The good news? If your vacation turns into a staycation - or you just need a quiet place to get away from your worries for awhile - the Lauritzen Gardens offer a beautiful, relaxing retreat. Located off 13th Street north of the zoo and Rosenblatt, there are 100 acres with over 15 gardens of different themes, connected by nicely paved walk paths. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 6-12. Children under 6 are admitted free. A variety of memberships are also available. There's ample parking in the lots by the visitors' center.
The visitors' center has several displays, a pond, a cafe, a gift shop, and very nice bathrooms. It's also air conditioned. The rest of the gardens are outdoors. They are not air conditioned unless the wind is blowing. Hopefully that won't come as a shock to you, but a friend of mine used to work there, and someone actually called and grilled her about it. I guess you never know if you don't ask...
When you start out from the visitors' center, the Victorian Garden will be your first stop. Green to the core, many of the architectural components came from buildings that were torn down in Omaha or Council Bluffs. Recycling should always look this good.
This door reminded me of The Secret Garden
by Francis Hodgson Burnett.
by Francis Hodgson Burnett.
Some of the garden areas are formal, and some are more casual. I love the way existing elements like mature trees have been incorporated into designed features.
Who can resist a mysterious stairway like this? Go on - see what's around the bend. You won't be sorry.
It's a model railroad garden! With seven trains running on four different lines.
The buildings are all done to scale and made from natural elements like twigs, acorns, and pinecones. Can you recognize any of these Omaha landmarks?
I'm guessing the lights inside are not made of natural elements, but they're pretty.
The Children's Garden is a bright, colorful experience for all five of your senses. Kids are involved in planning and maintaining the garden. You can schedule an appointment for a special kids' tour, and they may even get a chance to do some hands-on gardening.
Appealing to the sense of sight is pretty easy in a garden setting.
But how about the sense of hearing? Kneel beside these plants and listen carefully. What birds and insects do you hear?
Touch these and feel how soft and fuzzy they are. If you look closely, you'll find some little bugs snuggled up on the leaves. (Click on any picture to see it larger.)
Break off a leaf of chocolate mint and enjoy - but leave some for the rest of us! I need to get some of these plants for my garden at home.
Last but not least - the sense of smell.
The cabin in the Children's Garden appeals to the sense of play in all of us. I just had to go inside. Oh - and the window is a great spot to pose with a friend for a picture.
A scale version of Mt. Fuji on the future site of the Japanese Garden. But I have it on good authority that you're not supposed to climb the mountain... It isn't nice to tease us with stairs that go halfway.
Some girls would do anything just to get flowers from their guy. But Diane got way more than a nice bouquet in the herb garden!
Remember Anne of Green Gables
? This reminds me of the scene where she meets Roy Gardner in the gazebo in the pouring rain. Ah, so romantic! (But the moral of the story? Sometimes we don't know what we really want until we get exactly what we think we want - and realize it isn't right for us at all.)
? This reminds me of the scene where she meets Roy Gardner in the gazebo in the pouring rain. Ah, so romantic! (But the moral of the story? Sometimes we don't know what we really want until we get exactly what we think we want - and realize it isn't right for us at all.) 
Before we turned back toward the visitors' center, we paused to rest in the Garden of Memories. This plaque honors Mrs. Kimball Lauritzen, who served on the board and was a key fundraiser for the gardens. She was active in other community organizations as well, including the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Omaha Public Schools, until her death of cancer in 2008.
The benches surrounding the reflecting pool provide a beautiful place to think about those who mean the most to us and the good times we've shared with them.
The Lauritzen Gardens are a great place to make new memories, too. Enjoy!
Very pretty pictures. It reminds me of Huntington Gardens and The Arboretum in California.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I will probably never get a chance to visit those beautiful gardens, but it gave me ideas to introduce in our classroom. Big thanks from here in England!
ReplyDelete