greater des moines botanical garden

SalamancaRocks

The botanical is excellent, not only can you find a wide variety of plants and explanations on their properties, but sometimes they also have artistic gardening exhibitions.The gift shop has many educational toys. It is volunteer run, and these people do a great job in many areas.Do not skip the café, their food is really really good!

StudentTraveler14

I had very high expectations as I grew up in Milwaukee which has 3 domes so I was slightly disappointed by the size when we walked up. However, inside is beautiful and relaxing. The only drawback to the day was they had a rather bad band playing. They have a waterfall, a stream with fish, a balcony area, and several sitting areas within the garden. There is also a cute little gift shop. They had a small bar area set up with beer for $5, wine for $6, and orange/raspberry margaritas for $4. Tickets for adults are $5, so admission is very reasonable. We had an excellent time. Although we were initially disappointed with the size, we were pleasantly surprised by the botanical gardens. Cute place for a date or a nice place to read/study/relax!

CDRKMP

We visited in February... not much to see in the gardens outside but the gardens inside the dome made us feel like we were in the tropics. Plenty of interesting plant species from all over the world.

luv2snkl

There is a really great restaurant located in the Botanical Center, and access to the dome is included when you eat here. The dome itself is a very nice, warm place to visit in the cold of winter. There is also a nice gift shop. The hardest part is finding it! It is located on a small street sort of under the freeway, but there is not direct access to it from a freeway exit. Even my Siri was confused! Afterwards, I looked up what directions on their web site and it says:Access to the Botanical Garden directly from University Avenue is closed. To access the Botanical Garden from University Avenue, please take Pennsylvania Avenue south to Des Moines Street, turn right on Des Moines Street to the “T” intersection at Robert D. Ray Drive. Turn right on Robert D. Ray Drive and the Botanical Garden will be on the right after you go under the I-235 bridge.Alternatively, from downtown you can take Locust east until you just cross the river, then turn left onto Robert Ray Drive and follow the road north about a mile.

PerseidGirl

The Botanical Garden's dome isn't big, but it's a delightful place to visit in the winter. Great gift shop and restaurant too. Can't wait for spring when the outdoor gardens will be alive!!

tbfairfield

I enjoyed my visit yet again and always appreciate it even more in the harsh Iowa Winters. Iowa is rather flat or rolling hills all stripped of mostly all trees for farming corn. Iowa is a sea of tan and brown in the dead of winter. A trip to the botanical center is a rather well kept secret. Think of it as an afternoon vacation. There is a waterfall with small pond and fish. Tall tropical plants and many varieties of plants with flowers- let's say it's well done. They could do more with climbing plants and orchids little ivy would be a nice touch with Victorian benches and a lot more flowers would be a plus. Well done and has the potential to be amazing. I'm waiting for this next step.

HWTwanderer

It's always nice to walk among exotic trees and shrubs during the starkness of winter and pretend you are somewhere tropical. Two years ago our first date was to hear the Blues bands that entertain on Sunday afternoons in Jan and Feb. The BG website lists lots of activities for people with a diverse array of interests. The outdoor area had extensive renovation this fall with water features and pathways added. When we visited they were going to plant 80,000 bulbs the next week, so we are looking forward to this spring to see what they have created. Entry fee is $5, $4 for seniors. Well worth the pleasure.

Ankenyhamster

The Des Moines Botanical Garden is truly the gem of the city the year round. We're blessed for not being far away from a tropical area thanks to the signature dome.I had visited the Garden twice in recent weeks, and I found something that amazed me each time, its new exotic flowers, its newly added pool, its new lobby and the gift shop, its new restaurant, and the newly expanded area in sight under construction. With the river-walk by the Des Moines River and the Riverfront Asian Gardens nearby, I have no doubt that this botanical garden would become a destination of a fun, relaxing tour of the city for many visitors. Many times, I had fantasized that the new garden would become the real magnet for people thirsty for a tropical visit without leaving Iowa.Hope one day newlyweds choose this place for their weddings. Love to see the brides in wedding gowns and the grooms in their tuxedos mingling in the picturesque scenes as soon as the expansion is completed in spring 2015.

LaDonnaVW

If you haven't been to the Botanical Garden recently then I would definitely plan on visiting in the near future. I would probably wait until spring so you can walk through the new outdoor garden area. They've done so much work transforming the outdoor gardens and adding so much space that you'll want to be able to see it all. This is going to be the place to have weddings and events for all sizes of groups. Every area is beautiful and each is designed perfectly to have it's own experience.

maryann11

We have been intrigued by the geodesic dome that sits off I-235 in Des Moines, and wondered what it was. We finally stopped to find out. The dome is part of the Des Moines Botanical Garden, a small, but tastefully done garden that is in the process of growing. They have managed to pack several interesting displays into the small space, and just opened an outside terrace and tree-lined avenue on the property. The displays rotate on a seasonal basis. It is worth a look if you have time. One thing not to miss is the on-premise restaurant, Trellis. We had fabulous salads and homemade soup, and we found out that they use some ingredients that come from the garden! We'll be back!

jjctraveler

The domed conservatory was nice, but I thought it was overpriced at $5 and it is very small. They are building a large outdoor garden which should greatly improve the attraction. The wall of plants in the lobby was stunning. They had a rather bizarre exhibit were plants were removed from soil, there roots bound and hung from the ceiling in May, it was different, but not really my style. There was plentiful free parking, though it was a little difficult to find with all the construction going on. Directional signs were very helpful. If you really have to see an outdoor garden, try the Reiman Gardens in Ames, about 30 minutes North of Des Moines.

224kent

Compared to other Botanical Gardens I have been to, this is very small, but compact. There was a very lovely display of art and foliage that was very photographic. There is a very large addition in the works that should be done by next year. What's not to like about flowering plants from tropical climates. The admission is only $5. Very few people were visiting this park for a Saturday afternoon. Great bicycle path along the river leading to this garden.

FemaleTraveler85

I was a little disappointed in this botanical garden. The inside was just OK. The outside is currently closed for major renovations. I'm sure that will be lovely once it's finished - which I believe will be spring of 2015.

STEVENS978

Right now it is a tad hard to get to since one entrance is closed to the public. Once work is done it will be worth a visit again.

sarahtham

Located jsut next to the river, the drive towards it allows you beautiful vistas of the river, the Women Achievement Bridge, the Pagodas. Exvcellent cycling lanes towards it too.