Shell-abration: Tortoises Turn 50
Two remarkable tortoises hit the big 5-0, and we’re shellabrating them all month long!
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Two remarkable tortoises hit the big 5-0, and we’re shellabrating them all month long!
They’ve been part of the Cleveland Botanical Garden for five decades — quietly charming visitors, outlasting trends, and proving that slow and steady really does win the race.
Yes — there will be party hats.
Daily Activities in May
- Scavenger hunt with tortoise sticker prize, Madagascar Biome
- Themed crafts: Make-your-own yarn turtle, Hershey Children’s Garden or Perennial Play Space
- Meet the Tortoises Creature Feature (daily, 1 – 2pm), Madagascar Biome
- Special Photo Ops with Tortoises on Fridays, 1 – 2pm, Madagascar Biome
Birthday Party – May 30, 11am-1pm
- Scavenger hunt with tortoise sticker prize, Madagascar Biome
- Themed crafts: Make-your-own yarn turtle, birthday hat and tortoise shell, (Clark Hall or Perennial Play Space)
- Tortoise games, Clark Hall
- Collectible t-shirts and more available for purchase in the Garden Store
- Dance party with DJ Kris Koch, Clark Hall
- Meet the Tortoises Creature Feature (1 – 2pm) featuring Tortoise “Spa Day” & special photo ops, Madagascar Biome
- At noon, guests are invited to gather in Clark Hall to sing “Happy Birthday” to the tortoises and enjoy cupcakes (while supplies last).
Here’s more to explore at Cleveland Botanical Garden
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
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
Hershey Children’s Garden
Children can become immersed in hands-on activities like: The Hershey Children’s Garden was one of the first of its kind in the country when it opened in 1999, and it... more
CK Patrick Perennial Garden
Our ever-changing path indulges your senses with a collage of hues and textures. One day you might spy a group of towering foxtail lilies, and a month later come across... more
Topiary Garden
In every season, living evergreen and deciduous plant sculptures transport you to another world where anything goes—as long as it’s unexpected. This garden was designed in 2002 by architect and... more
Madagascar Glasshouse
We’re home to a world-class collection of exotic plants and animals, including iconic “upside-down” trees. Madagascar’s plants are among the most unique on Earth, and we’re proud to display a... more
Artwork on Display
Current artwork on display as of April 2026 Birdsong (April 11 – July 5) Birdsong is a vibrant, community‑driven public art experience that brings creativity into unexpected places. More than... 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
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
