North Carolina Botanical Garden

Activity Overview

The North Carolina Botanical Garden is an over 1,000-acre botanical garden that is run by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It features 10 acres of beautiful display gardens that contain thousands of plant species that are open to the public for free. The botanical garden is also responsible for several other nature sites, including the Battle Park forest and its stone amphitheater, the Coker Arboretum, and nature preserves not open to the public. If you're looking for a place where you can get some fresh air and enjoy the area's natural beauty, visit the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Things to Do

• Explore the Display Gardens - you'll find aquatic plants like beautiful American lotus-lilies, carnivorous Venus flytraps, gorgeous wildflowers, and sweet-smelling herbs.
• Go on a family hike through Battle Park, a 93-acre forest which predates European settlement. It has several nature trails of varying lengths, including some that lead to the beautiful stone amphitheater known as the Forest Theatre.
• Don't miss the sculptures in the gardens! There are also nature-themed exhibits you can view in the Botanical Art Gallery and the Peggy Exhibit Hall.

North Carolina Botanical Garden Insider Tips

• Check out their Youth and Family Programs page, which features information on story time, nature hikes, and other educational activities for preschoolers and older children.
• While you're in the area, visit some of the other spectacular nature areas that are managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden - they include a pinetum, various nature preserves, and a forest trail.
• Not only is admission free, but parking is free too! Visit their Directions page to learn more about parking areas and how to reach the garden by bus, by bike, or on foot.