Botanical Gardens in New Orleans, Louisiana
Opened in 1936 as the City Park Rose Garden, the New Orleans Botanical Garden is a prime example of an Art Deco period garden. Originally built by Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), the garden changed its name in the early 1980s but still maintains an aura of days-gone-by.
The botanical garden was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. While the main structures survived with just a little damage, the garden’s entire plant collection was lost to the storm. For the last five years, the garden has focused on restoring their collection of plants, trees, and shrubs and on repairing their buildings, which includes several notable structures.
Currently, the New Orleans Botanical Garden includes the nation’s largest stand of live oaks as well as a variety of about 2,000 different plants from around the world. Several themed gardens are part of the mix, including an aquatic garden and the New Orleans Historic Train Garden. The latter features buildings that are made entirely of botanical materials, laid out in an approximate representation of the city of New Orleans. Visitors tour the train garden via a walkway that represents the waters of New Orleans, overlooking the model city and 1,300 feet of railroad track that carries late 19th and early 20th century trains and street cars that are 1/22 of their actual size. Children and adults alike love this part of the gardens. Currently, the train garden operates on weekends only and for special events.
The Conservatory of the Two Sisters includes a plethora of tropical and other indoor plants for all to admire. It boasts a magnificent, 40-foot glass dome and serves as a reception and orientation area for visitors. In addition, there’s a tropical rainforest display in one wing and a Living Fossil exhibit in the other. In front of the conservatory, guests can admire a pristine lily pond that also serves as a reflecting pool for the conservatory.
Another centerpiece of the New Orleans Botanical Garden is the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, a spectacular building modeled after a traditional European orangery. It boasts long banks of arched windows and may be rented alone or with the gardens for special events including weddings and wedding receptions. The Pavilion has slate floors, beautiful palm frond chandeliers, and other ornate decorations. It can accommodate up to 300 people for a banquet-style dinner and as many as 400 for a cocktail reception.
The onsite Lath House provides a horticultural hands-on laboratory where visitors can enjoy workshops and demonstrations by botanical garden staff members and visiting lecturers. This building can also be rented (though it is not air-conditioned) and together with the adjacent Garden Study Center, can accommodate up to 175 guests for a cocktail party-type event.
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am until 4:30 pm. Hours may vary according to any special events being held at the facility. The admission fee is very reasonable and children under 5 are admitted free of charge.Return to New Orleans Travel Guide Home Page