Olbrich Botanical Gardens & Bolz Conservatory
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, winner of the national Garden of Excellence Award, features 16 acres of outdoor specialty gardens, including a sunken garden with an eighty-foot reflecting pool and a perennial garden with a meandering stream. A two-acre rose garden with a two-story, stone rose tower highlights Midwest-hardy shrub roses. The exotic Thai Pavilion and Garden is the only one in the continental U.S. An accessible tram travels the gardens weekends spring and fall, and daily during summer, for people who need assistance getting around the gardens. The year-round tropical Bolz Conservatory, a sunny 50-foot-high glass pyramid, houses ferns, palms, and flowering plants along with a waterfall, birds, and fish. Visit the gift shop and horticultural library. Attend year-round events, concerts,and classes for children and adults. Guided 60 minute narrated tours for 10-50 people at $3/person, Mon-Fri 10am-3pm. Advance registration required for tours.
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Features
Disabled Access
- Shopping Type
- Specialty Shop
- Natural Attractions Type
- Arboretum/Botanical
Nearby Places
Travel Green Wisconsin Certified

Certified: (Req. 30 Points)
Green Innovations
- Promotes sustainable gardening pracices for the Midwest through example and education programs
- Staff Green Team tracks projects that have a positive impact on the environment
- Leaves are recycled into mulch for the gardens and public, which is showcased in an educational campaign that promotes the energy-saving benefits of this practice
- Plantings are grouped by water-needs and are watered only as needed.
- Award-winning renovated Garver Cottage maintains historic architecture while applying principles of sustainable design
- Starkwater Creek Watershed and the adjacent Garver property are being rehabilitated and planted.