Every botanical garden in the world offers a unique and beautiful experience, and the Missouri Botanical Garden is certainly no exception. Come take a stroll with us as we highlight 5 reasons to explore the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is known for its 14-acre Japanese Garden as well as hosting one of the largest collections of rare and endangered flora in the world. Did you know this also happens to be one of the oldest botanical gardens in the United States? Boasting 79-acres of cultivated natural beauty, you’ll discover a treasure trove of beautiful horticulture during every season: vibrant spring blooms, lush summer greenery, unique fall foliage, and surreal winter beauty.

#1 – 4 Seasons of Botanical Beauty

To get the most of St. Louis’s favorite garden, you have to visit in every season. The drastically different landscape will make you feel as if you’ve been transported somewhere else.

Vibrant Spring Blooms

Springtime is an idyllic time to explore the Missouri Botanical Garden. By the end of March through May, colorful blooms are everywhere. Vibrant tulips in a variety of colors stand tall and proud against a backdrop of flowering redbuds, dogwoods, cherry blossoms, and magnolias. Enjoy the brilliant display of daffodils, pansies, woodland wildflowers, iris, peonies, roses, and much more.

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“Everything the garden does is exceptional. One of my favorite places in St. Louis. Must see in the spring when the cherry blossom and Bradford pear trees are blooming in the Japanese garden.” – 5-Star Tripadvisor Review

Lush Summer Greenery

Summertime offers colorful blooms, fragrant scents, and lush foliage in every shade of green imaginable. Roses offer a sweet fragrance as their blooms peak. Water lilies leave visitors in awe with their platter-like leaves and delicate flowers. Tall grasses sway in the breeze. The summer season also offers fruit and vegetable demonstrations for learning to garden at home. We recommend arriving early in the morning and/or during the week to beat the potential crowds.

Unique Fall Foliage

The autumn colors are simply spectacular. The crisp air is invigorating. The ornamental grasses are stars in their own right. You will love taking long walks as you linger to take in the profusion of colorful chrysanthemums, red berries, fresh mulch, and fall foliage.

Surreal Winter Beauty

The dominant colors during the winter are green, gray, brown and white, but your eyes will be drawn to pops of color here and there thanks to a variety of decorative planters and winter berries. You’ll admire the texture of tree limbs and bark once covered by leaves. You’ll appreciate the quieter environment as you stroll the garden paths. Of course, inside the conservatories, you can warm up and enjoy the cozy colors and fresh fragrance.

#2 – The Japanese Garden

The 14-acre Japanese Garden alone, one of the largest in America, is a reason to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden. Carefully designed plantings, waterfalls, beaches, and islands representing centuries of Japanese tradition, certainly set this garden apart from the rest. The late Professor Koichi Kawana designed this authentic, understated, monochromatic garden featuring a large, 4-acre lake, traditional Japanese bridges for crossing and viewing, and extensive lawn areas to rest your eyes.

During the wintertime, flickering light from Japanese lanterns surround the landscape. Fresh fallen snow, considered to be a flower in the Japanese garden, adds a unique layer to the landscape highlighting its unique lines and forms. The experience is surreal and not to be missed.

#3 – Climatron | Geodesic Dome Conservatory

The award-winning Climatron greenhouse is the first geodesic dome ever to be used as a conservatory. You’ll be amazed to find no interior support, no columns, just an open glass dome that spans an impressive 175 feet in diameter and 70 feet in the center. Inside the 24,000 square foot dome, you’ll find a tropical rainforest full of dense green foliage, rocky cliffs, mesmerizing waterfalls, and a river aquarium teeming with exotic fish. Amidst mysterious orchids, rare double coconut plants, banana, coffee, and cacao plants you will be seemingly transported to the tropics.

#4 – Missouri Botanical Garden Tours & Events

In addition to self-guided visits, each year the Missouri Botanical Garden hosts a variety of tours and events where you will discover fascinating facts about all things horticulture, including orchids, butterflies, grapes, pollinators, tarantulas, arthropods, landscape and garden history and much more.

MyGuide to the Garden will help you choose the right tour for you. Tours include the Historical Garden, the Tower Grove House, Global Gardens, Health & Well-Being, Sachs Museum Mural, Plants We Love and Why, Japanese Garden, Terrific Trees, Art in the Garden and Sustainability.

During the holiday season, don’t miss Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Gardens, when the garden will literally be aglow with holiday lights!

Missouri Botanical Garden Info

Location: 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
Telephone: (314) 577-5100
Cost: $13 adults (13 and older); free for children (12 and under)

#5 – Luxurious Lodging in Nearby Hermann, MO

Located in nearby Hermann, MO, our Hermann Hill Boutique Hotel is the perfect place to stay while spending the day at the Missouri Botanical Garden, since St. Louis is just a little over an hour’s drive away.

You’ll start your morning here with fresh complimentary coffee, tea or cocoa and your choice of a continental, to-go, or a full gourmet breakfast. As you head east toward St. Louis, you’ll enjoy the scenic views of vineyards and the rolling countryside.

Plan to spend at least two hours at the gardens (or all day). When hunger strikes, you’ll find a plethora of fantastic restaurants for a delicious lunch. And if you have time, check out several free things to do in St. Louis, including the St. Louis Zoo, the famous St. Louis Arch (great for selfies!), and the St. Louis Science Center for all of you science buffs. At the end of the day, you’ll return to your luxurious Vineyard Inn Suite or River Bluff Cottage where you can rest and relax. Soak in the Sanijet jetted tub or hot tub. Rejuvenate in the steam shower. Cozy up in front of the fire (indoors or out). Sleep soundly in a comfortable king-size bed. BOOK NOW.