The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory will be one of the top family-friendly attractions in Columbus!
Today Mayson and I got a sneak peek of the new Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory! There is nothing else like this in the city! I walked away from the tour in awe!
The Children’s Garden is going to be a full-fledged attraction in itself, but it comes at no additional cost to visitors of the Franklin Park Conservatory! Access to the Children’s Garden is included with admission or membership and can only be entered through the Conservatory.
On Community Days, the first Sunday of each month, residents of Franklin County and the City of Columbus can enter the Conservatory for free with your valid ID from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM!
A special thanks to Franklin Park Conservatory and CEO, Bruce Harkey for giving us this special tour!
Here are some of the many highlights:
A kids only entrance made of willows!
The Sunshine Celebration Arch, featuring stained glass rainbows!
The Rainbow Welcome Terrace is where you can orient yourself and peruse the map to decide where to go first!
Larger than life topiaries throughout the park!
Misting Boulders – kids can run around in the mist, which will also create rainbows in the air!
The Flower Kaleidoscope!
Take the road less travelled!
Explore the Sensory Garden full of instruments to play!
Give or watch a puppet show!
This playhouse is made of bamboo and straw bales wrapped in mud and clay and is the largest natural children’s playhouse in the world!
The Sunrise Lawn for rolling and running and the Boulder Scramble for rock climbing!
The Fairy Garden.
The Whispering Wall – whisper at one end and your partner can hear on the other end of this curved bench!
The Reading Garden – grab a book and enjoy this peaceful area!
The Word Garden – make your own inspirational sentences!
In an area called, My Ohio Woods, This Sandstone Bluff is modeled after Hocking Hills! Water will cascade down the bluff and will fill this creek area for children to explore! (yes, they will get wet!)
The Wetland Explore includes a boardwalk and Floating Path. In this rain garden area, water will rise and fall with the rain. The area also includes a Pollywog Pool where kids can watch for tadpoles!
The Green Man!
This Floating Frame will be a spot for floating art! Drop in floating objects to create a moving piece of artwork within a stone frame!
A gardening and cooking area!
A Nature Play Zone that includes a Stump Jump, Sand Box and Web Climb!
An amazing Canopy Walk that gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire garden!
The Hammock Lounge, which is 12 feet off the ground, may look scary, but it can literally hold 7 elephants!
A Cork Tree Rope Walk – swaying bridges that allow you to walk through the heights.
Cardinal Corner – a life sized bird’s nest!
The Children’s Garden also has a Learning Pavilion where events will be held. In this building there are also family restrooms and hand washing stations.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden opens to the public on Saturday, May 19, 2018. There will be a brief ceremony at 9:30 AM. However, members can RSVP for a preview on May 18, by clicking here!
Know Before You Go:
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
1777 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43203
Phone: 614-715-8000
Open Daily: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Need more ideas? Check out Over 100 Fun Things to do in Columbus, Ohio!
Read more about Franklin Park, the public park surrounding the Conservatory that is free to visit!
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