City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (404) 876-5859

Address: 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE

Description: Three miles from Downtown stands a living museum to nature and gardening that is more passion than pastime for a great many Atlantans. Perched on 30 acres overlooking Midtown’s Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) features 15 acres of outdoor display gardens and the 15-acre Storza Woods, one of the few remaining urban forests in Atlanta. More than 3,000 ornamental plants flourish in the display gardens. Special sections devoted to roses, herbs, irises, and summer bulbs will delight you as you stroll through the innovatively landscaped grounds. Meditate a moment in the peaceful Japanese Garden, or delight your olfactory sense in the Fragrance Garden. Stroll along sidewalks under vine-covered arbors, or relax near one of the cooling fountains. The ABG is full of pleasant, shaded seating areas, including the Alston Overlook, a covered structure nestled among the trees. Sculpture placed throughout the grounds enhances the natural beauty of the plants and flowers. The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory is a $5.5 million glass house that is home to an assortment of endangered and valuable plants. The Tropical Room’s steamy, leafy environment makes you feel like you’ve left Atlanta for the Amazon. The Desert Room transports you through an arid spectacle of lush succulents. Adventurous types will love the special plants section with scary, dangling ant plants and a display of carnivores including the Venus flytrap. A sign dares you to stick a finger into one of the plants’ hungry leaves. But you won’t be invited to fondle the 12 varieties of poison dart frogs from Central and South America that live in three large terrariums filled with rain forest plants. Dorothy and J. B. Fuqua traveled for two years to study 15 conservatories around the world before building the setting for this worldwide collection. Tiny, colorful birds flit among the trees and dart beneath a waterfall. The visual feast ranges from blooming orchids and unusual bromeliads to sprawling cacti and coffee plants. You can catch a spectacular view of part of the Atlanta skyline as you approach the conservatory from the ABG display gardens. The ABG offers classes, lectures, symposia, and demonstrations for ABG members and nonmembers. For information on ABG classes and tours, call the Education Department at (404) 876-5859, extension 2555. New in town and seeking fellow rose garden enthusiasts? ABG will refer you to an appropriate group. Many garden clubs and specialty societies meet regularly at ABG, with exhibits and competitions scheduled year-round. The annual Southeastern Flower Show presents an entire range of garden-related events such as artistic design displays, children’s activities, and more to benefit. If you have questions about a particular plant or gardening method, call the Plant Hotline. A volunteer horticulturist or master gardener will be on hand or return your call. The Sheffield Botanical Library stocks some 2,000 books and 80 periodicals for on-site library research only. The ABG’s Museum Shop is filled with unexpected finds for the gardeners on your gift list. Or what the heck, buy something for yourself! From April through October you can lunch on sandwiches, salads, and desserts on Lanier Terrace, overlooking the Rose Garden. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is in the northwest corner of Piedmont Park. The entrance is on Piedmont Road between 14th Street and Monroe Drive, across from the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and The Prado. The garden allows child strollers everywhere but in the conservatory. Limited parking is available. For public transportation, take MARTA to the Arts Center Station, where you may transfer to the No. 36 North Decatur bus. On Sunday take the No. 31 Lindbergh bus from MARTA’s Lindbergh or Five Points station. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., October through March; from April through September the garden stays open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. We recommend you allow at least an hour to tour the garden. The Fuqua Conservatory and the Museum Shop open at 10 a.m. The garden is closed every Monday and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission costs $15 for adults, $12 for seniors older than 65, as well as for children ages 3 to 17. Children younger than 3 and Atlanta Botanical Garden members get in free. Groups of 15 or more enjoy special admission rates if they schedule their visit in advance.