With more than 80 acres covered in flowers, gardens and trails overlooking the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek, Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers a quick getaway to recharge or the perfect place to spend the day.
Visitors may check out the Butterfly Garden and Children’s Garden. Consider bringing a picnic with either a blanket for the green in front of the cypress pond or a table on the patio. A stroll along the river trail makes for an amazing day.
The garden hosts special events throughout the year, including scavenger hunts, Gardenmania, outdoor concerts, Pondamania, Dog Day in the Garden, the Halloween celebration Boo-tanical in the Garden, and Holiday Lights. The holiday show — with Santa, smores, carolers and more than 1.5 million lights — has become a Christmas tradition for many in the area.
The garden also offers an educational component for children. It hosts weekly classes for home-school groups and preschoolers, as well as afterschool classes. Topics include gardening, nature, ecosystems and animals with stories, hands-on activities and crafts. Field trips, day camps and tours are also available.
The Wyatt Visitors Pavilion Complex hosts numerous events each year, including weddings, business and military functions, workshops, concerts and more.
Admission fees are $10 for the general public; $9 for military members with ID and adults 65 and older; $5 for children ages 6-12; and free for children 5 and younger. Members are allowed unlimited daily admission. Memberships are $50 for individuals, $70 for dual adults in the same household, and $90 for a family with two adults and as many as five children under 18.
Members also receive 10% discounts in the Garden Gift Shop and with private facility rentals; preferred ticket pricing for special events, including Holiday Lights, summer camps, workshops and fitness classes; free or reduced admission to more than 300 botanical gardens nationwide; and magazine subscriptions. Corporate sponsorships are also available.
Summer garden hours, March 13-Nov. 6, are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Winter hours, Nov. 7-March 12, are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to capefearbg.org.
The garden is at 536 N. Eastern Blvd.
