Enjoy the Five Best Gardens in Columbus Area

You can enjoy the five best gardens in Columbus with our list of favorites. Pick one that appeals to you, or spend time over the spring and summer months exploring them all! Gorgeous, interesting, educational, and sometimes sentimental, these gardens should not be missed by those who love flowers, foliage, and the outdoors. We even provide links and addresses to make your expeditions easy and fun.

Explore your city, Columbus, and enjoy the best gardens in Columbus today!
Franklin Park Conservatory
1777 E Broad St, Columbus OH, 43203 614-715-8000
Admission to indoor gardens is $19 Adults / $16 Seniors  / $12 Children 3-12

Located in downtown Columbus, near German Village, the indoor gardens in the conservatory are beautiful and bloom all year round. The outdoor gardens begin to bloom with beautiful bulbs and budding trees in April and come into their full glory by June. Outdoor gardens include community vegetable garden projects, walking trails, and an outdoor amphitheater, too.

With smooth paths, ramps, and accommodations for disabilities, these gardens are accessible to all. There are art installations both indoors and out, which means children should be supervised.

Inniswood Metro Gardens
940 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville OH 43081

This Metro Park beauty is located in Westerville, and it’s 123 acres feature theme gardens with a rose garden, herb garden, woodland rock garden, and children’s garden. There is a garden here to everyone’s taste, and this is a gem not to be missed! From an enormous hosta collection to a little moss garden in the rock garden area, there is something here for everyone who’s heart goes pitty-pat for gorgeous landscapes.

With smooth, paved paths over almost all of the grounds, these gardens are very accessible. There are some steeper grades in the rock garden, and narrower paths in the children’s garden that could be a challenge. Most of the gardens are completely away from all traffic, and are perfect places for small children to run and play. The children’s garden has been designed for the joy of youngsters, and lovers of children’s literature.

Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens
Next to Howlett Hall at 2001 Fyffe Court on the OSU Agriculture campus in Upper Arlington/Campus Area.

Free and open to the public during daylight hours, the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens are a part of the Agriculture Department at OSU. Beautiful and peaceful, spring, summer and autumn, these gardens have wonderful plant collections, benches, short and easy walking paths, and a contemplative labyrinth for meditation. Most plants and trees are labeled, and perfect for educating young and old about these lovely gardens.

Mostly accessible, there are some shallow steps, a few stone paths, and the labyrinth can be enjoyed from, but not travelled in a wheelchair. While great for all ages, it is not fenced and is bordered by busy streets. Small children should remain under direct supervision.

Whetstone’s Columbus Park of Roses
3901 North High Street, Columbus OH 43214

Located in the heart of Clintonville, this is one of the largest and most famous rose gardens in the U.S. Thirteen acres, with three unique rose gardens, an herb garden, perennial garden, and an Ohio prairie. Housing 11,500 roses and over 400 varieties, there are roses for everyone here. Included are the ancient wild roses, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, climbing, and shrub roses. They even have a garden filled with low-maintenance Earth-friendly roses in an informal garden setting. The roses are best seen in June and July, with the most roses in bloom at once. The scents and sights are truly amazing.

Very accessible, the gardens are planted on a slight hill which may be a mild challenge to wheeled visitors, but with wide smooth paths throughout. Away from traffic, this is a wonderful park for children, with wide lawns on which to run and play.

The Topiary Park
480 E Town Street, Columbus OH, 43215

Open during daylight hours, this astonishing park is a Georges Seurat painting come to life in topiary! A landscape designed to mimic a painting of a landscape, it’s a beautiful example of living art. Come walk among the visitors to “A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte” in Columbus!

Contact the Friends of Topiary Park, and arrange a docent tour of the beautiful landscape. Perfect in any season, as the evergreen topiaries are all visible and enjoyable even in winter. Although we do recommend warmer temperatures for full enjoyment, the park is lovely any time of the year.

Fully accessible to everyone.