Reiman Gardens

My family loves visiting Reiman Gardens every summer! Beautiful outdoor gardens, even some specifically for children. The indoor butterfly exhibit is breathtaking! Hearing your children’s excitement and wonder as butterflies land on them is a memory you will never forget! We also enjoy visiting the gift shops because they have unique items that you won’t be able to find elsewhere. I highly recommend a visit.

I don’t gno a lot about gnomes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hmmm… they like to wear giant pointed hats and make love by rubbing their noses together?
They’re shorties.
Because they’re tiny and weird they ride pals like Swift the fox and a birds and owls to get around.
Have ugly imbred hater cousins called TROLLS.
Scandinavian people (Swedish, Norwegian, Finish) are obsessed with them and put them in the windows of their houses for respect and luck. They also think these little shts have «Santa» syndrome.
They LOOOOOOOVE hanging out in gardens. And the BIGGEST garden lurking gnome lives in lil olé Ames, Iowa! in Reiman Gardens site of the the world’s largest concrete garden gnome. Weird and cool. Also this spot boast really neat gardens (Roses & wildflowers) and educational exhibits. I adore the butterfly house. You can’t touch the butterflies, especially their fragile wings, but you can let them crawl on you.
Reiman Gardens is a fun diversion good for a date or kiddie outing or by yourself you’ll definitely feel at Gnome!

Even in late October, this was a beautiful garden to walk around in. The gnome (largest concrete gnome in the world) and the butterfly room were the highlights for sure. Also, there are roses that bloom all year round that are beautiful. Great date spot!

Well, we stopped here on the way back from Lincoln-​Omaha trip. I will have to update my review from 4 to 3 stars. After seeing Lincoln’s Sunken Garden, it was a bit disappointing to see that this one had little to offer in terms of flowers. Alot of the grounds are not watered with dried up plants. Also, their theme this summer is alien invasion. However, the indoor exhibit only had a few hydroplants with planets on pillows. Also, the alien sculptures were spread out throughout the grounds. I still think the LEGO was better in my opinion. We did not pay admission since I have Como Zoo/​Conservatory reciprocal membership. However, I think the quality and care with this garden has been in the decline. The butterfly house is nice but it can’t hold up the entire garden. Ames is a great college town to visit friends but only if you happen to pass through I would say to visit this garden.

One of the best attractions Ames has to offer, especially if you have children in tow. Without children, it’s a relaxing time viewing a broad variety of plants and flowers. With children, it’s a fast paced search for hidden aliens (the special attraction on this date). Allow a couple of hours to fully enjoy the grounds in either case.
The kids will love the world’s largest concrete garden gnome (way to go Ames!) and the interactive (dare we say educational?) displays in the children’s garden. Everyone, however, regardless of age, will love the butterfly house. I’d suggest you find a young boy to watch to learn the best technique for encouraging a butterfly to land on you. Hint: You can’t touch the butterflies, especially their wings, but you can place yourself in position for them to crawl onto your outstretched finger. I’ve never gone to the garden without visiting the butterfly house at least twice! Visiting the butterflies immediately as you enter the garden grounds is suggested so you can visit multiple times as we do or just in case there is a long line as you are getting ready to leave.
Even if gardens are not usually your cup of tea, consider giving Reiman Gardens a try. Whatever your reason for visiting Ames, the garden will be a pleasant break.
Special thanks to the fantastic docents who volunteer there.

This place is so beautiful and nice! I loved the butterfly conservatory. Be sure to go there with plenty of time to talk around and sit around to enjoy the scenery.

I think that Reiman is particularly fitting for my 200^th review, as it marks something of a milestone in both my Unilocal and my personal life. Woo!
Dan and I toured these gardens twice in an effort to make some kind of decision regarding our wedding venue. In fact, as far as we were concerned on our way home, we had chosen this place for the special occasion. However, none of the packages quite accommodated our needs, so after a couple weeks of pouring over papers and emails, we had to go with another venue.
None of that changes the fact that this place is absolutely beautiful. I don’t like talking in absolutes (only the Sith do that), or calling things beautiful (as I am not now, nor will I ever be, a poet), but… there are exceptions to every rule. And this place was my exception. Sorry, I stopped for a few minutes to make dinner. That is a significantly harder task when you have been drinking, as the bandaid on my right thumb will attest to, but let’s move on.
Lee Chapman, the Reiman Gardens event coordinator, was amazing. She answered every one of our questions (most of them twice, some of them more) very patiently, and was a wonderful guide. She would have been amazing to work with, and is a big reason why Dan and I are a little disappointed we couldn’t make one of the wedding packages here work for us. We are, however, very grateful for all of her help.
This place is definitely a gem in Ames, and should be frequented accordingly.
… Might even be a good venue for a bridal shower. Not that that was a hint or anything. Mom.

We visited at the start of April. The place is still in the winter season. I could see how beautiful it would be in the spring time. Entry fee is $ 8 per adult. Nice way to spend a hour or two. The butterfly section is fun. Very hot and humid but fun to sit and watch them fly around for a bit. I hope to return in the right season. It was nice to stretch the legs for a bit but not much to see in the winter time. Located next to the ISU football stadium. Free parking.

We love visiting Reiman Gardens in the spring and summertime. It’s the perfect place to wander around on a lovely afternoon. No matter how times you’ve been there, it never gets old. I especially love the rose garden and the butterfly wing.
ISU students get in free; adult admission is a little pricey at $ 8.00, but it’s totally worth it. If you live in the area, the annual membership is well worth it.

This is an outstanding community jewel. A must see next time you are in Ames. The butterfly house is one of the best in the world and the surrounding gardens are so beautiful and tranquil. Spend an afternoon at Reiman Gardens and bring your camera.

These gardens are fantastic and absolutely unique! During our visit, the exhibit they had, named «Nature Connects», featured lego creations made with thousands of legos.
The exhibit had the following creations made of thousands of lego pieces:
1. Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
2. Mosaic
3. Rose
4. Water Platter and Koi
5. Germinating Acorn
6. Darner Dragonfly
7. Bison and Calf (mother Bison was made of 45,143 legos!)
8. Garden Worker
9. Goldfinches
10. Lawn Mower
11. Hummingbird and Flower
12. Fox and Rabbit
13. American Bumblebee
14. Moth Orchid
The artist of these Lego creations is Sean Kennney.
The exhibit runs until October 28, 2012 so make sure to check it out! The pictures do not do it justice!

I love this place! Admittance is free to Iowa State students and members. Gorgeous grounds and a wonderful butterfly room that will mesmorize you with the wide variety of colorful butterflies and moths! Love it!

Spent a few hours there on a day trip to Ames with the BF (an ISU alum). I’m a Hawkeye, so I was a little skeptical, but Reiman Gardens is fantastic! There are various outdoor gardens (rose garden, herbs, backyard setup, kids area), and an enclosed conservatory. The indoor butterfly room was really cool, and the docent was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Reiman Gardens is also committed to sustainability, and there are lots of examples of how they use recycled materials throughout the gardens. This place also had some of the best bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Flowers and plants on the counter made it look and smell nice.
Bonus –free parking right outside the entrance!

My son has been to Reiman Gardens a few times with his father and grandparents. It is opened and operated by Iowa State and serves as a gateway of sorts to the University (or at least Jake Trice Stadium). Situated on a 14-​acre site, the year-​round facility features distinct gardens throughout the indoor and outdoor areas, an indoor conservatory, 2,500-square-foot indoor butterfly wing, butterfly emergence cases, a gift shop, and five supporting greenhouses. Unfortunately, their nice café is now closed.
My son particularly enjoys the butterfly wing, while I like walking the nicely landscaped grounds. It’s a pretty and relaxing place and it doesn’t take much time to visit and hang out a bit. Reiman Gardens is definitely worth a trip.

Good garden in Ames, IA. Iowa doesn’t have a lot of formal gardens so this is a good one to go to while you are visiting Ames or Iowa State University.
It’s located at the south end of campus next to Jack Trice Stadium (home of the Cyclone football team). If you are looking for something to do on a nice summer day go check out the garden. It’s a nice walk and they also have a butterfly conservatory which is pretty cool.