The Atlanta Botanical Garden Branches Out

Amidst a tranquil, wooded landscape of maple and magnolia trees dotted with colorful perennials, we visited the Gainesville location of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Only a few miles off of I-985, the newly-opened site is an easy drive from Atlanta with free parking and little congestion.

“Look at all the butterflies!” my daughter Allison exclaimed. Various species of butterflies hovered around the bright yellow and purple flowers outside the visitor’s center. Nearby is a 1,200 person amphitheatre adjacent to a great lawn area (perfect for practicing cartwheels) with two oversized Adirondack chairs. Allison was immediately engulfed when she climbed in one of them.

After passing a pond, we explored the two nature trails. With each a half-mile in length, the Sourwood Trail curves around the perimeter of the gardens, while the Holly Ridge Loop offers more hills and traverses a small stream. The shady, mulched trails gave us a respite from the outside world.

But the highlight for my daughter (and every kid there) was the model train garden. We stood mesmerized watching two model trains cross a bridge, travel through a tunnel and wind around a small, countryside village. Later, we walked through the stream garden. This hydrangea-lined path switches back and forth over a man-made waterfall until reaching a scenic overlook area. 

Although smaller than its sister site in Atlanta, parents will love that the gardens are a manageable size for younger kids and grandparents. In addition to the model train garden, kids will love playing with the toy train set under the covered pavilion. While they play, parents can sit in the shade, relax and take in the surrounding flora.

It was a most successful outing for the two of us. I enjoyed being outdoors and spending “unplugged” time with my daughter. She liked that the gardens weren’t crowded and offered a variety of plants. As we were leaving, she said, “That was amazing. I think they had one of every plant there.”  
– Rebecca Ruffin Leffler

Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks

Opening Sept. 19-Jan. 3.
See more than 375,000 LEGO bricks and 27 installations featuring a Mother Duck and her babies, a 6-foot-tall praying mantis, a butterfly with a 5-foot wingspan and more.