Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Reputed for its huge collection of the Midwest's ornamental and native plants, this 14-acre center bordering the Des Moines River features a domed conservatory that houses over 1000 varieties of exotic plants from throughout the world. The center also has an impressive herb garden, tropical and desert plants, and one of the best bonsai collections in the U.S.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
384 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
123
Average
46
Poor
5
Terrible
4
Avid Traveler in Nebraska
Omaha, NE90 contributions
Feb 2020
Visited the botanic garden in the winter, admittedly not the ideal time to fully enjoy and get full value for admission. The domed structure is noticeable from I-80 near downtown Des Moines. Easy/free parking on a Sunday was nice, and friendly desk staff. The enclosed dome was nice for allowing natural light to bathe the interior, and ramps/stairways nice for taking in different perspectives. However, found the plant variety to be average, compared with Omaha's Lauritzen Gardens, the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, and Denver's similar offering. The Gardens does seem to be a place for horticultural/botanical research, and that is commendable. Live music was about to start when visiting. Might revisit during the spring/summer when the outdoor gardens are in bloom.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trisha J
Mankato, MN215 contributions
May 2022
We enjoyed our visit to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens. I loved that there was an indoor atrium as well as outdoor gardens. It was rainy the day we visited so I would have liked to spend more time than we did in the outdoor gardens but it was still very enjoyable. It is located on the river and part of the garden is along the banks. There was a new area being created that was still under construction when we were there. I would like to return again to see the new area as well as spend more time in the other outdoor gardens.
We also ate lunch at the café that is onsite. I would recommend!
We also ate lunch at the café that is onsite. I would recommend!
Written 19 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara G.
Saint Louis, MO695 contributions
May 2024 • Business
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a peaceful spot right in downtown Des Moines, offering a quick escape amidst the bustling city. It’s reciprocal to the Missouri Botanical Garden so I swung through for a quick walk around. It’s a lush 12-acre garden along the river.
Stepping into the garden, you walk through their conservatory which is so peaceful. The indoor and outdoor gardens showcase so many plant species from around the world. The outside gardens have multiple pathways including up one side of the waterfall and down the other. It’s very well laid out.
Initial seeds were planted and the plans for the garden were laid out in spring of 1929 but the stock market halted progress that fall. Finally in 1966, the city of Des Moines secures a 14-acre brickyard that will eventually become the site of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
Stepping into the garden, you walk through their conservatory which is so peaceful. The indoor and outdoor gardens showcase so many plant species from around the world. The outside gardens have multiple pathways including up one side of the waterfall and down the other. It’s very well laid out.
Initial seeds were planted and the plans for the garden were laid out in spring of 1929 but the stock market halted progress that fall. Finally in 1966, the city of Des Moines secures a 14-acre brickyard that will eventually become the site of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
Written 14 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MATT G
Dubuque, IA50 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
What a beautiful place, both inside the bubble and outside of it. Inside the bubble are all sorts of plants from around the world. The pathway was wide and there was information on the plants. The outside was wide open but had paths. The only critique is that with it being in the heart of the city and close to main roads, that the big city noise does detract from the serenity outside. But is what it is - and still worthwhile.
Written 6 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rlk59
Ankeny, IA24 contributions
Sept 2019
The Botanical Garden is a great place to go to relax, to take photo’s, have a wedding, take a class, so many things to do there. The greenery and flowers are beautiful and you can spend hours there just walking around taking in the views. We love to go there. Our daughter got married there 25 years ago. Beautiful!!!
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
N0rmalee
Bossier City, LA1,018 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Going in early October we did not anticipate seeing a lot of blooms but it was still beautiful there. This time we also walked around outside and behind the waterfall. There was also some beautiful art inside the building. Loved the hibiscus, banana trees, etc. Lots of photo opps even this late in the year.
Written 5 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill K
Mantorville, MN6,307 contributions
Mar 2021
No matter how many times I have visited this beautiful facility over the last 40 years there is always something new to see. I visited recently to see some green growing plants/flowers and to break the depressing brown awfulness of late winter. I wasn't disappointed. A walk through this facility lifts one's spirits, lowers one's blood pressure, and provides fresh oxygen (even through a mask). Take an hour or so and explore this beautiful facility. There is always something growing/blooming.
Written 18 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dustythoughts
Manchester, CT2,164 contributions
Aug 2022
I loved wandering through these botanical gardens. We spent the better part of an afternoon here, wandering through the various gardens, taking in the beauty and soaking in the good weather. The Koehn Garden was a walled, peaceful gem, the reflection garden was serene, and the water garden was very soothing. The entire place was a restful respite from the rest of the city.
Written 6 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vanessa S
Tampa, Florida31 contributions
Aug 2023
We stopped here on our journey from Ilinois to South Dakota as it looked a good place to stop that was not too far from the freeway. The gardens are excellent, from the greenhouse exhibits to the outdoor plantings. The lily ponds were in full flower and really pretty. Lots of butterflies in the gardens and the water features were very nice. Would definitely recommend a visit here if you are in the area.
Written 22 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gardengel-IoW
West Sussex, UK1,014 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Free parking, entrance $12pp. Not very big, few interesting features. Quite small but lots of colour. Most interesting was a giant frog and its enormous tadpoles. Frogs body must have been 6-8” and tadpoles 6”, they kept swimming to the surface for food/air. Beautiful waterlilies, cafe on site.
Written 25 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long should we plan to be here?
Written 20 October 2020
Call them Monday and ask. When I was there, I didn't see any.
Written 21 October 2017
Members. Free
Adults. $8
Seniors. $7
Military. $7
Kids(4-17). $6
Kids 3+U. Free
Written 10 September 2016
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