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From desert climates to Japanese gardens, these stunning gardens – voted as best by readers – showcase vast collections of plant life, helping to promote and conserve the plant diversity of our planet. These are the 10 best botanical gardens in the United States for 2023.
Photo courtesy of The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
No. 10: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens - Palm Desert, California
Located in the California city of Palm Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens includes a botanical garden experience that focuses on the recreations of various desert plant community ecosystems of North America. The Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonora and Colorado deserts are included, with each desert’s unique habitats represented. Additionally, there are numerous specialized focus gardens, including agave, aloe, hummingbird, butterfly, palm, sage, East African and many more.
Photo courtesy of Herb Crossan
No. 9: Winterthur - Winterthur, Delaware
Historic Winterthur was the birthplace and home of Henry Francis du Pont, a member of Delaware’s industrialist du Pont family. Now, it’s a museum, garden and library. Visitors should spend at least half a day to explore the property’s carefully designed naturalistic garden. Tram tours are offered from March to December.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Olga Dyukareva
No. 8: The Dawes Arboretum - Newark, Ohio
This non-profit arboretum in Newark, Ohio was established in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes. Today, it boasts over 5,300 different types of plants. Visitors can wander along its 12 miles of walking paths and hiking trails, or they can take a fascinating 4-mile driving tour of the grounds.
Photo courtesy of courtesy Brookgreen Gardens, by Austin Bond Photography
No. 7: Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, Brookgreen Gardens combines art, nature and history. The Botanical Gardens at Brookgreen boast 250-year-old live oak trees, a butterfly garden, a Palmetto Garden, a kitchen garden and a children’s garden. Visitors strolling the grounds will delight in the beauty of the sculptures and the bold garden designs.
Photo courtesy of Jalyn Ignot/Huntsville Botanical Garden
No. 6: Huntsville Botanical Garden - Huntsville, Alabama
This 118-acre Alabama botanical garden is open year-round and offers a variety of diverse ecosystems for guests of all ages to enjoy and explore. Opened in 1988, the garden includes a seasonal open-aired butterfly house, a dogwood trail, a fern glade, 13 themed herb gardens, four model gardens with suggestions for the home gardener, and a nature trail with paths through an indigenous lowland forest.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Srinivas Rao Bandaru
No. 5: Garvan Woodland Gardens - Hot Springs, Arkansas
Owned by the University of Arkansas, the Garvan Woodland Gardens is less than 10 miles from Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The 210-acre botanical garden is best known for its stunning Anthony Chapel, which is made of native wood and glass, with a 57-foot vaulted ceiling. Visitors love the guided golf cart tours and the plentiful walking paths.
Photo courtesy of Courtesy of Tucson Botanical Gardens
No. 4: Tucson Botanical Gardens - Tucson, Arizona
As an impressive collection of 16 urban gardens that span 5.5 acres, Tucson Botanical Gardens utilizes science, culture, history and art to connect people with plants. Among the gardens that visitors adore are the Barrio Garden, the Zen Garden and the Cox Orchid and Butterfly Pavilion. And little ones delight in the Children’s Discovery Garden.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Senna Renae
No. 3: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, located in Schenley Park, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered a City of Pittsburgh historic landmark. Visitors are always in awe of the impressive Orchid Room, as well as the renowned collections of palms and cactuses. Phipps offers a landscaping and garden design certificate program, in addition to the seasonal classes and events for children and adults.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
No. 2: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - Cincinnati, Ohio
The Botanical Garden at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden includes a Butterfly Garden with a variety of plants, a green roof on the giraffe building and an Endangered Species/CREW Garden, devoted to the propagation and preservation of endangered plants. A spring highlight of the botanical garden is the 100,000-bulb tulip display.
Photo courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
No. 1: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden - Coral Gables, Florida
The warm climate of Coral Gables allows tropical plants to be grown outdoors year-round at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – one of the only places in the continental United States where this is possible. Exotic butterflies fly freely within the Wings of the Tropics exhibit, while the Tropical Plant Conservatory and Rare Plant House displays 450 species of rare and endangered tropical plants from around the globe. Other themed gardens include a Tropical Fruit Pavilion, Palm Glade, Tropical Flower Garden, Succulent Garden and even a display of the dry forest plants of Madagascar.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor... Read More
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she... Read More
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of... Read More
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Nicky Omohundro
Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of Read More
Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of LittleFamilyAdventure.com, the popular family travel & lifestyle website that inspires families to leave no child left inside. Since 2013 LFA has been providing inspiration to get families outdoors, eat well, and travel everywhere from their own backyard to around the world. Always up for a family adventure, she has traveled to 37 states and 6 countries to zip-line through a Costa Rican rainforest, see Finland’s Northern Lights, and go camping throughout the US. Nicky is the co-founder of Tourism WorX a travel consultancy group. Connect with her Twitter and Instagram.
Nicky Omohundro
Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of LittleFamilyAdventure.com, the popular family travel & lifestyle website that inspires families to leave no child left inside. Since 2013 LFA has been providing inspiration to get families outdoors, eat well, and travel everywhere from their own backyard to around the world. Always up for a family adventure, she has traveled to 37 states and 6 countries to zip-line through a Costa Rican rainforest, see Finland’s Northern Lights, and go camping throughout the US. Nicky is the co-founder of Tourism WorX a travel consultancy group. Connect with her Twitter and Instagram.
Nikky J
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The... Read More
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide, the founder and owner of ThemeParkHipster.com, a wishful Food Critic, coffee enthusiast, and a lover of life! She currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two little girls while discovering the beautiful attractions of Florida. You can watch her on YouTube or listen to her podcast.
Nikky J
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide, the founder and owner of ThemeParkHipster.com, a wishful Food Critic, coffee enthusiast, and a lover of life! She currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two little girls while discovering the beautiful attractions of Florida. You can watch her on YouTube or listen to her podcast.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production... Read More
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.