Frequently Asked Questions
For your safety, and to protect our plants, please stay on the designated paved pathways, patio, and plaza areas.
Do not walk or step in mulched or planted garden beds.
Please leave flowers and plants for everyone to enjoy.
Do not collect or remove seeds, flowers, fruits, plant labels, etc. from the gardens.
Do not wade, swim, or climb in fountains or on rocks.
No soliciting.
Please keep your personal items with you at all times and be sure to lock your vehicle. WBG is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or missing items.
Weapons and firearms are not permitted at WBG.
The Gardens includes the grounds, buildings, parking lots, and other facilities of the property.
WBG reserves the right to ask a visitor to leave for inappropriate or offensive behavior.
Visitors will be held liable for any damage to WBG property.
For their safety, please supervise children at all times. One adult should accompany every five children.
Collapsible lawn chairs, stools, and blankets are only permitted in conjunction with WBG-sponsored events.
Formal and informal parties or gatherings are not allowed to hold meetings, weddings, memorial services, or christenings at the Gardens without advance space rental. Please refer to our Rentals Page for more information.
The rights of other visitors to enjoy the gardens must always be respected.
Do not feed or handle any wildlife you may encounter on the grounds, as it can be harmful to you or the wildlife.
There is a $10 Suggested Admission for visitors. Free for WBG Members. Entry donations support the Gardens' mission, and are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
No. Only ADA-defined service animals are allowed onsite. Emotional-support, comfort, and companion animals are not permitted in any capacity (in a stroller, held-in-arm, on a leash, in a purse, etc).
Please do not leave any animals in your vehicle while visiting. We welcome you to visit another day, leaving your pet at home.
The majority of the areas open for visiting are outdoors, we recommend you dress for the current weather and understand that there is often times not any indoors space open to the public except for restrooms.
Shirts and shoes are required at all times.
Out of respect to all garden visitors, we ask that any clothing not display images or messages that may be taken as profane, vulgar, sexist, racist, or sexually suggestive.
Visitors may be asked to change clothes before entering the gardens.
Please change small children’s clothing only in the restroom space.
Food is not permitted or provided at the Gardens.
At this time, picnicking is not allowed anywhere on garden property. No outside food, picnic baskets, coolers, grills, or open flames are permitted.
We recommend picnicking nearby at Waterfront Park or checking out the many local neighborhood restaurants!
We appreciate your generosity, but (in general) no.
Based on our facilities, capacity, and plant collection goals, we may consider exceptional plants (i.e. rare species) to add to our collection.
Houseplants or landscape specimens from construction projects are usually not considered for donation at this time.
Between 30 - 45 minutes on average. But you're welcome to linger as long as you like!
We are wheelchair accessible in most areas of the property. Please fill out this contact form to inquire about wheelchair availability.
Yes! WBG is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Garden Network. Please visit the AHS website to find other participating Gardens.
Waterfront Botanical Gardens welcomes photographers/videographers and guests to use
the Gardens as a backdrop for capturing special occasions. We encourage our guests to take casual photographs and videos of their visit for their own personal use and sharing on social media, tagging Waterfront Botanical Gardens as the location. There are no fees for personal photography.
Effective 10/1/2024, Waterfront Botanical Gardens requires all professional photographers and videographers to apply for and purchase an annual photography permit for $150. The annual permit provides unlimited photography sessions, but sessions must be approved and scheduled in advance with WBG. Photography sessions with a group size that exceeds 10 people, photographer included, will incur a $25 add-on fee per session.
To apply for an Annual Photo Permit, click here
For our complete photo and video policies, please click here
Drones of any size and other unmanned aerial vehicles, including remote control aircraft, cannot be flown.
Please respect the privacy of garden guests and do not photograph individuals without their explicit permission.
Not currently. We look forward to welcoming you to our future café!
You may ride your bike TO the Gardens, but must park it at the bike racks at the entry points. WBG does not provide locks.
For the safety of others and to protect our plants, please do not walk your bicycle through the Gardens.
The use of skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, and other individual recreational transport devices is not permitted in the gardens.
WBG is a tobacco-free facility in which smoking, chewing tobacco, and all forms of vaping are prohibited. This includes all buildings, grounds, restrooms, and parking lots.
Tobacco products (and the hands of tobacco users) may transmit tobacco mosaic virus which is harmful to certain plants on display in our garden.
Guided Group Tours are available during regular operating hours, March – October, and must be booked at least two weeks in advance. Each tour is between 45 – 60 minutes and recommended for guests ages 16 and up. For more information please visit this page!
Yes! Please refer to our RENTALS page for more info on pricing and availability.
No. We look forward to beginning construction on Phase 2A soon, which includes the Bonsai House, Bonsai Display Garden, Tree Allée, and Beargrass Creek Overlook. Phase 2B will include the remaining Japanese Garden.
You are welcome to use the beauty of the Gardens in your own artwork. We ask that if you are wanting to come and set up a chair or canvas, that you please contact us first so we can guarantee space is available with any other programs or events.
Light collapsible chairs (no lawn chairs) are permitted for artists at work. Please position chairs so that walkways remain passable.
Painters, please dispose of wastewater safely in sinks. Do not dispose of wastewater on walkways, benches, rocks, plants, garden areas, or pavers, as they can become discolored.