Hershey Children’s Garden
Help your child disconnect from technology and discover the wonders of nature.
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Children can become immersed in hands-on activities like:
- Searching for fish, frogs and turtles in the pond
- Learning about veggie and herb gardens
- Exploring and playing in nature’s playground
- Creating in our sandbox
- Learning how to care for plants with our water pump
The Hershey Children’s Garden was one of the first of its kind in the country when it opened in 1999, and it still serves as a model for children’s gardens around the world.
Spring Drop-in Programming
Included with admission
Programs take place on Friday and Saturday from 11am-12:30pm and 2:30-4pm
Tons of Tulips (April 10-11 and 17-18)
Come learn about tulips and how they brave the cold of winter to bring in the spring and make a beautiful tulip painting for someone special.
Caterpillar Craze (April 24-25 and May 1-2)
Spring is here, and that means a crazy amount of caterpillars will be crawling in gardens everywhere, but most excitingly the butterflies will be back in our Costa Rica glasshouse. Learn about caterpillars and their journey to become butterflies, then make a caterpillar friend to take home with you.
Shell Stars (May 8-9; 15-16 and 22-23)
This year, two of the tortoises that call CBG home are celebrating milestone birthdays! To help prepare for the birthday Shell-abration come learn more about turtles, tortoises and what makes them so cool. Then, craft a mini tortoise to take home with you.
For your safety:
- We may limit the number of visitors inside this garden at one time
- Parents assume the risk associated with touching play surfaces and children congregating
- Adults are responsible to actively supervise children in their care
Things to Discover
Goldenrod & Ironweed | Here are our two quintessential autumnal Ohio wildflowers. Although they aren’t the tamest of garden guests, at the back of a sunny pollinator plot, they are worth inviting to the party. There are also some sport-jacket and khakis cultivars that won’t frighten your more civilized garden |
more
Here are our two quintessential autumnal Ohio wildflowers. Although they aren’t the tamest of garden guests, at the back of a sunny pollinator plot, they are worth inviting to the party. There are also some sport-jacket and khakis cultivars that won’t frighten your more civilized garden guests.
CUP FLOWER (Silphium perfoliatum) | Their sunflower-like blooms and forthcoming seeds drive bees and birds crazy, and their clasping cup-like leaf bases capture rainwater for the thirsty critters. A patch of cup flowers are perfect kid plants: bright, big, buzzing with animal life, and great to hide in!
Anemones | “Anenome” derives from the Greek anemos for “wind.” And that’s apt because these yardstick-tall flowers borne on wiry stems gracefully dance into the slightest wind. And if you know them as “Japanese anemones” they are in truth from Hupeh province in China but naturalized and |
more
“Anenome” derives from the Greek anemos for “wind.” And that’s apt because these yardstick-tall flowers borne on wiry stems gracefully dance into the slightest wind. And if you know them as “Japanese anemones” they are in truth from Hupeh province in China but naturalized and cherished in Japan.
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) | I’m holding the camera above my head and this Midwest prairie native is still lookin’ down at me. Not many trees, but otherwise it’s still a height race for all prairie grasses and herb.
Here’s more to explore at Cleveland Botanical Garden
Orchid Rodeo
This year’s annual orchid show puts a bold western twist on nature’s most dazzling blooms, blending cowboy spirit with the delicate beauty of orchids from around the world. more
Japanese Garden
Combine a love of nature and a sense of culture with this gem. Walk among a classic composition of rocks, clipped evergreen azaleas, and weathered beach stones and savor the... more
Return of the Butterflies
Enter a world of tropical butterflies, beginning April 1, 2026! A fan favorite returns with a burst of color: Return of the Butterflies at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Step into... more
Rose Garden
Our picturesque rose garden features a colorful collection of floribunda roses, encircling a classic, Roman-style octagonal pool. Selected for hue, hardiness, and disease resistance, the floribundas join other members of... more
Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden
This garden abounds with flowers, trees, and shrubs that will offer a soothing respite from the everyday. Large trees like chestnut oak and magnolia provide a soothing sense of enclosure.... more
Gateway Garden
The garden’s pronounced seasonal nature offers brilliant bulbs in spring, eye-popping annuals in summer, and showy fall foliage, berries, and bark textures. There’s even a waterfall and small pond. The... more
Sunken Garden
This cultivated garden filled with seasonal flowers and native trees and shrubs sits nestled in the corner underneath the Botanical Garden’s Japanese Overlook Hallway. This secret oasis is perfect for... more
Eleanor Squire Library
Open limited hours, call ahead to confirm*. *Our library is primarily volunteer-staffed and therefore subject to volunteer availability. Sit back and relax in our cozy library! Learn more about the... more
The Ron and Lydia Harrington Perennial Playspace
The Cleveland Botanical Garden has welcomed a new permanent exhibit, The Ron and Lydia Harrington Perennial Playspace, overlooking the towering plants and trees in the Glasshouses. The Botanical Garden team... more
