This is not an overly manicured gardens, but is great for walks. I loved the nice open space, and the water garden. I agree with another commenter that there are too many dogs. I have a toddler and didn't feel comfortable going into the children's park, because there were 3 big dogs.
We went in the winter so most of the plants were not in bloom or either cut back. But that did not distract from the simple and pleasant beauty of this place. There are plenty of paved walking paths as well as unpaved trails. Schedule a few hours to slowly enjoy the gardens. There is a nice little gift shop for those inclined to buy souvenirs. The only reason I did a five star rating is because the charged me $0.50 for a very small container if fish food for my kids to feed the koi fish. But you don't have feed the fish if you don't want to.
Kanapaha botanical gardens has lovely events throughout the year, including fantastic harvest moon walks with music and local plant sales. It is relaxing venue anytime to have a picnic, sketch, or simply enjoy walking through the gardens.
Just loved it but being a winter visitor, I felt as if I was missing much of the beauty of this great garden.. 1mile and 1/2 of trails with something different to see around every turn... admission is reasonable but they charge tax..
Plan to visit the beautiful gardens with tons of different varieties of bamboo. Very knowledgeable and helpful staff.
We only had this week so we visited knowing the frost hit Wednesday. Many flowers survived and we did get to see the entire layout of the garden. Once section ( I recommend you see this side first; especially, if you bring children) contains the Children's Garden, Waterfall, Oriental Garden, Rose Garden, and Butterfly Garden. Hint: butterflies will not appear if the temperature is lower than 66 degrees with sun.The other side is comprised of a long woodland walk, sinkhole overlooks, Herb Garden, Bamboo Garden (excellent), Rock Garden, Vinery, Cycad Garden, and Hummingbird Garden (again Hummingbirds will be less likely to appear is cooler weather. $7.00 adults $3.50 children.Very accessible fro wheel chairs and strollers. We were in between seasons, so many of the plants are just getting started but in April/May the garden will be in full bloom....I'd wait until then if i. had the option.
I make sure to visit this garden each time I am in Gainesville. The gardens are spectacular, especially the bamboo garden. Although this is not as impressive as some botanical gardens I've seen in larger cities, this is remarkable for a small city this size. The gift shop is also really tasteful.
1st visit this year after living in Gainesville for 25 years. It was nice to see, but once a year is enough. Sorry.
My wife and I try to get by there at least once a year. The spring event is very enjoyable with a lot of plants available for purchase along with an lot of ideas. A very relaxing time to be had by everyone.
We visited the gardens in early January. We saw plenty of colorful and interesting plants and flowers in spite of the season. The east gardens are laid out well, I like a loop path. The west gardens required some doubling back but they were smaller so it was not very inconvenient. The children'' garden is enchanting and fun.The gift shop has a lot of interesting items.The "cashier" process for entry fees and gift shop purchases overlaps (or did that day) and could have been more streamlined. On a minor note, I purchased fish food when we entered. No one told me where it was to be used - I found the Koi pond in the children's garden but I wasn't sure if there was another spot. It would be good to have a sign near the food at the register.