Great place! We loved several of the gardens and the walking trails. It's amazing that it is free to view, because that's rare these days. We spent two hours here. Be aware that there is a charge for parking in front of the conservatory, but it's only $2.20 per hour right now and simple to pay at a kiosk. The plants in the conservatory, cactus room and bonsai plant sections are awesome. A sign for a labyrinth caught our attention in the walking trails. I'm posting a photo here. If you get lost inside, just yell loudly and someone will come to help you find your way out. 😉

Been here twice so far and I like it. Once in the spring and once in the summer. Each time it's been great to experience the different flowers of the season. Nice small botanical garden with small walking trails around the outside of the garden which can be finished in 20 minutes or less. Depends on how much you rush through. You could get through the whole botanical garden itself in about an hour or so. Nice selection of plants and nice chance to see some wildlife then strolling through the trails. Some benches are available and a couple of picnic tables as well.

This place was amazing. We went on a Monday and the indoor areas are closed on that day for maintenance so be aware, but the outside is huge and fully of interesting native plants and habitats. We especially loved the outdoor bonsai garden and the specimens were well cared for and impressive with at least one tree being over 800 years old it seems. They were so good they even impressed my 10yr old lol. Entrance was free but parking was up to $5 for the day. Good times we'll be back.

Such a beautiful conservatory, if I lived closer I would visit every week. We planned to visit the Natural History Museum afterwards, but we were so captivated by this wonderful collection of plants that we lost track of time! We spent three hours in the conservatory & I still don't feel like it was enough time. We'll be back! I added some photos, but the photos don't do it justice. This place is a treat & everyone deserves to experience it in person!

Great place to go year round. The outdoor area is a great place to stroll around in the summer. The bonsai tree collection is amazing to see and I love that this place is free. Just pay small parking fee. Bring all my out of town guests here.

Week groomed and marked trails. You could probably hike 5 miles and not duplicate a trail. Great place to bring the kids to experience nature and wildlife. The deer are very friendly and if you move slowly past them, they'll just stand and watch you.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens in the campus of Michigan University bursts upon you, as a pleasant sprinking of nature's bounty. I visited this place in July and flowers were in full bloom. The Bonsai section caught my particular fancy. I just loved the tiny, yet mature, well groomed trees. The miniature pines are specially cute and lovely. Do visit this delightful place. It is a treat for the research scholar, as well as a nature lover.

I love the Matthaei Botanical Gardens! I only went to their indoor space, but it was beautiful! I loved seeing all the gorgeous tropical plants and trying to guess what they were before looking at the name placards on the ground The free admission is a nice perk, but be sure to at least bring a few small bills to donate as your "admission price," as I believe the gardens run on donations and (possibly?) grants from U of M You *do* have to pay for parking, so be aware that the whole thing isn't completely free. There's a discount after 4 or so hours, so you can make a day of it, do the indoor and outdoor gardens, and pack a picnic. There are public bathrooms inside the building, so you don't have to worry about portable toilets, either The gift shop is really cute! My husband and I bought an air plant for just a few dollars to take home a memory of the day. It didn't die after a week, so you can rest assured that they're taking care of the plants they're selling and they won't randomly die on you as long as you take care of them properly

Great hidden (and free) gem of Ann Arbor! It might be 32 outside but inside it’s a tropical wonderland. There are many huge versions of what you could only hope to grow inside your own place like a fiddle leaf fig that is as big as an oak tree and a big beautiful staghorn fern that greets you immediately as you step into the warm humid paradise. I love how most of the plants are clearly labeled. There is a cute gift shop and the staff is super nice. They told us about the outdoor trails and an exciting new beaver damn!

The kiddos and I needed to get out and thankfully a wonderful day was available, so we headed to the gardens. Our first trip was to the Sam Graham portion so we could participate in the leaf rubbing activity. I printed off the book from online and we took crayons for each kid (one book was enough to share for three young kids). I was worried about finding leaves but realized each station would have a plaque on a post, so no worries! We didn't get lost, which was also a plus :) We went back a second time for the Conservatory and it was a great escape indoors even when the weather outside wasn't cooperating. The kids found a mango tree, a baby pineapple, the chocolate bean cacao and other plants that we consume produce from. Excited to see more this summer!

Everything about this place is gorgeous, majestic, and relaxing. I think we walked around for two full hours and continually saw something new. You can tell all the plants, gardens, everything is taken care of by people who love their jobs. Did I also mention it's free? We spent about $75 on a few stuffed animals for my 5yo, which seems like a lot but you know the money is going right back into the garden. Plus, one was a possum, which is my favorite animal. The other was a skunk lol that was my daughter's choice. The woodpecker actually made noise and she really reallllllly got good use out of that noisy creature 😆

A nice place to visit if you’re interested in plants. They’ve a good collection of plants from different regions- desert to tropical. They also have a bonsai garden which is my favorite. The garden is nice for photo shoots as well as relaxing. There is no entry fee but there is a parking fee.

Beautiful grounds to walk around. Go check out the outdoor bonsai garden. Very cool! Lovely indoor conservatory. Many cool plants. If you're into plants, this is a must visit place.

This review is for the conservatory and children’s garden. It was amazing… what a refreshing oasis to visit in winter! Kids loved the displays inside and playing outside! Lot of fun activities for kids to do in nature and also a small trail to hike!

We loved looking at all of the plants in the arboretum. Everything was well maintained and there was a variety of plants. I especially liked the cacti and the bonsai trees. The restrooms were clean and in the store, we were able to get cold drinks and enjoy them outside while we watched several butterflies flutter by. There was plenty of parking and it was very reasonable, i believed it was $1 an hour. All of the staff we interacted with was friendly and helpful. Will definitely go back.

A great place to take kids for a wholesome family time. You can park for a fee of 5 dollars a day and then can head to conservatory and follow it up at the back at Bonsai garden and Children’s garden. There is no separate fee although donations are welcome. Garden is kid safe and friendly and also has seats for parents to keep an eye on kids. All in all a good day to spend a fun filled family day.

My mom + I had an awesome first visit here. We saw the peony showing and the greenhouse. All of the flowers and plants were lovely! I'd love to return in the future!

Matthei was fantastic, beautiful weather, easy to follow trails, lots of variety, a labyrinth to follow, etc. And the indoor hot-house garden with orchids, cactus, and many other plants is well worth the trip by itself.

If you are in Ann Arbor and have time, come here! You won't regret it. First we walked along the nature trail and saw cardinals, blue jays, finches, squirrels and chipmunks, and deer. Just magical! Then we entered the gardens, which are equally as stunning. This property is immaculate and clearly well cared for. Such a great experience!

The conservatory/botanical gardens are beautiful! They are not huge, but are impeccably maintained and stunning. I didn't have much time to explore outside, but there are trails, gardens, and a farm. Definitely worth the trip!

Beautiful indoor gardens with plants from 3 or 4 different climates around the world. Outdoors gorgeous grounds to roam around & learn about the gardens, or just sit on a bench & breathe. Trails are great, so fun hiking there. Kids love it here. They have a natural huge play areas in the Children’s Gardens. Lots of learning things for them while building log cabin, playing in sand, even dirt box & kitchenware to make all kinds of fun things. There’s so much. Little mazes in the hedges! Very cool. Take it from me, I’m a nanny & I pack lunch take 7 & 3 year old kids there a lot. They Love the place. Ages 1-99 will have a wonderful time here. Plenty of shade when it’s hot too. Oh, beautiful gift shop to bring a bit of your experience there home.💖💖💖💖💖

This is a cool botanical garden. We went there in early April when the weather was still a bit chilly. There was an indoor section where we spent quite sometime in, and there were plenty of exotic plants to look at. Admission to this botanical garden was free, and the staff were very friendly.

Made our first visit to the botanical gardens and although it was short, it was sweet. You can easily extend your trip here by taking more time to stop and smell, i mean photograph each rose so to speak. We missed out on the arboretum due to weather but plan to come back and enjoy the outdoor area when weather permits.

Really beautiful very accessible to nearly anyone. Lot of access for handicap with seats everywhere. Very polite staff. The Conservatory is super cool and and has a gift shop with cold beverages. Bonsai trees exhibit is nifty. Six dollars for all day parking pass. Definitely a ton of entertainment and wild life to spend all day. Numerous gorgeous places to picnic. 15/10 stars, Hail to the Victors!

Beautiful place with unique plants and flowers. You pay for parking but that's it. Definitely should go!

Excellent place to visit. Plenty of open space, and walking trails. We went in the morning, no problem with parking. It is amazing that it is totally free.

Ver crowded, not enough parking. The parking machines need to be more user friendly. We had to stand in line 10 minutes just to pay. Of course, it is a beautiful place. Not too much vegetation yet. The trails for walking & biking are awesome!. Can't wait for the Peonies at Nichols!