Explore Ohio’s Beautiful Gardens
by Diane Rock, MyOhioFun.com
My Ohio Fun wants to help you find your “zen” this year. Nothing can help relax you more than a walk through nature. Whether you like to stroll through lush gardens or a simple trail, Ohio is full of amazing gardens to explore.
Below I have listed some of Ohio’s famous gardens, as well as some of Ohio’s hidden treasures. Take time this year and enjoy a few moments of solitude by exploring Ohio’s beautiful side.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY (NE OHIO)
Cleveland Botanical Gardens
11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106
216.721.1600 | website
Admission applies.
Hours: Closed Monday
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Wednesday: 10am – 9pm | Sunday: Noon – 5pm
A collection of outdoor gardens can be viewed at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Gardens include The Butterfly Garden, The Kitchen Garden, The Shade Garden, and a Waterfall Garden.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the garden.
Lake View Cemetery
12316 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH
216.421.2665 | website
Admission: Free
Hours: Open every day of the year
Nov 1 – Mar 31: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Apr 1 – Oct 31: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Gates may close at dusk- earlier than 7:30pm- during late fall.
I bet you didn’t expect that a cemetery would be a place I would suggest you visit the gardens, but this cemetery is very unique. Lake View Cemetery is not only the final resting place of the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, it is also the resting place of other famous individuals who helped shape our country, like John D. Rockefeller, Henry A. Sherwin, and Dr. Harvey Williams Cushing to name a few.
Included in the 285 acres of beautiful horticulture is the James A. Garfield Monument and Wade Memorial Chapel. Both structures are listed on the Register of Historic Places.
Within the monument you will find the final resting place of President Garfield. The interior of the memorial features mosaics, stained glass windows, and colored marble. There is an outdoor balcony that you can climb the stairs to for an additional view of the gardens and on a clear day you can see downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie. (Open April 1- Nov 19, 7 days a week, 9am-4pm)
A definite stop is The Wade Memorial Chapel. It is “one of the few interiors left in the world that was totally designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studios.” (Open April 1- Nov 19, 7 days a week, 9am-4pm, unless a private event.) A true treasure to visit.
Throughout the year the Cemetery offers special tours and programs. Please remember this is a cemetery. Throughout the day funerals, and families may be on the grounds.
Side trip: Two other great places to visit while in the area are the Cleveland Museum of Art and Historic Little Italy, which is a great place to stop and have something to eat.
FRANKLIN COUNTY (CENTRAL OHIO)
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43203
614.715.8000 | website
Admission applies
Hours: 10am-5pm
“Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens offers botanical collections, art and nature-based exhibitions, plant shows, and educational programs for all ages. Situated in an 88-acre urban park, the Conservatory features the historic 1895 John F. Wolfe Palm House and 83,000 square feet of glasshouses, classrooms, and meeting and event spaces. The Conservatory owns a signature collection of glass artwork by Dale Chihuly. Light Raiment II, a permanent installation by internationally recognized light artist James Turrell, illuminates the John F. Wolfe Palm House every evening from dusk until dawn.”
The Topiary Park
480 East Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215
614.645.0197 | website
Admission: Free
Hours: The park is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.
“An urban, seven-acre park, the Topiary Park includes traditional park features such as sidewalks, benches, flowerbeds, and landscaping; but the jewel of the park is the topiary garden—a sculptural interpretation of Georges Seurat’s famous Post-Impressionist painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte. It is the only known topiary representation of a painting and comprises 54 human figures, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat—each made of yew and the tallest standing at 12 feet. The scene also includes a man-made pond to represent the River Seine, where boat-shaped topiaries reside next to beautiful water lilies.”
LAKE COUNTY (NE OHIO)
The Holden Arboretum
9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094
440.946.4400 | website
Admission applies.
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
3.600 acres of display gardens, horticultural collections and nature trails, the Holden Arboretum is one of the largest arboretums in the United States.
“The Judith and Maynard H. Murch IV Canopy Walk and Kalberer Family Emergent Tower will take guests on an immersive exploration of the forest and tree canopy. The Murch Canopy Walk, a 500’ long elevated walkway built 65’ above the forest floor, will give guests a unique perspective on forests and the animals that inhabit them. The Kalberer Emergent Tower will take guests above the trees to a height of 120 feet where on a clear day you can see all the way to Lake Erie.”
Side trip: Visit the home of James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States. Like Lighthouses? The Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse is best viewed from Lake Metroparks Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park. Headlands Beach State Park is also a great place to listen to the waves or dip your toes into Lake Erie.
LICKING COUNTY (CENTRAL OHIO)
The Dawes Arboretum
7770 Jacksontown Rd., SE, Newark, OH 43056
740.323.2355 | website
Admission
Hours: Open year-round except New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Open at 7am. Auto tour closes for entry at 8pm.
The arboretum offers eight miles of trails, a Japanese Garden, an Observation Tower, and an auto tour. Throughout the year the Daweswood House Museum is open to guided tours. (A fee of $2 per adult, $1 per child applies.) Please visit website for dates and times as well as other events being offered at the Arboretum.
LUCAS COUNTY (NW OHIO)
Toledo Botanical Gardens
5403 Elmer Dr., Toledo, OH 43615
419.536.5566 | website
Admission: Free
Hours: Open year-round during daylight hours.
Note: The garden closes at 2:00 pm on Thursdays starting July thru September for set up of Jazz in the Garden concert.
The garden includes over sixty acres of display gardens, original sculptures, and an urban farm. The garden is also host to the annual Crosby Festival of the Arts.
MAHONING COUNTY (NE OHIO)
Fellows Riverside Gardens
123 McKinley Ave., Youngstown, OH 44509
330.740.7116 | website
Admission: FREE
Garden hours: Open daily, year-round dawn to dusk
Fellows Riverside Gardens is a free public garden located at the northern end of Mill Creek MetroParks. This twelve-acre display garden features a landscape of remarkable beauty with diverse and colorful plant displays, roses of all classes, seasonal displays of annuals, perennials, and flowering bulbs, and scenic vistas. Fellows Riverside Gardens is one of Ohio’s finest public gardens and attracts over 400,000 visitors a year.
After your visit to the gardens, make sure you visit the historic Lanterman’s Mill & Covered Bridge, as well as the Suspension Bridge. Click here for more information.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the garden.
Side trip: Make a stop at The Butler Institute of American Art. “The museum’s collection totals over 20,000 pieces in all media, and spans four centuries of work. Constructed of Georgian marble in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, the original museum structure is a McKim, Mead and White architectural masterpiece listed on the National Register of Historic places.” Museum admission to the public is free.
Enjoy shopping? The Valley Marketplace in Boardman, is an indoor farmers market. Just around the corner is the Gorant Chocolatier, where you can find a wonderful selection of chocolates. Like antiques? Mr. Darby’s Antique and Collectable Emporium is also located in Boardman.
Find even more ideas by visiting our friends at YoungstownLive.com.
Order or download your FREE visitor guide.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY (SW OHIO)
Wegerzyn Gardens – Five Rivers Metroparks
1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414
419.536.5566 | website
Admission: Free and free parking is available.
Hours: Open year-round, except Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The garden includes a Children’s Discovery Garden, a Giant Pedestal Oak, the Marie Aull Nature Trail, and the Swamp Forest Boardwalk.
OTTAWA COUNTY (NW OHIO)
Schedel Arboretum & Gardens
19255 W Portage River South Rd., Elmore, OH Schedel Arboretum and Gardens
19255 West Portage River South Rd. Elmore, OH 43416
419.862.3182 | website
Admission applies
Seasonal – April thru October
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Thursday until 8pm
Sunday Noon to 4pm
“Imagine stepping out your back door only to find yourself lost in acres upon acres of brightly colored gardens filled with Bloodgood Japanese Maples, Chinese Fringe Trees, Colorado Blue Spruces, Cucumber Mongolias, 18 different species of pine, more than 50 varieties of lilacs and Bald cypress, and an innumerate variety of other flowers, trees, and shrubs. Well that’s exactly what you will see when you visit the 17 acres of preserved natural beauty at Schedel Arboretum and Gardens!”
RICHLAND COUNTY (NE OHIO)
Kingwood Center
50 N. Trimble Rd., Mansfield, OH 44906
419.522.0211 | website
Admission applies
Open: April 1st through October 31st
Hours : 9am to 7pm daily
Kingwood is the former estate of Charles K. King. The 47-acre estate offers beautiful gardens, a greenhouse, and The French Provincial mansion which is available for viewing on specified days and hours. Programs are offered throughout the season.
SUMMIT COUNTY (NE OHIO)
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
714 North Portage Path, Akron, OH 44303
330.836.5533 | website
Admission applies.
Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday, April 1 – December 30 from 10am-4:30pm.
Last admission is at 4:30pm, but the estate is open until 6pm.
“Stan Hywet was built as an American Country Estate with gardens designed by notable landscape architect Warren Manning. Manning transformed this once abandoned farmland, woodland, and sandstone quarry into the beautiful estate that is enjoyed by guests from around the world. The gardens were built with the intention of active and varied use by family, friends, and guests of F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling and their family.”
The gardens include the Great Meadow, Stan Hywet’s front lawn. The Dell which is a wildflower garden. An English Garden, a Japanese Garden, a Birch Tree Allée, a Great Garden, a Rose Garden, a Playgarden, a Conservatory. and a Breakfast Room Garden.
WAYNE COUNTY (NE OHIO)
Secrest Arboretum and Gardens
1680 Madison Avenue (US 250), Wooster, OH 44691
330.263.3761 | website
Admission: Free | Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Find pleasant vistas among open lawns and extensive plant collections, designed landscapes, educational exhibits and meeting places in this outdoor research laboratory and educational display garden. Gardens are handicapped accessible.
Side trip: Take a trip to downtown Wooster. There you will find antique stores, art and gift shops, a rare & used bookstore, as well local restaurant favorites. Five minutes from downtown Wooster is the Pine Tree Barn, a barn restored to include gift shops, restaurant, and home furnishings.
PAGE NOTES
MyOhioFun.com has made every attempt to post accurate event information. Please confirm information with the venue before finalizing your plans.
This article original posted in 2017. Every year, the page is updated with the most recent information.
Article by: D. Rock, MyOhioFun.com
Unless noted on pictures, photo credits: D. Rock, My Ohio Fun.
Editor’s note: Any use of the above article or images without prior permission, will be in violation of copyright laws.
