Zilker Botanical Garden

So glad we visited the Zilker Botanical Garden. We were short on time so we just explored the Japanese Garden- it was beautiful! Such a fun, calm space to spend time in and walk around - and it has a great view of the Austin skyline. Plenty of parking, tickets are as listed on the website ($8 per person, slightly lower if you are an Austin resident) - you can buy tickets at the entrance prior to parking. This is one of those places that will really make you like the city - not a hidden gem but for sure an essential space to truly liking the city. Edit: came back with more time and walked around the full park. Its is truly such a nice space. Feels like you’re in a mini woods despite being literally right in the city. I’ll look forward to this park in the fall/winter when temperatures are better.

Volunteered here for school and took advantage of free admission with a walk about. This area is vast and peaceful. I would recommend coming in the morning if you're looking for quiet moments of reflection and 0 crowds. Family friendly and educational. All the people I've encountered (workers/fellow volunteers) have been friendly and knowledgeable. An Austin gem.

Beautifully curated themed gardens and generally well maintained grounds all around. Jam packed with history and culture (I recommend their self guided phone tour for the full effect). You could easily spend all day exploring here and still not see it all.

We went early to beat the heat. Walked around the beautiful gardens for a couple of hours. It started getting hot by 11:30 am. We will definitely go back because we skipped a whole section. Took lots of pictures. What a great way to spend a Saturday.

Walking through Zilker Botanical Gardens was so peaceful!! It has just the right amount of small inclines that the don’t feel like “hills” but you do feel like you’re getting a good walk! One of my favorite parts of the walk was hearing the large wind chime ring with birds singing along to the symphony of life…so naturally!!! Just a heads up that parking is a little tricky. The main Botanical Gardens lot is small and fills up so you may have to circle it a couple of times. However, there is a lot for parking across the street and another larger parking lot sort of behind the actual gardens. It was less crowded back there and an easy walk to the gardens entrance!! Take your hat and sunscreen and enjoy this lovely place!!

My wife and I had a great time walking around the botanical gardens! Took us about two hours to casually stroll through the park. Very cool stuff to see like bonsai trees, koi fish and tons of bamboo. The garden with herbs and roses is really a spectacle to see!! Worth the trip alone!

I loved it here and will definitely go back! I went during the summer, so there were plenty of plants and flowers. The trails are easy, and there are plenty of opportunities for pictures.

These gardens were beautiful!! Lots of different areas to walk around. It was all very serene.

Zilker Botanical Garden is within Zilker Metropolitan Park in the heart of downtown Austin. They have several themed gardens including Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and Rose Garden. The garden is an Austin icon with several memorable landmarks that I recall visiting as a child. These include the historical pioneer village with a blacksmith shop, school house, log cabin and well. The iconic Butler Window aka brick keyhole in the rose garden that is the perfect photo op. I was visiting for the Bands in Bloom summer music concert series in the rose garden. This was the perfect backdrop for the concert in the garden with all the blooming flowers. This particular evening Rob Baird was performing. Was a great evening of good music and natural beauty. They also host other paid or free events at the garden that can be viewed on their website. With the beautiful blooming flowers, walking paths, live oaks, streams, and ponds, the Garden offers a peaceful escape from daily life.

The botanical gardens are part of Zilker Park. You buy a ticket upon entry into the glorious garden. Quick note-parking is sketch sometimes, meaning it can be tough to get. But, you're in a park...enjoy a little stroll to get in here if you have to park further away. I am a big fan of botanical gardens because it's just such a relaxing way to be surrounded by the beautiful bounties of nature. I love seeing peacocks and of course the butterflies in the butterfly area. Vegetation surrounded by various water as well. Take a load off, sit on a bench for spell and just breathe.

Loooooove this place!!! This is NOW on our annual pilgrimage through central Texas... Every turn was an adventure, every living thing was both beautiful to the eyes and a literal bouquet of scents. Amazing! We had 4 generations there this morning (79y to 9y) and literally all of us left loving that place - including one teenage boy! Don't walk, RUN to this place!!! Beyond affordable, and there are tons of paths. Dog friendly!!! Yessss!

I LOVE HANGING WITH YOU! I've been to many botanical gardens in my 20 something years. But this was probably one of the strangest ones I've been to. First of all, you buy your tickets at the gate when you pull up. They do not give you a map. It is very easy to get lost in this place. My friend and I were all sorts of turned around on multiple occasions. I did not find the map on their website helpful either. Parking and coming in and out of the gardens is a real problem too. No one really helps you, you are expected to know how to exit the park. Even though it is extremely difficult. Another thing I had a bit of an issue with is only half of the park is wheelchair accessible. What if relatives are visiting from out of town who need places to be accessible and they can't manage to get to half of the park? This is a gorgeous park don't get me wrong, I just think there needs to be some better options and better planning here.

The staff here are friendly, and I appreciate how family-friendly this park is! We visited in March, so there weren't many flowers or butterflies to see. The teahouse is still under renovation. Unfortunately, the koi fish in the murky ponds seemed hungry, and I only spotted four or five of them. It was disheartening to see, as koi thrive in clean water. If anyone working here happens to read this, please care for the pond in the Japanese Garden as well as you do the vegetable garden--I could sense the stress from the koi.

A beautiful garden blooming with lush green trees, herbs and exotic plants right in the heart of Austin. There's a cute Japanese garden with a soothing waterfall and walking bridge, so many great spots to take pictures. Kids are sure to enjoy the fish pond. It's a great place to be close to nature even when within the city limits. You can even see the downtown from here! The park is distributed into several different areas such as prehistoric era with dinosaur statues, butterfly garden, children's play area, blacksmith shop and more. Most of the area is stroller friendly, a plus for parents with young kids. There's parking available right next to the garden and you can usually get a lot of you wait for a few minutes. People are always coming and going here. There's additional parking across the street in the main Zilker Park area too and a short walk to the botanical garden.

The botanical garden at Zilker Park is a nice quiet getaway from the rest of the hustle and bustle of Austin. It's also very shady in a good portion of it, so it can also be a nice way to be outside, without being completely cooked by the sun/heat of Texas. The prehistoric and Asian sections are by far the best parts of the gardens. Lush and full of nice features like koi ponds and waterfalls. Absolutely worth a visit if you're in Austin.

During our stay in Zilker we decided to visit the Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful time strolling through the gardens. There were tons of plants, waterfalls, ponds, paths, and cute spots for a photo op. There was also a nice view of the city. My favorite was the koi pond.

We stopped by botanical garden because we had free tickets with our hotel today at JW Marriott. I'm not sure if it was because it was winter, but the grounds seemed a bit less bountiful than expected. There are several different paths so you can walk around the garden. The paths were uneven and at times steep, they were also not labeled well which caused for some confusion. When we were leaving we noticed an entire area we had missed. It was a nice day for a walk, but there are plenty of parks in Austin that were comparable if not in even better condition than the botanical gardens.

Zilker is a very inexpensive garden to visit in the Austin area. I had to take a few stars because I believe the name is misleading. It's more of a nature walk with native plants along the way, not a botanical garden. In March I found most things to be green but not much has flowered yet. Parking is free which is nice but it wasn't anything spectacular.

It is rare, probably a first, that I rate a botanical garden with one star. But this is the worst botanical garden I've ever seen in the free world. There's plenty growing here, but it's difficult to navigate, and nothing is impressive. A walk down 2nd Street is far more botanical. One parks, pays, then carries a ticket around wondering what they paid for. No one checks your ticket, and there is apparently no controlled entrance. Sadly a couple hours I will never get back.

Beautiful greenscape right in the heart of Austin -- perfect for a walk, jog, or just hanging out. We visited for a few events, and the last one was AKF. The atmosphere was lively, and the setting made it even better.

Good parking Locals get discount or if your a Veteran from out of town gets a discount. Super laid back place for a date or a quiet stroll for collecting & processing. Does not hurt to have a journal and embrace the stillness and nature.

I took my 2 year old niece here for a visit. The grounds are somewhat stroller friendly. There are several paved paths, however there are a few that are dirt paths which make it a bit harder to maneuver. Other than that, it's a cute site, well maintained and has an area for kids too. The waterfall is a nice touch and the Koi pond is really calming. There is a gift shop at the main entrance and plenty of parking. I would visit again.

3 WORDS: AWESOME FAMILY EATERY! There is something for every taste or palette at this place! The prices: $$-$$$ based on the chosen menu items. One caveat: the only free refills are for the tea, no refills on soft drinks. The food is prepared to order and delicious.

Nice outdoor activity! Too hot weather but their small shop had a fan and was cool! Also restrooms were clean and available. Plants were well labeled and strategic layout. Will come back when it's cooler!

I'm sad to say that I just wasn't that impressed with these gardens. I've been to a lot of BG's over the years and was expecting something a bit more I guess. On the plus side it was very cheap to get in and it was small and walkable. But the gardens themselves were just not very interesting. The best part was the Japanese garden area with some Koi and different bamboos. As a diversion if you already live there or if you've run out of other things to do this is fine, but I wouldn't make a special visit here like we did.

What a beautiful botanical garden! My family and I wanted to check this place out while in Austin, and we're so happy we did! They had a fairy trail, which my kids loved, as well as the prehistoric area! The bathrooms were clean and the trails and whole garden area was well kept. Also, very stroller friendly!

My husband and I decided to come here as we were looking for something to do while in town. There was only so much shopping and eating one can do. The space is beautiful and the Japanese garden was my favorite section. It had a beautiful view of the Austin skyline. The rest was more of a leisurely walk among plants

This botanical garden was very nice. It was a bit smaller than I had been expecting but the grounds were well-tended and it was nice for a short walk (~1hr). The butterfly garden was definitely the highlight!

We visited in early April and everything was blooming! It was such an easy walk, peaceful, and at only eight dollars, you can't beat it. Would definitely recommend coming in the morning before the heat hits, but we really enjoyed it!

I decided to visit this place on a nice January day. The weather was still chilly, but the sun was shining and it made for a lovely winter day. When you're pulling into the entry, please be cautious as there is no designated turning point if you're making a left. It's $6 per person (or maybe it's per vehicle). You're free to roam around as you get access to the whole garden; the place isn't too big, but there are plenty to see and places to stop by and just chill. My favorite points were the little area where you can see downtown, plus the koi pond! I enjoyed walking around here, and encourage anyone visiting to come visit with the family, or even spend a morning/afternoon getting lost in your favorite book somewhere in the garden.

I came here on a Sunday morning to get some exercise before a long flight out. The gardens were so beautiful, with the Japanese one being one of my favorites. Another one of my favorites was the Butterfly garden. It definitely lives up to its name! The dinosaur area was small but interesting. The Koi ponds were nice too. I thought it was awesome that dogs (on a 6ft leash) were allowed. If I lived in the area, I would love to bring my dog here. There are nice shady areas to walk around too. They have doggy water bowls near the main entrance, as well as a small gift shop and clean bathrooms.

As members of Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Nate and I have reciprocal benefits that get us into botanical gardens across the country. We really enjoy using this perk when we travel, so we decided to visit the Zilker Botanical Gardens while in Austin in early March. When we arrived, we showed the employee at the ticket booth our Meijer Gardens membership card and she told us to go right in. Normally admission is only $6 for Austin residents and $8 for non-residents. We didn't have any real idea of what the gardens contained and didn't see any maps anywhere, so we just started wandering. At the beginning of March there wasn't really anything blooming, but it was peaceful to walk around and look at the koi ponds. There's a great view of the city from the gardens which was nice. I thought we would get lost as there aren't a lot of signs anywhere. At one point we saw what looked like a trail leading into a wooded area, but it also kind of didn't look like a trail. We didn't go that way since we only had about an hour or so to spare and didn't want to get lost. Some of the paths were really narrow which made it tough to navigate at times with other guests taking photos and just standing in the pathways. Also, there's a lot of uneven terrain and stone pathways, so if you have mobility issues it might not be the easiest to navigate. Overall we had an ok visit - if we weren't able to get in for free I don't think I'd go again in March. I'm sure the gardens are beautiful when things are in bloom!

I would not recommend this place, or at least in August. They aren't watering their plants so everything is brown and dried up. Not sure if there is a no water ban or just that no one is keeping up with it. The 6 bonsai trees were cool, and some of the walkways. One section in my pictures looked a little kept up, but for $8 I was there less than a half hour.

Great botanical garden for only $8. You can purchase tickets ahead of time or at the gate. The gardens are pretty small- I was done seeing everything within an hour. They have a lot of variety despite it being so small; there's a Japanese garden, butterfly garden, rose garden, herb garden, and prehistoric garden where they actually found real Dino footprints!! My favorite part was the prehistoric gardens. I went on a hot June day so that may be impacting my perspective, but it is all hills and most of it is dirt roads, so by the end of it I felt like I got a very good workout just trying to see some plants. The gift shop is small and doesn't have a lot of variety or aesthetic charm, but they host plant (veggie and floral) markets here as well! The koi pond was also really lovely and calming. It definitely seemed family friendly- there is a fairy garden for kids with musical instruments and cute sculptures. A lot of people had strollers with them- just be mindful of the hills!

What a heartbreaking disappointment. Taniguchi must be rolling in his grave if he could see the fetid pools of algae in the stagnant water that used to be the beautiful creation of his Japanese garden. What's more, though once beautiful, rose gardens are basically Nan existent. And adding insult injury, they now charge you to come into this poorly maintained "botanical garden". An embarrassment for Austin

Beautiful garden in the heart of Austin. So nice to be a able to enjoy a sunny, tranquil day at the Zilker Botanical Gardens. Love the uniqueness in each section. Roses. Koi ponds. Dinosaur tracks. Butterflies. Swedish log cabins. Panoramic views. The Taniguchi Japanese Garden is really stunning, After entering through a stone gate gifted by Austin's sister city, Oita, Japan, follow the winding trails to reach a bamboo grove, a tranquil tea house and a series of ponds filled with Koi that spell out AUSTIN. So fun to walk along the stones or cross the bridges over babbling brooks. The garden was loving designed and built by Isamu Taniguchi over a year and a half. Taniguchi was a Japanese farmer who moved to California in 1915. He was interred during World War II for almost four years. After the war, he relocated to Texas to resume farming. In the 1960s, he moved to Austin to be closer to his son, who was the Dean of the UT Austin School of Architecture, and his grandchildren. He did not receive any payment for creating this beautiful, tranquil garden which has amazing panoramic views of the Austin Skyline. The Swedish village pays homage to the early settlers in the area. Nice to be able to visit a log cabin, one room school house and blacksmith red shed in this section. Dinosaurs in Texas? As the garden was being expanded in the 1990s, a series of well preserved dinosaur tracks were uncovered. Coordinating with a paleontologist, the fossils were protected and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden was created...including a Cretaceous habitat with ferns, ginkgoes and a Ornithomimus dinosaur statue. The butterfly garden was filled with beautiful monarchs. Although the roses were covered to protect them from the "Texas winter," I am sure that they are beautiful in full bloom. Book your tickets on line. Parking is free. Use your American Horticultural passes for reciprocity. Such a beautiful garden to explore on the last day of 2021.

This was a nice little diversion. It was fairly priced, and had some pretty areas. I agree with a previous poster that the ponds were murky and seemed to have a lot of algae. I mentioned to my family when we were strolling that I don't think I've seen a koi pond look as murky as the ones there, but I digress. The rose area didn't have many flowers left. I'm not sure it was because of how the bushes were maintained or because of the heat. Some areas could also be better marked. The signs weren't super helpful in trying to find the butterfly area. I don't need to to go back, but we got some pretty pictures during our visit.

The gardens were so pretty! We took a rougher path down which we were worried about walking up but as we went along there were paved paths too. I brought a stroller and it did fine in the rougher stuff going downhill. Fun, interactive things for the kids and cute picture spots as well.

Plenty of parking. You get a discount if you live in Austin. The Japanese garden was the most interesting attraction there. The rest are mostly for walking around on the trails. I'd recommend coming later in warmer weather when the flowers are blooming. No butterflies when we went during semi-winter/Fall season sadly. Would be a nice outing during that timeframe with a partner and/or kids. There's a small gift shop with restrooms too. It doesn't take that long to sweep the whole area, probably at most 1.5 hours. Overall, it's worth the cost but best to come when it's warmer so you can take good colorful photos of the roses.

Amazingly beautiful and peaceful. If you need space while surrounded by nature, this will definitely be worth a trip. I was looking for something to do, and I got more than just something to do. I will never forget the sense of peace I had while walking around admiring the trees, plants, flowers, bugs, insects, and all the all around serenity.

I had a nice time exploring the botanical garden in Zilker Park. It was a pretty hot day, but the shade in the garden was very nice. The park was beautiful with lots of different features to enjoy. It was very peaceful and not crowded though there were some parts of the trails that you had to wait to access until others were done viewing them because they were narrow. Lots of different areas and themes - my favorite was the area with the koi pond. There is also a great view of the city from one of the higher points. It only took me about 30 minutes to explore and I was walking pretty slowly but I took a few extra laps to stretch out the visit.

Umm I was a bit underwhelmed by this "botanical garden" - why the air quotes? Well because they have this Swedish immigration story telling area with a "pioneer blacksmith" and all these signs about "free enterprise" in America. In a "botanical" garden? Then there was the area with religious statues and quotes. In a "botanical" garden? I don't know - if we can't reach the true history of America at schools in TX, should we really be trying to teach the Swedish settlement history in gardens!? So the parts that are actually somewhat green spaces aren't much of a "garden" - it's a bit wildly grown, a few name plates here and there, and one nice area with small ponds and fish. The oak section was nearly dying - it could be the season - and the butterfly area just had a handful of one type of butterfly. The herb garden was the one true "garden" imo. Honestly, the Austin/Hill Country have more beautiful wildflower areas that are gorgeous and charming. I wouldn't pay for a ticket to go here.

Visited during the morning hours so the weather was nice and cool. Admission fee is currently $6 for Austin residents over the age of 18 and under the age of 61. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks are required for everyone over the age of two unless you are walking and practicing social distancing. Advanced reservations are required but but I was able to get a ticket at the gate without prior reservation on this this day. Parking at my time of the visit was plentiful. I highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes because they're so many cool places to walk around and not all are paved. The koi ponds and the butterfly garden were my absolute favorite. There is a gift shop that you can purchase different things to support the park. There is a really cool children garden and it has a couple of features where children can climb around and explore. One of the downsides I noticed was that not all areas are wheelchair or stroller accessible, therefore you would have to carry your child rather than bring the stroller along. I recommend 10/10. Most areas are shaded at this time of the morning but I also recommend to bring some water to keep hydrating. Lastly, this is such a calming place especially when you are closer to the water features So definitely come and enjoy it!

Beautiful park in Austin with plenty of nature to enjoy. There is a dedicated parking lot by the general entrance. There's also an overflow lot at the back of the garden, with its own entrance gate. There are fees to enter the garden. Discounted for Austin residents. They take cash or card. Make sure to grab a map to help you navigate through the park. It's got a lot of square footage.

The Koi pond was the best part of the gardens. Runner up was the dinosaur part. They had nice waterfalls in both areas. Overall the gardens could use a lot of maintenance. The majority of the plants looked like they needed to be watered. The paths were overgrown in about half of the areas and alot of the plants looked more like weeds, especially over by the butterfly area. It is $6 a person for entry.

entry is $6 per person, and parking is easy to find! I thought it was very nice but I think we just went at the wrong time given that it's winter. A lot of the flowers were wilted and dried up. I think I'll come back during spring and give it another chance! It's not as big as it seems on the map and you can walk the whole thing in probably 20-30 minutes. If I had kids i'd definitely bring them.

PROS: the people here are very nice and it's a beautiful center to come to. They have different sections around the land (Japan, prehistoric time, etc) and each one gives a different vibe. The price is perfect and there's tons of parking CONS: most plants were dead and the some of the fountains were either empty with moss or had A LOT of algae. The prehistoric section was also just primarily one type of plant OVERALL: if you like gardens this is the place to go to. It's cheaper than other botanical gardens and I think you'll enjoy the different themes. Just don't expect it to be lovely

My daughter requested her Celebration of Life be held at Zilker Botanical Gardens before she passed. After she passed I called Fabiola the event coordinator and left 4 messages and my husband e-mailed 2 times and NEVER received a response. It saddens me that my daughters last wishes where not able to be honored do to a non-responsive venue and poor inconsiderate personnel. Disappointed!

As the parking attendant said on our way out, 90% brown and 10% green. The greenery/flowers in the parking lot were well maintained, the entire gardens were not. The koi fish were the highlight of my visit. Maybe visit after a lot of rain, if that happens in Texas.

absolute must see. great views and trails. good variety in scenery overall. cost $8. they have maps and a gift shop.

Visited this past weekend for the first time, and it was beautiful! The gardens truly feel like an oasis in the city, but it was still great to see the skyline between the trees. My personal favorite was the Japanese Garden, especially after learning the history of how it was put together. Overall, a great experience and worth the price of admission.

A completely beautiful day today at Zilker Botanical Garden with my family. We are visiting Austin and it's so refreshing to enjoy all the outdoor activities! It's so cool! These gardens were truly incredible! It's so serene there. Watching the koi in the ponds is beautiful. Highly recommended!

Such a beautiful garden. There are so many different areas to walk around and really take in all the plants, trees, and flowers. It's not as big as I was expecting it to be, but it was still nice and enjoyable and plenty of spots for photo ops! Lots of shade to hide from the sun and a small little waterfall area in the Prehistoric section of the garden. Note: Tickets are $8 for adults ($6 for Austin residents) and $4 for youths ages 3-17 ($3 for Austin residents. Free parking!

A variety of pleasant walking paths and a surprising (for winter) variety of well-marked plants. The Japanese garden was lovely with flowing water and bonsai. Plenty of shade and beautiful butterflies! The pioneer blacksmith and dinosaur areas were odd and maybe a little out-of-place, but otherwise this was a nice place to visit in the middle of winter!

Beautiful views great for to walk around with family or significant other. Make sure to bring water and a hat if going in the summer. it's also very close to barton springs.

My group had fun walking through the gardens. Appears there are areas that are being renovated or are not being maintained currently. It had an Austin flare and weird vibe in some areas. Great view of the city at the top.

A wonderful 80-acre jewel in the center of Austin, this is a perfect place to hang out with friends and family. Take a stroll anytime before they close at 5pm. Support our local garden!