UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens

I took my parents here while they were in town visiting. It isn’t very big, but it is free (donate!) and definitely something cool to see! We got some great photos and were able to see the beginning of a new corpse flower. You can even buy plants to take home. My favorite part was the orchid room, it was beautiful!
Tip: There is parking designated just for the garden, but be sure to get a parking pass from the Parking office.

I got all the way there only to be turned away. Something called a football game. Beware, call ahead before you make the trip.

First, there is no charge for parking or admission. The day I went was during summer break, I can only imagine what it a like when school is in session. What I saw was nice, but parts of the garden was closed and another part was being watered which made exploring impossible without getting saturated. I would still come back. You can see it pretty, not to big and easy to navigate. I skipped the greenhouse but will check it out next time.

Great place to unwind during my lunch! Flowers are pretty and the trails are a great workout to get my daily steps in.

My husband and I visited this garden while on vacation in April, and were impressed at the work put in. It may have been too early in the year though, as many plants weren’t out of hibernation yet. The greenhouse exhibits some amazing pants, just wish we could buy the exotic ones!

Quite beautiful in the actual gardens. There are multiple trails that you can take. All breathtaking and different from each other! I like to go in the spring and see the animals come out at dusk. This is COMPLETELY FREE! The McMillan Greenhouse is also FREE. Sometimes there are special plants for sale in the greenhouse. Some of the plants are expensive, but you can give your email to learn about discounts. The Greenhouse has a spring plant sale when a lot of the plants are in bloom and they are cheap! You may want to bring a camera, water, good walking shoes and bug spray for the Botanical Gardens and trails. Most of the McMillan Greenhouse is indoors though.

UNC CHARLOTTE BOTANICAL GARDENS
This is a small botanical garden in the heart of UNC in Charlotte, North Carolina, but it’s quite beautiful. So many flowers of different varieties adorn the gardens, with multiple colors canvassed across the grounds. Of course, with this, there comes many flying bugs. Oh well, comes with the territory. Overall, if you’re a flower lover, come take a visit to the Botanical Gardens for some peace, tranquility, and relaxation with nature.

we went here this past weekend as a way to enjoy the beautiful weather with the kids. dare i say, we love this place! first of all, it’s FREE. we went on a saturday, so it was super quiet. there did not seem to be a parking issue or need to worry about paying for parking. we just parked in a lot right by the greenhouse, and all was good. my 2 littles loved all the plants in the greenhouse, and they really enjoyed the change in temperature from room-​to-​room. we took a stroll in the gardens across from the greenhouse, and although they weren’t quite blooming – we loved how peaceful it was. we really look forward to coming back and seeing what pops out as the weather gets warmer.

I don’t got to school at UNCC but discovered the gardens because I was looking for something outdoorsy, safe, and active to do while I was visiting the area for work and looking for some true beauty in the middle of stripmall-​landia. What a find and worth the effort to find and take the time to relax and enjoy the beauty of a simple walk on a hidden path in a busy campus!
Although many plants are not in season (I visited in January, many plants were in hibernation), the botanical gardens, per my interpretation, are designed as series of walking paths that capture natures essence from various perspectives. The effect is calming, relaxing, and purifying, regardless if you’re a traveler searching out something different, or a student seeking solace, refuge, or even just a moment of calm in the midst of a hectic class schedule.

Having spent my 4 years at UNCC I absolutely loved stopping by here when I was bored walking around campus and it wasn’t late at night. This place has so many different plants. The greenhouse is deep and yet quaint. Honestly if you’re going for date I think it’s a good place to stroll hand in hand and enjoy the silence of a wooded garden as a break from the campus which is more and more bustling every day.
I personally prefer the greenhouse and the review by Paula (who I suspect is actually a greenhouse curator) is very informative on what to do if you don’t live on campus or have an on-​campus parking pass. The greenhouse alone is in itself arguably the best in the Charlotte area. If you’re visiting it’s a great idea to stop by! There are multiple individual rooms all roughly categorized by plant type or location. I especially like all the rooms on the very last row down to the tropical rain forest one! It has steps down and a little waterfall area where you can sit at peace as if you were in a real rainforest.
The gardens outside have a great relaxing and nature-​esque feel. In particular my friends and I have found that it’s a great spot for photo-​shoots. There are some cool «ornaments» about the garden all mostly in a red color scheme. An Asian saying on a giant upright stone slab, a huge circular gate around a walk way, a cool pagoda overlooking a pond and a cute little bridge. There are occasional nature-​watch events for flowers that bloom once in a lifetime as well as multiple plant sales that go on throughout the year.