Zilker Botanical GardensAustin Attractions - Austin Things to DoOfficial Zilker Botanical Gardens website Located on 31 acres in the midst of Zilker Metropolitan Park, the Botanical Gardens are popular without being crowded. This is not your typical Austin tourism hotspot, but it's so conveniently located just a little southwest of downtown, that visitors and locals alike should add it to their Austin Things To Do list.
Hours are 7am-7pm and admission is usually free, barring special events. Parking during the week is also free but may cost you $3 on weekends and summer holidays. Like the Lady Bird Wildflower Center, the Zilker Gardens are a great place to enjoy some quiet time in a place of beauty and recharge your batteries.
Isamu Taniguchi GardensThe main attraction is the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden. In the late 1960s, at the age of 70, Isamu Taniguchi spent 18 months creating this garden on three hillside acres as a special gift to the city of Austin.Highlights include a large koi pond with stone walkway in the center in the form of a sailing ship complete with anchor and gangplank. There are additional streams and waterfalls as well as smaller ponds that form the word AUSTIN.
Other Features of the Gardens
Other popular features of the Gardens include the Moon Bridge, the Japanese Teahouse (donated by the Heart O'Texas Orchid Society), a large, red-domed gazebo, and various smaller gardens such as the herb, rose, butterfly, and green gardens. The adjacent Hartman Prehistoric Garden is also popular among dinosaur buffs and kids. It's a recreation of a Cretaceous Garden dinosaur habitat (in 1992, dinosaur tracks were actually discovered here). Finally, be sure to check out Pioneer Village which includes an historic blacksmith shop, an 1840 Swedish Pioneer Cabin (relocated to the Zilker Gardens in 1965), and the Esperanza School House (built in 1866 and relocated and restored in 1962).
Special Events
There are facilities available for special ceremonies, receptions, and parties, but obviously those should be scheduled well in advance. Be sure to add the annual spring Zilker Garden Festival to your itinerary if possible. The festival is typically the last weekend in March. Zilker Botanical Gardens MapMap - Zilker Botanical Gardens2220 Barton Springs RD Austin Texas 78746 512-477-8672
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