Here are some beautiful botanical gardens to visit with kids in the Seattle area. These gardens are ideal places to visit with kids – all ages are captivated by the splendors of nature uniquely displayed in cultivated spaces – whether a baby gazing at a brilliant azalea or an 8-year-old scampering over a stone bridge.
Washington Park Arboretum
2300 Arboretum Drive E.
230 acres
Free
The most impressive spring show is along the three-quarter-mile Azalea Way, which wows through March and April with daffodil beds, flowering cherries and dogwoods. The azaleas bloom in time for Mother’s Day. botanicgardens.uw.edu/washington-park-arboretum
Seattle Japanese Garden
1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E.
3.5 acres
$8 adults, $4 youth 6 to 17. Free for age 5 and under
This beautifully tended garden opens in March with flowering cherries, and continues through the spring with other blooms, including an arbor dripping with wisteria. The footbridges and koi pond entertain kids and parents too. Great place for family photos. seattlejapanesegarden.org
Kubota Garden
9817 55th Ave. S.
20 acres
Free
It’s not as closely groomed as the Seattle Japanese Garden. In a way, that’s a good thing. With its meandering paths, ponds, bridges and colorful rhododendrons, Kubota Garden is a perfect place to let your kids run and play. kubotagarden.org
Seattle Chinese Garden
6000 16th Ave. SW
4.5 acres
Free
The prime time to visit? May and June, when the garden’s huge collection of peonies is in bloom. seattlechinesegarden.org
Here’s what one family enjoyed most in a recent visit to this garden.
Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden
13735 24th Ave. S., SeaTac
10.5 acres
Free
The must-see here is the Seike Japanese Garden. Don’t miss the interpretive sign outlining the story behind the garden and the Japanese-American family who built it. The garden itself has a twisty path with stepping stones and tiny bridges that are sure to delight small kids. highlinegarden.org
Bellevue Botanical Garden
12001 Main St., Bellevue
53 acres
Free
Even on a wet Thursday, you can find families waiting their turn for a walk on “The Ravine Experience,” a 150-foot suspension bridge crossing a fern-lined forest gully. Another highlight: the sculpture collection. bellevuebotanical.org
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
20312 15th Ave. NW, Shoreline
4 acres
Free
This haven for native plants has a portion set aside for kids to play in the shade of tall Douglas firs. There’s a climber made of the roots of a redwood, and look out for buckets of shells, cones and other materials for kids to use to make fairy houses. kruckeberg.org
Bloedel Reserve
7571 NE Dolphin Drive, Bainbridge Island
150 acres
$17 adults, $10 ages 13 to 18, $6 ages 5 to 12, 4 and under free
In a year when trailheads are often alarmingly overcrowded, Bloedel Reserve remains tranquil, offering timed entry and clean bathrooms. An easy 2-mile walk leads through woods, wetlands, a daffodil-covered meadow and a Japanese garden that feels like something from a Studio Ghibli movie. bloedelreserve.org
More Outdoor Fun
Read! Then play! 27 wonderful children’s books and outings to go with them
