This is a fairly small outdoor garden area- maybe an hour walk through. Very attractive although many plants are not labeled so that a person can ID the plants new to them. Found groundskeeper for inquire easily available. A pond, various H20 features, a Japanese garden area, and apparently they do a plant sale often on 3rd Sat of the month- nice if you see arrangements you'd like to start at home yourself. Came end of September. I'm sure Spring and other special times of year there's more blooming in progress. I enjoyed it. read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Water Feature+Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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What an amazing, beautiful and peaceful place! I could come here every single day. Everyone should come and see this magical place. Some of what I saw: Roses - all types Honeysuckle Banana Leaf St. John's Wort Camelia plants Pros: Accessibility friendly No stairs to climb Tons of greenery Some areas of the garden smelled so sweet Lots of plants to see Very well maintained gardens Cons: None! None! None! read more

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Absolutely gorgeous place and a great place to take a date. There is something to see here throughout most of the year.

I had been to the Cooperative Extension but never that Arboretum. So I decided on taking a stroll through it, it was a lovely day. They had just finished one exhibit and were getting ready for a function there. The stroll on the sidewalk path was pleasant, did have to dodge some of the plantings. The frog sculptures reminded me of Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery in Elizabethtown. The pineapple was very cool and loved the frog sculptures and "loch ness monster" in the pond. There was also a piece of abstract art that was on a building that was interesting. Next time I will plan more time to walk around the grounds. read more

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This spot is near, but not on the water. It is free to walk through. The indoor buildings were mostly closed on the weekend, and it was quite hot outside so I didn't spend a ton of time perusing it. Their Japanese garden offered some splendid aethestics. Plant sales and educational events were available, and this place is university-affiliated. It's free, so an easy stop, but not something that kept me away from the beach for too long. read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Free! With lots of flowers in bloom currently. Love the walkways they've put together with scattered small garden tables and benches to sit and enjoy the quiet place. Small little corner for Japan and zen garden. You can walk into the house! read more

What a beautiful place and so peaceful. A walk thru this place just makes me happy. I saw so many different flowers and got to see koi fish turtles and frogs. Besides the beautiful flowers there's a pond and if you bring lunch or snacks there's lots of places in shade to sit and enjoy some time. It's free to walk thru and you won't regret taking a stroll thru the gardens.. lots of them are grown local I looked one up they sell at Lowe's I'll have to go pick some up!! I highly recommend taking some time to enjoy the natural beauty of this well maintained park. read more

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Such a beautiful experience! My husband and I stopped in during our anniversary trip to the beach and it was such a nice set up with little statues and places to take pictures. We loved the koi pond and the little creeks of water that were there. Next time we will plan to come when the flowers are bloomed. We went into the gift shop and the lady behind the counter was so sweet. Overall great experience. And it's free! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Sidewalk art - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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The New Hanover County Arboretum is free to visit and has a good size parking lot. The Arboretum itself is not very large but is well cared for and the paths are easy to follow and the plants are divided into regions. The koi pond seemed the most popular area when I was there but I enjoyed the Japanese Garden as it was so serene. At the moment an Ikebana floral show is going on and you can see the beautiful arrangements. The show hours are different than the arboretum hours. read more

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We stopped here on a cool Saturday morning in February when we were visiting Wilmington. The gardens were very quiet with just a few other people wandering the grounds. I'm always looking for a good garden to photograph. There wasn't as much blooming due to the time of the year, but I was happy to still get to see some pretty flowers in a variety of colors. My husband enjoyed checking out the fish ponds, always interesting to watch them for a few minutes. This would be a great spot for engagement or wedding photos with the scenic grounds. The arboretum is not very large, but hey, it's free. Nice and peaceful place for a short stroll. We spent about 30-40 minutes here before we continued on to the nearby beaches. read more

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A beautiful garden that's just a little hidden gem in the area. As soon as you walk in, you just feel calm and at peace. Great for a stroll or a date or a nice picnic. 10/10 read more

One of our favorite places in all of ILM, in fact we took our dying dog here the day before he was euthanized to have a small gathering of people to say goodbye to him. It's a lovely place to walk, meditate or just sit and enjoy. The koi pond is lovely and even when things aren't in bloom, it's a tranquil place to meander through. Dogs on leash are always welcome. And it's free. read more

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This is one of my favorites places to visit during my lunch break. It's a great place to get a good walk in and enjoy the scenery from the different gardens on site. Most importantly, it's free! During my visits, I never really take a lot of pictures because I am normally enjoying my walk, taking everything in. However, on a more recent visit I was able to see a blue heron on site which was cool. That was my first time seeing this bird on site. Others around crowded over to see the beautiful bird. It was definitely a site to see! Often, there are others around who are on site walking, having meetings, or eating lunch at one of the picnic tables. If you haven't been, I would recommend stopping by. The gardens are open from dawn until dusk. And there's always staff available who can help and answer questions if needed. read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Blue Heron - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We revisited nearly 11 months later, and everything is equally gorgeous as we remembered it last year!! We loved that they have recycling and compost alongside their trash cans. There are some new children's play areas under construction right now. We enjoyed sitting in the Adirondack chairs and just looking at the flowers and trees. read more

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Absolutely lovely spot to enjoy nature. Lots of chairs and benches and spots to relax and take it all in. I enjoyed the paths, looking at all the flowers, and photographing everything. read more

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The New Hanover County Arboretum may not be terribly large, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in impressive design. Its gardens boast a variety of flora and are broken up into themed areas. Some (i.e. the koi pond) are decidedly kid-friendly while others (such as the Japanese garden) are serene. Well-maintained and inviting, this is a great place to walk around when the weather is cooperative. read more

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What a FANTASTIC day we had. Our family of three was surprised to find that we hadn't visited the New Hanover Arboretum in the five years we've lived in Wilmington, NC & even more shocked when we heard it was free!!! We will certainly be spending some time outdoors looking at all the beautiful flowers!! They have a Japanese Garden & two little zen sand gardens!! A lovely little tea house & a path that's great for strollers. We're looking forward to all the lovely critters & birds we will see there. They also have a ton of happy, hungry fish you can feed in their koi pond! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - My 8 month old son & I at the New Hanover County Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This place is sooooo cute and it's FREE !!! This is the top of my list for visiting Wilmington. I came here on a Saturday morning and there were not many people here. I loved how peaceful and quiet it is here. There's a few places to snack and have a little picnic at. My absolute favorite was the Japanese Garden. I would totally come here again to just chill out and read a book. read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Japanese Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This is a great little arboretum that's PET FRIENDLY and FREE! We always visit here when we come to town! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Pond - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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one of the best free things to do in wilmington! feeding the fish is my favorite part! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Japanese Garden area - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The New Hanover County Arboretum is the perfect way to spend a Saturday or Sunday! Entry is free and they have amazing demonstrations of rain gardens and veggie gardens. What many people do not know is that the arboretum is home to NHC 4-H which provides free educational programs for students in the community! It is a fantastic opportunity to scientifically and environmentally engage your children, for free! They have a beauuuutiful koi pond as well! You can even make a donation to the arboretum in return for some fish food to feed the koi with. read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Spring flowers! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Absolutely beautiful little arboretum to walk around. Great place to take children. Love that they have a weekly outdoor kids book event during the summer. My granddaughters really enjoyed the reading of books and songs. They also love the fish pond read more

This is one off the best free places that you can visit in Wilmington, NC. You can walk around and see all of the beautiful flowers, and spaces. I love the Japanese meditation section. The little hut is so beautiful and there is an automatic calming there. There are plenty of seats to just relax and it is pet friendly. read more

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Beautiful , scenic, gorgeous grounds. Come here for free and have a look around. Plenty of parking and flowers in bloom, My daughter enjoyed the cottage house I couldn't get her out of that charming room! Looking for a place for great photo ops This is the place to make a stop The tea house was my fave And the pineapple fountain too Along with the rose garden A visit here is a must do! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Gorgeous and FREE to visit! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

What a hidden gem this place is!! Went with a friend for a yelp event (which was SO fun) then explored a little bit. The grounds are beyond well maintained and are stunningly beautiful. The area is dog friendly and has very clean facilities. There's also picnic tables for whatever you'd like to use them for. I will certainly be visiting this place again. read more

This beautiful gem of a garden was the highlight of my recent visit to New Hanover County. The Japanese garden was my personal favorite area, with graceful bridges, a serene tea house, and a koi pond with a variety of plants and sculptures. Bring a quarter to use in the fish food dispenser and you can enjoy feeding the koi. There is a thoughtful memorial to our armed services. The butterfly garden was not hosting any butterflies when I visited, so I had to content myself with observing several industrious bees. The children's garden was delightful, with a playhouse that is a visual delight inside and out, and a series of action stations to engage both body and mind of the younger visitors. Most pathways would accommodate a wheelchair. Our party spent a very relaxing hour at this venue. read more

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We LOVE the arboretum! Best part about it...it is dog friendly. It is such a beautiful place to take our dog for walks. It is especially when everything is in bloom. But still very nice even in the colder months. It isn't huge(2 or 3 laps is about a mile), but they still have a lot of different areas to enjoy. The koi pond and Japanese garden are our two favorites. Also, great spot to take out of town guests read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Boomer checking in on his friends. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Again, another place that is FREE! This is a relaxing attraction with informative displays and educational information on local plant life and personal gardening. Another plus, you can bring your dog! I can't wait to go back and see the many displays when more of the seasonal plants are in bloom and the new display in the rear of the site is completed. read more

I did some work in this place a few years back and as I was there I really enjoyed everything they had to see definitely something you want to check out but they've done some renovations so it's even more cool if you're looking for something to do just to get out of the house and enjoy some scenery they have beautiful gardens statues all kinds of stuff little trails to walk on just a great place to visit very peaceful if you like this kind of stuff check it out. read more

Took advantage of the lovely weather today (70 degrees, clear skies, on Feb. 1st!) and visited The Arboretum for the first time. So awesome that it's free to enter! It's a lovely place, didn't quiet get to see anything in bloom, but still very serene and peaceful. After strolling through the gardens, my baby girl and I were able to enjoy the shady picnic area for a bite to eat. Excited to come back in the Spring, I'm sure it'll be amazing. read more

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It is a jewel in Wilmington. We were looking for an attraction to nearby Surf City (Topsail Island) and glad some yelpers gave good reviews. My family had a great time and so did our furries - a cavapoo and an aussiedoodle. The gardens are awesome. The koi fishes are large rather gigantic but beautiful. This is a pet friendly garden. And no admission charge. Hope they maintain this place as we look forward to coming back. read more

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The arboretum is so beautiful anytime of the year. Always nice to just walk around the grounds and see all the pretty blooms. Lots of varied gardens with different themes. Also an amazing resource for gardening help and they do several different events throughout the year like plants sales or educational opportunities. read more

I love the arboretum! It's educational, free, and always a lot of fun. We visit several times a year to take pictures and explore. My kids love the koi pond and feed the fish every time we go. They're also huge fans of the butterfly garden and the playhouse. I would definitely suggest a trip for anyone who's looking to kill some time. read more

The Arboretum is small, but it's free and made for a nice visit when I went in June. I loved the Japanese garden area, which was very authentic and featured a tea house, koi pond, and torii gate. I recommend it for anyone interested in Asian design and architecture. I also liked the lily pond and vegetable garden. read more

This was a nice place to visit, small but nice and I appreciated the ability to buy young plants at a very good price!

We were there late on Sunday, on the Memorial Day weekend 3017 and we loved the peace of these gardens. As a matter of fact, the gates were open but we were the only visitors. There was a pretty cat that was playful and followed us everywhere... a really nice guide to the gardens. There was an Army Memorial that was very moving. read more

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On my last trip through Wilmington I noticed the sign for the Arboretum. I had to stop. Even if it was not peak season, I just love all them plant! This is a place to come by during all seasons and see what is growing on. I get so many ideas from the incredible selections of plants.... well I guess I could carry on some more but I will close with I just love those arboretums, gardens, flowers, shrubs, succulents, cactus, bulbs, rhizomes, and well you get the idea... read more

Wonderful kids learning and picnic spot. Great gardens, quite compact, but packed full of local and interesting fauna. It's great learning place for the kids. They have picnic tables you can reserve for a fee, but the gardens themselves are free. read more

My 5 month old son and I had the BEST time here! Absolutely beautiful gardens, very educational, and fun for all ages! He enjoyed himself so much, and so did I! Very family friendly, different areas and sections- such a great day! We spent an hour and a half here and could have spent longer! Definitely coming back! :) Thank you! read more

New Hanover County Arboretum - Beautiful koi pond! And yes, you can walk/stroller onto all the bridges! :) - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Very beautiful place that is always changing and unless there is a special event going on its free. Great for kids too! Even if there is an event it usually is under $10. read more