Garvan Woodland Gardens
Garvan Woodland Gardens
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Open to the public hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission payments by CREDIT CARD or EXACT CASH only. Garvan Woodland Gardens is the 210 acre botanical garden of the University of Arkansas, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas on beautiful Lake Hamilton.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- Sandy PPine Bluff, Arkansas35 contributionsWonderful First VisitVisiting there had been on my bucket list for many years. Went there for anniversary getaway in Hot Springs. We were not physically able to walk the grounds. However, we had a great driver in Lynn. She was so knowledgeable about the history of the garden and most importantly, she knows her plants. Enjoyed looking at the koi pond and the tree house. I’d do it again!Visited May 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten May 24, 2023
- Nissa A5 contributionsGardensBeautiful garden! I do feel like there should be more signs telling you were to go. Felt alittle lost at times. The kids loved feeding the Koi. My dad drove a scooter and struggled several times on the hills with his battery dying and having to be pushed up. The hills were too steep at times. The garden was very beautiful and definitely a site to see. The food was delicious, but they were busy and it took at least 30 minutes to get our food. Despite the negative, we enjoyed our visit.Visited May 2023Written May 29, 2023
- Donna W19 contributionsGo!Wonderful gardens! Definitely a must see if in the Hot Springs area. I also recommend the Chipmunk Cafe; the food was very good and not terribly overpriced as you'll find in some gardens/tourist attractions. I suggest buying tickets online to save some money.Visited July 2023Traveled soloWritten July 12, 2023
- terry32372 contributionsDon't miss this.So beautiful. Take your time at this place. Great fun for families. Bring plenty of water in the summer. We had a group of seven, and everyone loved something different. Buy tickets online for a discount.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 26, 2023
- robertrC3199BCColumbia, Missouri44 contributionsGreat escapeWe were pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the gardens are during fall season. We love woodland gardens and the layout and walking paths were awesome. We would love to revisit to see the flowers in spring and summer. A truly wonder experience. Give a visit!! Buy tickets on-line and save.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 23, 2023
- Sandra SPapillion, Nebraska1,677 contributionsPerfect for a Peaceful Walk in the WoodsThese lovely gardens are worthy of a visit while touring Hot Springs! Lovely walking trails wander past waterfalls, lakes, creeks, and are surrounded by trees, shrubs, and flowers of all kinds. Small wooden buildings offer the opportunity to picnic or to simply sit and enjoy the peace in the woods. Be sure to visit the stunning chapel while you're there! Wedding photos were being taken during our visit, and we were told Garvan Woodland Gardens is a favorite wedding destination.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 1, 2023
- lauremineoNew Orleans, Louisiana3 contributionsWonderful Hot Springs hospitalityMy family and friends had a great time in the quaint town of Hot Springs. We rented a large house on the lake. There were great hiking trails, fun e-bike riding up the mountain, and escaping an Escape Room!!! Soaked at a Bath House spring and walked around the town. Would definitely go back! Maybe take the Duck boat tourVisited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 9, 2023
- Rebecca G3 contributionsMarvelous woodland gardens.A must see. They had decorated for Halloween and had many, many Christmas lights on. The $2 million tree house was something to see. It is lovely. The chapel is a special site. Many weddings are held here. Put it on your must see list.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 13, 2023
- T>J>PertDallas, Texas3 contributionsMagical ForestI went to Hot Springs to enjoy the natural scenery and fresh air, and Garvan Woodland Gardens did not disappoint. This was by far the best arboretum/park/garden I have ever visited. Walking here felt like being in a fairy-tale forest. Be prepared to do a LOT of walking, the grounds are extensive and the maps are sometimes less than helpful. They do rent golfcarts for those who need them. The architectural features in the park are very Tolkien-ish and impressive in scale. We are already planning our return trip to view the Christmas lights.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 20, 2023
- swimpinkhankBartlesville, Oklahoma45 contributionsAbsolutely gorgeous!Garvan Gardens was just beautiful! We loved walking around, even in the fall, when fewer plants were blooming. The children's treehouse is unbelievably cool. Can't wait to come back in the spring sometime!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 24, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
2,765 reviews
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starsfanatic99
Dallas, Tx292 contributions
May 2021
Wonderful visit- they have a reciprocal agreement with the Dallas Arboretum where we have a family membership, so we were able to get 6 of our 8 family members in free! They had a service available for the seniors where you can get a paid tour of the gardens. My parents thoroughly enjoyed this as they are limited in how much walking they are able to do. The Lord gave us an amazing cool day, and the gardens were lovely. I highly recommend if you are in the area- especially if you have a membership to a garden that gets you in free of charge!
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janet F
33 contributions
Oct 2021
Wow! What a wonderful way to spend the day! Garvan Woodland Gardens were beautiful with lots of streams, vegetation, and small waterfalls. If you stay on the main path, the walk is not difficult. There were opportunities to venture off the trail and further enjoy the gardens. Be sure to keep your trail map handy or you may have a much longer walk than expected. We walked about 4 miles and didn’t finish all the trails. The weather was perfect but if you go on a warm day you will need a water bottle. Our day ended with a visit to the Anthony Chapel. We were lucky that the Tuesday we toured the gardens was one of the few days the chapel was available to go inside. According to staff there are weddings planned for most days for the next few months. I can see why any couple would want to hold their wedding at the chapel. It was stunning! We loved every minute of our day.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jspring1588
Willow Park, TX29 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
Who would have thought that a four year old would have so much fun at a botanical garden? Our four year old was absolutely enchanted by the various flowers, waterfalls, trails and, especially the Children’s Garden and treehouse. My wife and I were impressed that our daughter never got bored and didn’t complain once about the walking involved. She ended up walking over 5 miles that day(not all at the Garvan)!
Our four year old went into imaginative and elaborate stories about the tree house and the trails, rock formations, bridges and flowers of the Children’s Garden. It was such fun for her and by extension, for us. We got amazing pictures of her and I got fond memories of her stretching her imagination and telling us stories she made up as we explored.
I would absolutely recommend the Garvan Woodland Garden to anyone! Well worth the price!
Our four year old went into imaginative and elaborate stories about the tree house and the trails, rock formations, bridges and flowers of the Children’s Garden. It was such fun for her and by extension, for us. We got amazing pictures of her and I got fond memories of her stretching her imagination and telling us stories she made up as we explored.
I would absolutely recommend the Garvan Woodland Garden to anyone! Well worth the price!
Written October 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX3,456 contributions
Apr 2021 • Friends
No trip to Hot Springs is complete without a visit here. This is one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever been to. You can stay on the paved walkway or take off down stone steps all throughout to get those amazing pictures. The price is $15 and they do offer a golf cart tour for an additional fee if you have mobility issues. Be aware that these tours fill up fast. By noon there was already a 2 hour wait to get on one of the tours. Thankfully we were planning to walk anyway. The tree house is pretty awesome but only one family unit is allowed in at a time so you may have to wait. Luckily we got in pretty quick and were able to take our pictures. I will definitely be going back again and again.....every time I visit Hot Springs!
Written April 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Benjamin V
Porter, TX19 contributions
Mar 2021
We went in the off-season; I'm sure these Gardens are even more beautiful in the spring and summer! They were still beautiful: great walking paths and areas to sit and relax. The views of Lake Hamilton from here are really pretty. They also have a great little place to order food called Chipmunk Cafe that cooks your food fresh and is delicious! We spent about 2.5 hours here and walked almost the whole park besides the reserve area, but we could have spent much longer here — we were just on a time crunch.
We got to see the outside of Anthony Chapel. It's gorgeous! There was a rehearsal taking place while we were there and they weren't going to be done until after it was time to go, so unfortunately we didn't get to walk around the chapel. The inside is currently still closed to visitors due to COVID; it's only open for events. Keep in mind that this is a chapel that people get married in! There was a couple in front of us who gave the lady standing outside the doors a lot of flack for not being able to get closer to the chapel or go in. First off, don't shoot the messenger! Also, this is out of respect to the family getting married, and also, there are so many regulations that are keeping businesses and parks from being fully opened to the public due to COVID. At least the park is open! There are still some parks that are closed, which is very silly to me, seeing as we're outside in fresh air.
To conclude, our visit was great and everything was beautiful!
We got to see the outside of Anthony Chapel. It's gorgeous! There was a rehearsal taking place while we were there and they weren't going to be done until after it was time to go, so unfortunately we didn't get to walk around the chapel. The inside is currently still closed to visitors due to COVID; it's only open for events. Keep in mind that this is a chapel that people get married in! There was a couple in front of us who gave the lady standing outside the doors a lot of flack for not being able to get closer to the chapel or go in. First off, don't shoot the messenger! Also, this is out of respect to the family getting married, and also, there are so many regulations that are keeping businesses and parks from being fully opened to the public due to COVID. At least the park is open! There are still some parks that are closed, which is very silly to me, seeing as we're outside in fresh air.
To conclude, our visit was great and everything was beautiful!
Written March 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
piglet0576
The Colony, TX249 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
To finish up our day in Hot Springs, we took the short drive to the Garvan Woodland Gardens.
After driving through the front gates, we wound around past the entrance to the second parking lot & parked.
It was a rather warm day, so we set our sights on a few specific places, rather than wandering the entire gardens. The beautiful wood & glass Anthony Chapel was just a short walk to the left of the parking lot & the Grooms Quarters were to the right. We also walked a short path across a nearby foot bridge & past a small waterfall. Had the weather been cooler, we definitely would’ve stayed longer & explored more!
After driving through the front gates, we wound around past the entrance to the second parking lot & parked.
It was a rather warm day, so we set our sights on a few specific places, rather than wandering the entire gardens. The beautiful wood & glass Anthony Chapel was just a short walk to the left of the parking lot & the Grooms Quarters were to the right. We also walked a short path across a nearby foot bridge & past a small waterfall. Had the weather been cooler, we definitely would’ve stayed longer & explored more!
Written July 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BY71
Texas126 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
We have visited Garvin Gardens one time before and enjoyed it tremendously. Looked forward to next visit. We were there the middle of October and was greatly disappointed. It was very dry which of course we knew the foliage wouldn’t be as great and was prepared for that but what we found disappointed in was they had begun preparing for Christmas which is fine except there were people working, ladders everywhere, lights lying on the ground waiting to be strung, flower beds just dirt etc. we didn’t pay to come in and watch Christmas construction being done when it is just mid October. We were expecting to see lots of pumpkins and fall decorations. Wish we didn’t see except one beautifully done cornucopia. We love Christmas time and realize it’s a big event for them to prepare for but just didn’t feel we got our moneys worth this time.
Written October 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeana P
Raleigh758 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Beautifully laid out gardens with wide, paved walking paths as well as unpaved trails off into the woods. Some of the main paths are hard-packed gravel. Much of the gardens are shaded which was nice during our visit in a heat wave - although I would recommend visiting earlier in the day rather than later. The Anthony Chapel is worth a visit - it is air conditioned. 🙂. We enjoyed our time here.
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wardgarner
Castro Valley, CA604 contributions
Jun 2021
This is a lovely and peaceful place to visit. Many of the trails are wheelchair accessible. This is a place to go for a stroll. There is nothing strenuous about walking here, which fits nicely with the entire feel of these gardens. Just take your time and enjoy. While we were here in June, with all the azalea bushes we would guess that the place would be spectacular when the azaleas are in bloom. Only negative is that we thought the $15/person entrance fee was a bit high.
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wetravelalot007
Rossville, IN1,242 contributions
Apr 2023
What an amazing place! We were here in second week of April. The peak Daffodil and Tulip season was passed. If we could plan our visit here again it would be for early March to take in that amazing color. As it was the Azaleas were in bloom and the flowering shrubs and trees were still in their glory. The manicured grounds were well maintained. The outcropping into the lake was nice to see as you had many water views to accompany the landscape.
They have 48 designated stops to observe on their map. We hit over 90% of them. The Anthony Chapel and Carillon were amazing. The treehouse would be a kid’s wonderland. The whole area of the Children's Gardens was so well done.
By time we were done walking the park we had spent over three hours and 6.2 miles according to our walking app. It is a nice leisure stroll observing the gardens and plants that flourish here. This is a wonderful botanical garden. For amazing color come in early March. We highly recommend these botanical gardens. Entry fee was $22 they do have an option to be driven around in a golf cart for an additional $20. If you visit the website there was an online option that saves you $2 on the entry fee.
They have 48 designated stops to observe on their map. We hit over 90% of them. The Anthony Chapel and Carillon were amazing. The treehouse would be a kid’s wonderland. The whole area of the Children's Gardens was so well done.
By time we were done walking the park we had spent over three hours and 6.2 miles according to our walking app. It is a nice leisure stroll observing the gardens and plants that flourish here. This is a wonderful botanical garden. For amazing color come in early March. We highly recommend these botanical gardens. Entry fee was $22 they do have an option to be driven around in a golf cart for an additional $20. If you visit the website there was an online option that saves you $2 on the entry fee.
Written April 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
need the instructions for taking care of the Tulips that i bought there
DannyWasserman
Virginia Beach, VA4,450 contributions
I answered below
how to take care of the Tulips that you buy
DannyWasserman
Virginia Beach, VA4,450 contributions
Tulips are bulb plants, you need to plant them 6 inches deep and water them daily.
what is in the garden in september 2023?
LKCalwood
Columbia, MO71 contributions
I do not know. They have almost every variety plant, so I am sure that some will be at their best. You might check with the garden manager.
Hi, I am a CHI St. Vincent's Hospital employee. Is it true that as an employee of the hospital we are permitted to enjoy the holiday lights with our families just by showing our badges at customer service? If so, do we need to make any sort of reservation?
BY71
Texas126 contributions
I don’t know the answer to that question. I would give them a call and I’m sure they can help ypu
wannie77
Ninnekah, OK8 contributions
Can you rent golf carts at night to go through the Christmas displays?
Are there any flowers to see at end of December? Looks like there are no holiday lights per the website and the bloom calendar doesn’t have anything listed for December.
Marilyn G
North Richland Hills, TX
do you need reservations for the golf cart tour?
Vicki C
Hot Springs, AR87 contributions
I have two sisters who cannot walk on uneven ground, so I called to rent a golf cart. They use volunteers to drive the carts. The lady on the phone told me there were volunteers there that day to drive the carts, but they were first come, first served. I had to pay $15 per person for the golf cart ride on top of our entrance fee. The volunteers don't get paid, so I thought the price was exorbitant for three seniors, two of which were handicapped. But the driver was wonderful, allowed plenty of time for us to see everything, and took us back to the front to exit. Beautiful gardens and a wonderful place to visit.
Cindy A
Asheboro, NC4 contributions
Do you know if pets on a leash are allowed?
JewelsfromTx
Texas Gulf Coast, TX196 contributions
I believe so. It is a state park so I'm pretty positive.
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Claim your listingGarvan Woodland Gardens - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Garvan Woodland Gardens
- Garvan Woodland Gardens is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Garvan Woodland Gardens:
- (2.11 mi) Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
- (0.39 mi) LAKEHOUSE IN THE PERFECT SPOT!
- (1.86 mi) TownePlace Suites by Marriott Hot Springs
- (3.46 mi) Best Western Winners Circle
- (4.96 mi) 1890 Williams House Inn
- Restaurants near Garvan Woodland Gardens:
- (0.21 mi) Chipmunk Cafe
- (2.18 mi) Luna Bella
- (3.41 mi) Rocky's Corner
- (1.68 mi) Bleu Monkey Grill
- (1.51 mi) Scoops Homemade Ice Cream