Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Address:	3330 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA
Phone:	+1 608-246-4550
Site:	olbrich.org
Rating:	4.7
Working:	10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Dave Shapiro

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a treat for Wisconsin. There are many botanical gardens in cities throughout the state but the Olbrich is exceptional. (And it is free.) It is well designed and maintained. However, what makes this so special is the Thai sala. Wisconsin is a cold state. We have had snow as late as May and as early as September. Recently I was surprised to discover that there is a Thai sala in Wisconsin. A sala is a pavilion found in Thailand that is used for a variety of events or simply to relax. To find one in the hills and forests of Wisconsin is completely unexpected. The sala is located in the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison and was a gift of the Thai government and the Thai Alumni Association of the University of Wisconsin - Madison.It is unique in two ways. It is the only Thai sala located within the continental U.S and this is the only Thai sala (outside of Thailand) surrounded by a tropical garden. The building was constructed in Thailand from hand carved teak wood. It was shipped to Madison and assembled there by the original craftsmen. The structure is notched together; no nails or screws were used in its construction. Much of the exterior is covered in gold leaf and the ceiling mosaics include embedded amber. The Thai construction artisans and the local community included messages on the backs of each of the roofing tiles. As with salas in Thailand, this one faces West and has two black reflecting pools attached. There are numerous works of Thai sculpture around the sala. Though not a temple or religious building, there is something spiritual about the area. There is an appreciable, visual difference between the sala and what is typically found in Wisconsin and the contrast between the pressures of daily life and the peaceful atmosphere of the sala is dramatic. For someone traveling to Wisconsin, there are two structures that should not be missed; two world class sites - the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Calatrava and this Thai sala. Thanks to the city of Madison and local, private donors for providing free admission the the area.

Cece Jabs

Ive lived in Madison for my whole life and have been visiting Olbrich for as long as I can remember. The gardens are absolutely stunning and I love walking around. However, my low review is because of my experience taking photos at the gardens with friends this May. Two of my friends and I were planning on dressing up in costumes that we made, and one of our friends is an amateur photographer. We read all the photography guidelines online and paid our $30 fee ahead of time. We arrived early, as they have you schedule a time to do your shoot. Upon our arrival, the woman at the desk told us that we had to wait for the "photoshoot coordinator" arrived. This was confusing to me because we had scheduled our time in advance, so they should have known that we would be there. We ended up waiting around for this person to arrive, cutting into our one hour time frame that we were allotted, only to have the person tell us that we could have started right when our shoot time began. After beginning, we took a few pictures in the different gardens, and then headed back to the Thai pavilion. Our shoot time was coming to a close at this point, and we knew that. As we were taking pictures, the woman at the desk from earlier had tracked us down to tell us that we had 5 minutes left. We wrapped up and started walking out. Again as we were leaving, she made sure that we were not taking any pictures and followed us inside the building with a suspicious and moody attitude. Im not sure if she had something against us because of our large costumes, but she treated us like we were doing something wrong even though we were not at all Overall, Olbrich is a really lovely place to visit. However, I would not recommend doing photo shoots here due to the service we received and for the time we lost due to a rude employee that told us we couldnt start.

Michelle LaMore

This is one of those places where you could come here once a week and never be bored! This should be at the top of your list when visiting Madison! The outside garden is so beautiful, it will take your breath away. Every possible plant, flower, native to Wisconsin and then some, is in this garden. They also have an herb garden during the summer months, a zen garden, stone paths, a ton of cool fountains, benches to sit on all over, a cool bridge over a small lake, and so many more exciting and awesome things! There is usually something going on there too like Lilly sales, plant sales, fund raisers, you can even rent the garden to get married in! Every plant is labeled with the name and origin as well. This is a place you just have to experience to get the full extent of what Im trying to describe! Inside the building, there is a tropical garden with a wide array of tropical plants, koi fish and some birds and butterflies. Its a small paradise to experience and relax in. They have a website with their hours and list of events happening on any given day, week or weekend. They even have things for the kids to do! There is a small gift shop inside too. This is a perfect place for a family or anyone wanting to just enjoy a relaxing atmosphere. They even have a temple that was graciously given to us from the amazing people in Thailand. Its one of kind and the ONLY one in the US.

Mallory Johnson

Back in May (2015), some friends and I purchased a photo permit so we could take pictures of some of our competition costumes. When we actually went to go purchase the permit (since we couldnt send it in the mail in time), the staff there was understanding and kind, but there were very limited time spaces for photo sessions. A week later when we actually came for the photo-shoot we had to wait for the program coordinator to okay us taking pictures. This was fine, but it did take about 5 minutes of time we could have used. Near the end of our shoot, the coordinator went out and found us to tell us we had ten minutes remaining, while we were already keeping a close track of time. It gave all 4 of us a very bad vibe that the staff didnt trust us even though we paid for our time just like anyone else would have. As a Madison resident Ive always loved the gardens, but this really gave me a sour impression of the staff. Granted, we had "strange" clothes on, but it doesnt change the fact that we paid for and respected our time slot to a T. Im not sure if we will be going back to Olbrich for future photo-shoots after this experience. Besides that, the gardens are absolutely stunning and I would definitely recommend visiting during peak seasons. If youre going to take pictures of costumes, maybe choose another venue, but otherwise Olbrich Gardens is definitely worth the drive.

Jonathan Lin

Free Free Free, who doesnt like free..My family decided to stop by Olbrich Botanical Gardens on our trip to Chicago. All I can say, is its a must visit place, especially on a beautiful day in Madison, Wisconsin. If youre driving through Madison and have an hour or so to kill. Make sure you visit here! The garden is free (donations welcomed) , while the conservatory is $3 for adults and $2 for children. I didnt have a chance to go to the conservatory, but it looked like itd be worth the trip. The garden was beautiful; Green all around. Lots of different types of trees, flowers, bugs, mini waterfalls and lakes and a beautiful Thai Temple that was donated by the Thailand government. I came here with my family on a Thursday afternoon in June. It was not busy at all, I imagine its busier during weekends, so if you want some good shots, then come during the weekday! There are some gorgeous shots around the garden. Lots of arches, bridges, and other cool relics. Check this place out if you have a hour or two to spare on your trip to Chicago or Twin Cities!!