The most stunning botanical garden is found in Florida. Here’s where to find it
Stop and smell the flowers, especially these gorgeous, hidden gems found around the U.S.
Pergola and pavilion designers at Pergola Kits USA tracked down the top botanical gardens across the country, with the top spot going to a beloved park in North Florida.
Experts analyzed the number of Tripadvisor reviews that contained positive descriptors, such as ‘stunning’, ‘beautiful’, ‘breathtaking’ and ‘gorgeous’ across 260 botanical gardens in the US. Each botanical garden has been ranked based on the percentage of reviews containing these beauty keywords.
What is a botanical garden?
Per the Botanical Gardens Conversations International, botanic gardens are institutions holding documented collections of living plants for the purpose of scientific research, conservation, display, and education.
BGCI updated the criteria in 2018 to have a greater emphasis on conserving rare and threatened plants, compliance with international policies, and sustainability and ethical initiatives.
What is top botanical garden in the country, according to TripAdvisor?
Tallahassee's Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park topped the list of America’s most stunning botanical gardens with roughly 78% of its Tripadvisor reviews containing keywords describing the beauty of the garden.
"First planted in 1923 by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay after they purchased the property for their winter home, this stunning garden features spectacular architecture, a secret garden, a reflection pool and hundreds of camellias and azaleas," Pergola Kits USA writes about its top choice.
Where is Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park located?
For those wanting to see its beauty for themselves, the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park is located at 3540 Thomasville Road in Tallahassee.
What are the hours for Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park? What are the parking fees?
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park operates from 8 a.m. until sundown every day of the year, though the botanical gardens. The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a daily basis.
It does note on their website that peak blooming season is from January 1 through April 30, with the floral peak in late February. During these months, a special fee is charged for visiting the gardens and the historic Maclay House.
Admissions is $6 per vehicle for up to eight people. This doesn't include the price for the gardens, which is $3.
Here are TripAdvisor's top 10 botanical gardens in the country
Pergola Kits USA said they hoped this data analysis encourages those to explore a new botanical garden and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors.
“The close proximity of these percentages expressing the stunning nature of these botanical gardens illustrates the beauty and sheer popularity of America’s botanical gardens," a spokesperson from Pergola Kits USA said. "The public clearly loves visiting the nation’s preserved outdoor spaces and showing their appreciation of them through online reviews.”
The top 10 botanical gardens are:
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee, Florida
Blue Spring Heritage Center in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Fellows Riverside Gardens in Youngtown, Ohio
Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut
Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hershey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, Alabama
Filoli in Woodside, California
Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The best botanical garden in the country is in Florida. Here's where
