Experience the Cleveland Botanical Gardens

Published by madalynstoner on August 25, 2020August 25, 2020

All summer I’ve been searching for fun activities to do outside while feeling comfortable during the current pandemic. Other than hiking, it’s been a bit of a challenge. I was excited when the Cleveland Botanical Gardens reached out to work together. The gardens hold a special place in my heart, as my husband and I had our wedding reception there. Every time I return I’m reminded of so many wonderful memories, which is such a bonus!

The Cleveland Botanical Gardens is a wonderful place to spend the day, especially if you have a little one with you. If you’ve been hesitant to go out and about like myself, I can assure you they have done an incredible job to make sure all of their visitors feel safe and have adequate space between other guests.

A few things they are doing to keep everyone safe:

• Reservations are required for members to ensure everyone has enough space to play; members receive priority admittance over general admission ticket buyers.
• Masks are required for all visitors, other than children under 2, (both indoors and outdoors).
• There are 11 unique outdoor gardens to explore and soak in the sunshine.
• Clear signage in tight areas with directions to ensure everyone moves through the garden while safely avoiding others.

Not only can you walk around and enjoy the beautiful flowers and plants all around, they also provide fun games and educational experiences for both children and adults. There is something to do for everyone in your family!

Things to do:

• A Gnome scavenger hunt in the Hershey Children’s Garden (my personal favorite!).
• Interactive learning and play opportunities with plants, insects and small animals throughout the gardens.
• An otherworldly landscape experience in the Topiary Garden (kids can crawl through a serpentine shrub tunnel). 
• An opportunity to learn about “useful plants” in the Herb Garden that houses over 3,500 varieties used for cooking, medicine and dye as well as a variety of edible flowers.
• The Glasshouse, which is an indoor area housing butterflies and plant/animal species from Madagascar and Costa Rica regions.

So, next time you are looking to get out of the house to do something fun, I highly recommend coming to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens to explore the grounds! We will definitely be heading back soon.

*Thank you to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens for providing me a membership in exchange for an honest review of my experience.