Photo: Courtesy of The New York Botanical Garden
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50 States of Beautiful Blooms
There are countless places to see unique, well-curated and even awe-inspiring gardens — maybe even in your own backyard. So don’t fight us on our definition of “most beautiful” here; we’re not out to compete. We love gardens of all shapes and sizes (and know you do too!). And we just want to be sure you don’t miss any icons that could be right under your nose — or on your travel itinerary — when time is a finite resource. These spots across the country are absolutely worth visiting. (Looking for more places to visit? Try these state-by-state guides to public parks, bucket list adventures, and roadside attractions.)
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Photo: Courtesy of Bellingrath Gardens and Home
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Alabama
Bellingrath Gardens and Home (Theodore)
Step into a southern fairytale at this 65-acre floral wonderland, where each season is beautifully unique. Wander through the award-winning rose garden before discovering the property’s historic 15-room, 10,500-square-foot home.
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Photo: GettyImages/Linda Harms
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Alaska
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure (Anchorage)
Where else can you explore upside-down trees transformed into hanging gardens? This 110-acre Alaskan gem has vibrant wildflower meadows that burst into living color during Alaska’s midnight sun season.
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Photo: Courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden
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Arizona
Desert Botanical Garden (Phoenix)
This 140-acre sanctuary has five immersive trails. Watch the sunset paint the Phoenix sandstones fiery red while towering saguaro cacti create dramatic silhouettes against the sky.
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Photo: Courtesy of Garvan Woodland Gardens
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Arkansas
Garvan Woodland Gardens (Hot Springs)
Nature meets artistry at this 210-acre botanical masterpiece nestled along the shores of Lake Hamilton. The garden’s award-winning Japanese pavilion offers visitors a moment of Zen amid the Ouachita Mountains.
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Photo: Courtesy of Ganna Walska Lotusland
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California
Ganna Walska Lotusland (Montecito)
Created by an eccentric opera singer with a passion for the extraordinary, these 37 acres showcase theatrical garden rooms that blur the line between fantasy and reality. The garden houses over three thousand plant species including rare botanical collections of cycads, cacti, palms, and euphorbias alongside its namesake lotus flowers.
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Photo: Scott Dressel-Martin/Courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens
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Colorado
Denver Botanic Gardens (Denver)
A high-altitude oasis where seven distinct gardens prove that elevation is no obstacle to botanical brilliance. The Gardens’ innovative water-smart designs have transformed mountain gardening while offering spectacular views of the Denver skyline.
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Photo: Sally Nolen/Courtesy of Elizabeth Park Rose Garden
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Connecticut
Elizabeth Park Rose Garden (Hartford)
America’s oldest public rose garden blooms with romantic nostalgia, with more than 15,000 roses in 800 varieties. The garden’s century-old arches, draped with climbing roses, create magical tunnels.
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Photo: Lois Mauro Photography/Courtesy of Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library
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Delaware
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library (Winterthur)
Henry Franciis du Pont’s horticultural vision unfolds across 1,000 acres where the 60-acre centerpiece garden was designed like a painting with carefully choreographed color progressions that change with each season.
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Photo: Carlos Causo/Courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
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Florida
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Coral Gables)
In this 83-acre tropical paradise, where rainbow-colored macaws soar above rare palms and flowering trees. The garden’s tropical fruit pavilion offers visitors a chance to taste exotic flavors rarely experienced outside the tropics.
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Photo: GettyImages/UniversalImagesGroup
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Georgia
Atlanta Botanical Garden (Atlanta)
Urban nature reaches new heights at this 30-acre downtown refuge, where visitors can stroll among the treetops on the Storza Woods canopy walk. The garden’s Earth Goddess sculpture—a 25-foot living plant installation—has become Atlanta’s most photographed green icon.
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Photo: David H. Leopold/Courtesy of Allerton Garden
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Hawaii
Allerton Garden (Kauai)
Hollywood discovered the cinematic beauty of this 80-acre masterpiece long ago — those famous Jurassic Park dinosaur egg scenes were filmed among the garden’s massive Moreton Bay Fig trees, whose sculptural roots create natural rooms beneath the canopy.
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Photo: Courtesy of Idaho Botanical Garden
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Idaho
Idaho Botanical Garden (Boise)
From prison yard to paradise, these 50 acres of transformed penitentiary grounds now house native camas meadows and demonstration gardens where visitors can learn high-desert gardening secrets. The winter lights festival transforms the space into a glittering wonderland.
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Photo: Courtesy of Anderson Japanese Gardens
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Illinois
Anderson Japanese Gardens (Rockford)
Master craftsmen from Japan created this 12-acre meditation in motion, where every stone, stream, and maple has been placed with intention. The koi-filled ponds reflect the changing seasons, creating twice the beauty at every turn.
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Photo: Anna Tiplick/Courtesy of Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
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Indiana
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields (Indianapolis)
Art escapes the gallery walls across these 152 acres, where sculptures emerge from meadows and formal gardens surround the historic Lilly House. The garden’s Beer Garden transforms botanical appreciation into a multi-sensory experience during summer evenings.
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Photo: Courtesy of Reiman Gardens
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Iowa
Reiman Gardens (Ames)
Home to the nation’s largest butterfly garden, these 17 acres showcase the beauty of Midwest horticulture through 26 distinct gardens. The towering “Elwood” sculpture — a 15-foot American Gothic gnome — adds whimsy to this scientific wonderland.
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Photo: Shutterstock/photojohn830
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Kansas
Botanica the Wichita Gardens (Wichita)
Prairie meets precision in these 18 acres of botanical diversity, where 30 themed gardens celebrate Kansas’ natural heritage. The Downing Children’s Garden features a giant monster tree whose massive roots create magical play spaces.
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Photo: Courtesy of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
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Kentucky
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (Clermont)
A 16,000-acre living laboratory where forest bathing takes on new meaning. The garden’s famous Forest Giants — massive sculptures crafted from reclaimed wood — hide among the trees, creating an enchanting scavenger hunt for visitors of all ages.
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Photo: Shutterstock/Kathleen K. Parker
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Louisiana
Longue Vue House and Gardens (New Orleans)
Southern charm meets modernist design in these eight acres of formal gardens surrounding a 1930s Classical Revival mansion. The Wild Garden offers a naturalistic contrast to the home’s geometric Spanish Court, showcasing the versatility of Gulf Coast plantings.
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Photo: GettyImages/Eliza Paradis
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Maine
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Boothbay)
New England’s largest botanical garden spans 295 acres where forest meets shoreline. The children’s garden features a storybook village complete with fairy houses, while the Meditation Garden offers contemplative views across a tidal river.
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Photo: Courtesy of Ladew Topiary Gardens
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Maryland
Ladew Topiary Gardens (Monkton)
Shears create magic in these 22 acres where over 100 living sculptures transform yew, boxwood, and privet into hunt scenes, chess pieces, and fantasy creatures. The Victorian tea garden offers a genteel spot to admire the artistry.
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Photo: Kevin Sprague/Courtesy of The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home
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Massachusetts
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home (Lenox)
Literary inspiration blooms in these three acres of formal gardens designed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist herself. Wharton applied the same principles of proportion and harmony to her landscapes as she did to her pioneering interior design work.
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Photo: Courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
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Michigan
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids)
Art and horticulture create a year-round masterpiece across 158 acres, where monumental sculptures by artistic legends emerge from seasonal plantings. The nation’s most comprehensive carnivorous plant collection adds an element of botanical drama.
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Photo: GettyImages/Education Images
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Minnesota
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (Chaska)
A 1,200-acre plant laboratory where scientists have developed cold-hardy fruit varieties that revolutionized northern growing. The stunning seasonal displays showcase more than 5,000 plant species that thrive despite challenging winter temperatures.
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Photo: Kevin Hudson/Courtesy of Crosby Arboretum
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Mississippi
Crosby Arboretum (Picayune)
A 700-acre love letter to Mississippi’s native landscapes, where carefully managed controlled burns maintain the stunning longleaf pine savanna. The arboretum’s Pinecote Pavilion—a modernist wooden structure that seems to float above a pond—has become an architectural icon.
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Photo: Shutterstock/Prosper106
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Missouri
Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis)
America’s oldest continuously operating botanical garden spans 79 acres of historical and horticultural significance. The 14-acre Japanese garden ranks among North America’s finest, while the futuristic Climatron geodesic dome houses a rainforest that thrives despite Midwest winters.
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Photo: Courtesy of Tizer Botanic Gardens & Arboretum
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Montana
Tizer Botanic Gardens & Arboretum (Jefferson City)
This Montana botanical garden proves that the Big Sky country can support spectacular gardens despite its harsh winter conditions. These six acres feature wildflower meadows where butterflies dance among native blooms against a backdrop of rugged mountains.
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Photo: Courtesy of Lauritzen Garden
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Nebraska
Lauritzen Gardens (Omaha)
A 100-acre prairie paradise where the garden’s model railroad winds through miniature landscapes that tell the story of Nebraska’s railroad history. The Victorian garden nods to Omaha’s gilded past, while the arboretum showcases trees that thrive on the plains.
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Photo: Shutterstock/BalkansCat
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Nevada
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden (Las Vegas)
Vegas showmanship meets horticultural artistry in this 14,000-square-foot indoor wonderland that transforms five times annually. A team of 120 horticulturists works overnight to create spectacular seasonal displays that have become as iconic as the Strip itself.
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Photo: Shutterstock/Capt’ Tom
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New Hampshire
Fuller Gardens (North Hampton)
These gardens were originally designed for a governor’s estate. The rose garden’s geometric precision offers a stunning contrast to the wild Atlantic beyond, while the Japanese garden provides a contemplative space amid coastal energy.
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Photo: Shutterstock/Andrew F. Kazmierski
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New Jersey
Deep Cut Gardens (Middletown)
This New Jersey garden spans 54 acres with a dedication to teaching horticultural techniques. From a colonial-era farming village to a lavish Italian-style garden retreat, Deep Cut Gardens in New Jersey has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in landscape history.
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Photo: Courtesy of ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
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New Mexico
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden (Albuquerque)
High desert meets Rio Grande Valley in these 36 acres where a massive conservatory showcases the plants that early Spanish explorers dreamed of finding. The heritage farm recreates New Mexico’s agricultural history with heirloom crops and rare livestock breeds.
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Photo: Courtesy of The New York Botanical Garden
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New York
The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
This is essentially an urban plant museum spanning 250 acres, where the environment offers a glimpse of what Manhattan looked like before skyscrapers. The landmark Victorian glasshouse hosts amazing seasonal shows.
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Photo: GettyImages/George Rose
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North Carolina
Biltmore Estate Gardens (Asheville)
With 8,000 acres, America’s most visited garden surrounds the country’s largest private home. The century-old walled garden transforms seasonally, while the bass pond offers reflective views of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.
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Photo: Courtesy of International Peace Garden
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North Dakota
International Peace Garden (Dunseith)
A nearly 2,400-acre monument to friendship straddles the world’s longest undefended border, with formal gardens that unite American and Canadian design traditions. The garden’s peace chapel symbolizes hope for global harmony.
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Photo: Courtesy of Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden
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Ohio
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Columbus)
Victorian elegance meets modern artistry across these 90 acres, where Dale Chihuly’s stunning glass sculptures have become a permanent installation among the botanical collections. The Palm House, a grand Victorian glass structure, has been part of Columbus history since 1895.
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Photo: Courtesy of Myriad Botanical Gardens
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Oklahoma
Myriad Botanical Gardens (Oklahoma City)
These gardens are a 17-acre urban revitalization success story, where the iconic seven-story Crystal Bridge tropical conservatory rises like a glass cylinder from the heart of downtown. The garden’s thunderstorm simulation, complete with lightning and rain, offers visitors a safe tropical storm experience
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Photo: Jonathan Ley/Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden
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Oregon
Portland Japanese Garden (Portland)
Twelve acres of tranquility earned the title “most authentic Japanese garden outside Japan” from the former Japanese ambassador. Eight distinct garden styles showcase different aspects of Japanese cultural history, from ancient Shinto traditions to modernist minimalism.
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Photo: Courtesy of Longwood Gardens
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Pennsylvania
Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square)
The du Pont legacy lives on across 1,077 acres where innovation meets tradition. The garden’s dancing fountains — newly renovated with state-of-the-art technology — create water shows synchronized to music that rival the famous displays of Versailles.
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Photo: Andrea Hansen/Courtesy of The Green Animals Topiary Garden
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Rhode Island
The Green Animals Topiary Garden (Portsmouth)
New England’s oldest topiary garden features more than 80 living sculptures across seven acres overlooking Narragansett Bay. From giraffes to elephants, the garden’s menagerie of animals has been continuously maintained by three generations of gardeners.
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Photo: Courtesy of Brookgreen Gardens
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South Carolina
Brookgreen Gardens (Murrells Inlet)
American figurative sculpture finds its perfect setting among more than 9,000 acres of former rice plantations. The garden’s live oak allée — trees planted in the 1700s when the property was a working plantation — create cathedral-like spaces draped with Spanish moss.
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Photo: Courtesy of McCrory Gardens
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South Dakota
McCrory Gardens (Brookings)
Prairie plants get the spotlight across these 25 acres of display gardens and 45-acre arboretum dedicated to plants that thrive despite harsh Dakota winters. The garden’s extensive lily collection showcases varieties developed at nearby South Dakota State University.
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Photo: GettyImages/MediaNews Group Boston Herald
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Tennessee
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (Nashville)
The Maxwell House coffee fortune built this 55-acre estate, where 11 distinct gardens surround a Georgian mansion. The garden’s woodland sculpture trail combines art with native Tennessee forest, creating surprising moments of discovery along winding paths.
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Photo: Courtesy of Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
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Texas
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (Dallas)
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the spring bloom at this 66-acre showplace on the shores of White Rock Lake. The garden’s Pumpkin Village, featuring more than 90,000 pumpkins each fall, has become one of America’s most photographed seasonal displays.
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Photo: Dave Titensor/Courtesy of Red Butte Garden
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Utah
Red Butte Garden (Salt Lake City)
The Intermountain West’s botanical showcase spans 100 acres where themed gardens demonstrate water-wise techniques against a dramatic mountain backdrop. The garden’s summer concert series has become a beloved tradition, with music echoing through the natural amphitheater.
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Photo: Courtesy of Shelburne Museum
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Vermont
Shelburne Museum (Shelburne)
A collector’s paradise spread across 45 acres, where 39 historic buildings have been relocated to create a campus dedicated to American folk art and horticulture. The garden’s historic apple varieties preserve New England’s agricultural heritage.
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Photo: Tom Hennessy/Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
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Virginia
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Richmond)
Southern hospitality meets botanical diversity across 50 acres topped by a classical domed conservatory reminiscent of the 1800s. The garden’s annual Dominion GardenFest of Lights transforms winter nights into a walking journey through a million twinkling bulbs.
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Photo: Martina Machackova/Courtesy of Bloedel Reserve
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Washington
Bloedel Reserve (Bainbridge Island)
A former logging family’s 150-acre estate has been transformed into a series of contemplative landscapes just a short ferry ride from Seattle. The moss garden, where velvet green carpets every surface, creates an otherworldly experience unique in American horticulture.
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Photo: Courtesy of West Virginia Botanic Garden
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West Virginia
West Virginia Botanic Garden (Morgantown)
An abandoned reservoir has found new life as an 82-acre botanical garden where the old basin creates unique growing conditions. Boardwalks allow visitors to explore wetland ecosystems that have naturally reclaimed what humans once engineered.
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Photo: GettyImages/The Washington Post
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Wisconsin
Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison)
Midwest meets Far East across these 16 acres featuring the only authentic Thai pavilion in the continental United States, a gift from the Thai government that seems to float above its surrounding garden. The Rose Garden proves that cold climates can support spectacular bloom shows.
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Photo: GettyImages/UCG
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Wyoming
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (Cheyenne)
High-altitude innovation powers these nine acres, where one of America’s first solar-heated greenhouses showcases plants that thrive at 6,000 feet elevation. The Paul Smith Children’s Village teaches sustainability through interactive exhibits powered by wind and solar energy.
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