOD is VERY VERY bad. Expensive and extremely limited. NOT worth it and where are the food trucks? Some options for those who want to eat from 4:45 pm to 8 pm?

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens offers a beautiful, natural, and quiet retreat into nature. It's just the right size to enjoy its beauty without exhausting yourself. The gardens comprise winding paths showcasing a variety of flowers, plants, trees, shrubs, and water features, and includes abundant signs identifying the plants. We really appreciate the plant information and learn a lot each visit. Seeing so many species can be overwhelming. The gardens include a spectacular glass house, which contains their orchids, tropical plants, and seasonal butterfly experience. Both adults and kids enjoy the children's educational area with fun activities. The Visitor Center includes a cafe with made-to-order and ready-made items like soups, sandwiches, a salad bar, hot entree, burgers, and desserts. There is also an exquisite three-room gift shop with garden items, clothing, jewelry, note cards, candles, and more. If you'd like to learn more about horticulture, they have an educational center with a library and other spaces. Parking is free. Check online for admission prices. Membership offers reciprocity at other gardens around the country and tickets to special events like to holiday light display.

The place is under massive renovation. In a nutshell, at the current moment it's a large noisy and dusty building site, with some flower meadows and walking paths around it. The major attractions like conservatory and butterflies are out of use. The place at the moment is not worth a visit even if it was free for public. But! They would still charge you a full price. And, the fact of rennovation and limited availability is not well illuminatied. In fact, the lady who sold the tickets told me about it only after she charged my card, and drew my attention to a small fine print sign on her desk. Which i wouldn't even notice otherwise. So, me and my daughter went in... tried to enjoy what was available, but there wasn't much. Mostly spectacular views of the renovations in progress, that only a building engineer would appreciate. So I was somewhat disappointed, since the plan of tranquil morning in nature with my daughter went down hill. I even tried to request a refund when leaving 20 minutes later (I never normally do it, but the way it was managed this time - it was just pissed). Well, no refund, of course.

I cannot rave about this place enough! The membership is so worth it. I love using it to visit year round, but I also love that it gets me into so many other Botanical Gardens (and some museums) in the U.S. Lewis Ginter is one of those botanical gardens that is great to visit any time during the year. In the spring you have the beautiful tulips and roses, in the summer comes fun events, autumn brings fall colors, and winter brings the Dominion GardenFest of Lights. The pride and joy of this spot is its greenhouse. This gorgeous, glass structure looks great in any photo you take of it. Inside is filled with lush green life. It's a sweet escape that transports you to somewhere tropical filled with orchids, but also a dry desert. The little gnome home inside is decorated with tons of details and changes throughout the year. I love this garden. It's a great spot to take kids, enjoy tea (at the Asian Valley), people watch, bird watch, flower watch, and explore. I always find a new section to explore during my time here. It's a really great place to visit.

I love Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and I go every year for the Christmas lights and the Butterfly exhibit.. I have never done one of the concerts that happen there. I went with a friend to see Gregory Alan Isakov and it was a cold night and I was on the top of the hill in a lawn chair and looking at the stars while listening to his amazing music,. It was so magical!!! My only complaint...is it was freezing and they didn't have any hot drinks like hot cider or hot chocolate but that's all!

I love to visit a botanical garden whenever I'm visiting a new city, so we visited the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden when we were in Richmond for a weekend a few weeks ago. I was a little underwhelmed. Maybe it just was too late or too early for pretty blooms, but the gardens weren't as beautiful or plentiful as other botanical gardens I've visited. It was a quick visit. Not a terrible place to visit but I wouldn't call it a must visit in Richmond.

First time visit and already fell in love. Beautiful landscape. Customer service is very nice here. Will def come here again

This is a fantastic place with many amazing Incanto sculptures. The grounds were well maintained and the staff very eager to help or just assist you. Volunteers were busy throughout the gardens ensuring all was in good shape. There was even a children's area for kids to play and enjoy. Highly recommend this place as you won't be disappointed.

There's always something for everyone at the garden. Great exhibits, seasonal flowers, trees and classes. There's a library which includes a seed exchange where you can donate seeds or take seeds for your own garden. The yearly butterfly exhibit and holiday lighting events are always a favorite. There's even a cafe and restaurant. The staff are always helpful, friendly and there's plenty of parking.

I love Lewis Ginter!!! Came yesterday for A Million Blooms! Absolutely beautiful. It's incredible no matter the time of year. There are so many unique areas always that are consistently well groomed. They have the butterfly exhibit going on in the greenhouse currently which is breathtaking. I've also come for Garden Glow which is always amazing! I bring friends who visit to the gardens any chance I get. A must see! Another plus is that if you have children it's stroller friendly. They have an interactive children's area too!

My wife and I went to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens twice last year, and had a magical experience each time. Our first trip was during the David Rogers' Big Bug exhibit, and luckily for us, also while the butterfly garden was open. Our second trip was just as magical, but a wholly new adventure, as we went at night to see the Dominion Energy Gardenfest of Lights. They also had a whole room set up with model trains. They have a wealth of information on their website to plan your visit, or to find more information after your visit on what you saw while you were there. If you're looking for a beautiful and educational day outside, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens are it.

TL;DR: We paid extra to be able to get ready for our wedding in a "secure" room in a private building at Lewis Ginter and literally got robbed during our wedding. We booked the Bloemendaal House because of the all-in-one venue: a spot where we could get ready, a spot where we could have all of our photographs taken, a spot where we could get married, a spot where we could have our reception, all within one-ish acres. When we talked about paying the additional deposit to secure the space from noon until our reception ended at 10pm, we were told about each of the "get ready rooms" for the wedding party. We were told that each of the rooms, in our case, the one for the Bride, which was downstairs and the most visible/high traffic, and the Groom's which was upstairs and far less visible/populated, would be safe and secure so we wouldn't have to worry about our things during the ceremony and the reception. While getting ready, the only people that were upstairs were upstairs when I was--the best man, the photographers, the event coordinator. The only person that I didn't recognize was the Lewis Ginter security guard that did a couple laps around the grounds including through the upstairs of the Bloemendaal House, but not into the Groom's "get ready room" that I saw. I was in that room from about 2 until 4:15, when we began taking pictures. Most of our 56 guests arrived roughly 15 - 20 minutes before the wedding, which began at 6pm. After the reception, I started gathering my things in the Groom's "get ready room", and several of my possessions were not in the exact spot in which they were left during the process of getting ready. They were nowhere to be found. At this point, there are now three items that were taken, totaling hundreds of dollars in value stolen from me, out of my backpack, in a room that we were told would be safe and secure for our possessions that were special enough to bring to our wedding. The process through which I've been piecing together what was in my backpack in the aftermath of my wedding has taken some time. At least one other thing that I'm sure was also in my backpack at my wedding hasn't been located, yet, bringing the total to three items, two of which are still missing, and one of which that absolutely wasn't small or unnoticeable. After we let them know that things were stolen from the Groom's suite, we had a meeting just over a week later with a representative from Lewis Ginter. One of the missing items was found "on a golf cart" and then returned to me at the meeting, and we were apologized to profusely while being assured that "nothing like this has ever happened before". We received no information about who found the returned item, or specifically which golf cart driven by whom or where that golf cart was. During this meeting, we were told that a security guard found, according to the contact from Lewis Ginter, "about ten" of our guests in the Groom's "get ready room" and then shooed them out. We don't have any other information about that, yet. No time, no description, no other details that might help us figure out who did it, and no further information from Lewis Ginter's end. It was suggested to us that several of our guests walked past a "staff only" sign and went into a room they didn't know about that had valuable things in it at some point during our wedding or reception, took them, and then got the missing items past us as we said goodbye to everyone. Unfortunately, the contract that we signed says that LG isn't on the hook for anything that happens to anyone's property while they're on LG's grounds. So even though we paid an extra amount of money for early access to private areas in a private building to get ready for our wedding in rooms that we were told would be secure for ourselves and our possessions from noon until 10pm, and then had things stolen out of that secure room, there is no recourse. Because they have an Indemnification Clause. Our wedding was a beautiful and memorable celebration of our love, and it was full of joy. And someone robbed me during the time where our things were supposedly safe and secure. Trust and integrity are important. Should you be able to trust a venue that tells you that your incredibly personal and valuable possessions will be safe and secure while in specifically designated spots meant for the wedding party to get ready and to store their possessions? Absolutely. When picking a venue, ask them directly, "has your venue experienced any theft from an area that is designated to be a safe spot for the wedding party to use to get ready?" Because Lewis Ginter cannot honestly say no to that ever again.

What a wonderful time we had at the Gardenfest event! It was a wonderful way to start the holiday season. Such a beautiful place. Even my husband enjoyed it and I had to drag him to this. Tickets were reasonably priced. The way the tickets were available meant that crowds were manageable and easy to navigate, never making me feel rushed or crowded. I really look forward to visiting in the spring when everything is in bloom. I am sure it must be really beautiful that time of year too.

Beautiful place. I had a wonderful time. Great family place as well. It had lots of great local artwork the time I went.

Beautiful garden to spend an early spring day. Wordy of multiple visits during the year.

We went last night to see the Garden fest of Lights. My kids loved it. It is a great combination of walking, being outside, and enjoying the decorations. There is a huge Christmas Tree and many Instagramable photo sites. They also have a bar, cafe with hot cocoa, and a warming fire. It is definitely a winter tradition in Richmond.

It's a nice garden. But beware Seniors, they don't offer their Senior's discount online or mention that it's available. Buy your tickets on site to get the discount.

Beautiful place to spend your day with a partner or even alone. I came here for the first time in the summer and it was so warm, the sun was glaring and I kept sweating profusely but it was still quite the experience! The scenery was complimented by all kinds of flowers and I have to say the Japanese garden was beautiful. This place always has events and other things to make the community more engaged and I appreciate that. Definitely Recommend. Tip: If you go in the summer bring lots of water and sunscreen!

I was in town visiting Richmond and found this on the list of things to do! I booked tickets ahead of time but it was not crowded at all! Tickets were very inexpensive and totally worth it. The walkways, the bushes, trees, the building, even the water was decorated with lights! Everything was breathtaking and spectacular! The staff was very friendly and helpful! This is a great place to visit!

Gorgeous botanical gardens with walking trails, a shop, and a cafe. A wide variety of trees, shrubs, plants, and blooming flowers. Lakes, bridges, and a small waterfall as well.

Beautiful gardens but if you are a certain ethnicity they will get on you because you brought a snack bar (due to dietary needs). Plenty of people had brought entire bags of food and were enjoying picnicking, but this particular older lady with short white hair at the desk rudely told us to leave with a snack bar. Unbelievable! Really ruined the time for us here. So be careful if you are of a certain ethnicity or special needs. They definitely cater to who they like even though everyone entering the gardens are paying customers. And we had looked at the food they offer in the restaurant beforehand to see if there was something I could eat with my dietary needs and the food looked like it had sat out for days. The lettuce was very wilted and none of the other foods looked fresh. I would suggest this business either let everyone bring in food or search all bags coming in and not let anyone in with food. It isn't fair to only allow some people in and others ask to leave if they choose to eat something they brought.

Beautiful displays inside and out. Good hot chocolate! The walk seemed to go quicker than usual, but lovely none the less.

Came here for a dinner at the Tea House. It was a very pretty room. Food was OK...typical banquet food. Easy parking. Beautiful scenery.

Our first visit here was during the Holiday Lights event - wow! Cliff notes: buy tickets early, bring your camera, and dress warm! The Holiday Lights is a timed ticket event - purchase tickets online and enter at the designated time. Tickets sell out quickly! We were so happy to see COVID precautions being taken seriously. Mask wearing and social distancing is enforced from entry to exit - both outdoors and indoors. This event is 100% outdoors, so dress appropriately! There are hundreds of opportunities for great photos, so many themed, lighted structures, and hot chocolate for sale. It's a perfect evening to get into the holiday spirit!

My husband and I were looking for something pandemic-friendly to do this spring. Fortunately, Visit Virginia's IG had a beautiful solution of Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. It was still too early in the spring for tulips, but already so many things were in bloom! We loved the layout of the gardens too. Around every turn in the path, we discovered a new treasure from turtles in the pond to the evergreen garden to the path up to the tree house with very comfortable rocking chairs along the way, to little gnome homes. We'll certainly be coming back!