Memphis Botanic Garden is a beautiful piece of nature in an incredible city! (It just proves you don’t have to travel all the way into the country to be surrounded by nature!)
Memphis Botanic Garden is 96 amazing acres of beautiful gardens (23 speciality ones to be exact!), which give the whole family a look at some of the incredible species of trees, flowers and plants we have on this planet!
The gardens are hugely popular with families, so it’s only fitting that Memphis Botanic Garden have an area perfect for them! My Big Backyard is THE place for kids to splash, dig, jump, create and discover! There are over a dozen areas in the Big Backyard, and each one is designed to spark discovery and excitement in those little ones.
Kids can learn all about the important roles that plants play in your own home, and a ‘leaping lawn” perfect for those kids with extra energy! The Seedling Circle lets those little sprouts explore all the colors and shapes, and the treetop adventure gives kids a birds eye view of the Garden where they can learn all about those feathered friends!
The spaces change with the seasons too, so there will be something new to keep heading back to!
The speciality gardens include a beautiful Seijaku-en – the Japanese Garden of Tranquility – is a popular attraction, introducing kids to a whole new culture, and there is even a Herb Garden which is one of the largest in the nation!
With family activities, classes, workshops and even art exhibits, the Memphis Botanic Garden has a host of garden fun….yet so much more than a garden!
I take my toddler to My Big Backyard, and if you haven’t gone I suggest going. You can make it a full day of playing outside, my child loves it and we have had great playdates there. It’s great for being active outside! Also, when the koi pond is available to feed the fish, children love that too.
My fiance and I planned to hold our wedding reception at the MBG in April of this year, but have now chosen to break our contract and look elsewhere. Working with the MBG was unequivocally the worst event planning experience that my fiance or I have ever been through. The lack of communication, attention, and overall laziness where the coordination of our event was concerned eventually became too much for either of us to accept.While there are a variety of factors that ultimately led to the nullification of our contract, below are the most egregious:1) We had to initiate every communication between the MBG lead event planner and ourselves. When we attempted to arrange opportunities to meet with her at times that were convenient for us, she declined stating she doesn’t work evenings or weekends. Additionally, it’s rare that she promptly returns a phone call or email.2) This same event planner chose to book a wedding ceremony in the main lobby of the MBG that was scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. The planned start time for our reception was also set for 6:30pm which in turn would force all of our guests to walk an extended distance and enter the venue from a less than desirable side entrance.3) As part of our reception, we planned to place an outdoor tent and dance floor in the courtyard just in front of the rose garden. It was not until January that we learned that the MBG had begun a construction project that involved creating permanent elevated planters in the very area that our planned tent and dance floor were to be placed. Even more perplexing, our tent company was first to inform us of the MBG’s intentions, which further supports the aforementioned lack of communication from MBG’s event planner. Upon expressing our concern, we were informed that these plans had been in place for over a year, yet we’d never been informed of them. Had we known in advance, perhaps an alternate event site would have been chosen. 4) After meeting with the MBG leadership to express our concerns and frustration, we were advised to contact our rental company to request new estimates for a tent and a stage that would be elevated over the raised planters that have been built. After fulfilling their request, the MBG then chose to offer covering the cost of the elevated stage, yet source through a separate company. We took that gesture as a slap in the face more so than an gracious gesture as they very easily could have saved us, as well as our preferred rental company, time and effort if they have made that offer earlier in the process. As a result of this sequence of events, we chose to sever our contract and seek a new facility.5) Our final major complaint revolved around the way that we were talked to by the upper management via email. Though I will not post them on this forum, the remarks made in various emails were unprofessional, inappropriate, condescending, and insincere. It was quite obvious that our reception was insignificant in the eyes of the MBG and its staff which also led to our decision to part ways.Though I am sure that they are capable of putting on a quality event, we were met with nothing but disappointment from the very day that our contract was signed. No couple should have to deal with the amount of stress and frustration that we did while planning this reception, and I advise all those considering the MBG to be cautious.
This review is only for the education center’s birthday parties. Botanic Garden’s themed party was the WORST, most expensive birthday party I have ever hosted for my child.For $425 dollars, the 10 girls had less than an hour of activities led by a kind but quiet employee of the gardens. This was it. I had to provide all food and/or party favors. Please don’t make the same mistake I made; don’t suggest this as an option for your child when planning a birthday party.
Absolutely loved the time Ive been able to spend there
We spent two hours here, with kids, and still didn’t get to see everything. In all it was worth it.