Milwaukee is in bloom!
From late spring to early fall, these gardens and flower farms are the perfect place to explore nature with your kids.
Not to mention there are some pretty stunning photo opportunities among the blooms.
Whether it’s an urban flower garden or a family farm, you and the kiddos will love being witness to the new life and growth found in these spaces.
Always be sure to check the farms’ websites and Facebook pages for the current growing season, open hours and admission prices (if applicable).
GARDENS
Alice’s Garden Urban Farm
2136 N. 21st St, Milwaukee, WI 53205
(414) 687-0122
alicesgardenmke.com
Alice’s Garden is a two-acre urban garden that is committed to wellness and community. The land here used to part of the Underground Railroad.
You can check their website for upcoming events such as yoga classes and movie nights, or you can drop by with your children and take a walk in the labyrinth.
This space is peaceful, relaxing, and really special. They also offer free movies for kids and families in the summer – check their Facebook page (or our Calendar) for dates and times!
Alice’s Garden was named in honor after Alice Meade-Taylor, a former Executive Director of Milwaukee County Extension. Alice’s vision for building neighborhoods and nurturing people included gardening programs for children, youth and their families.
Boerner Botanical Gardens
Whitnall Park, 9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners, WI 53130
Boerner Botanical Gardens opens for the season in May, and its formal gardens feature a rose garden and a peony garden, as well as variety of annuals and perennials. Plus, there’s a fragrant herb garden, a daylily path, and a serene rock garden with trickling streams and waterfalls.
Rest in the shade or have a snack inside the elegant gazebo, and don’t miss the regal shrub mall, historic garden house, and expansive arboretum. Kids will also love the stroller-friendly bog garden walk in the northeast corner of the property.
Margie’s Children’s Garden opened last year and is a must-visit stop during any visit with kids!
Ways to save: If you’re a resident of Milwaukee County, you’ll save $1 per ticket. The Gardens typically offer free admission during their summer concerts.
Read more about Boerner Botanical Gardens >>
The Collaborative Farm
5500 W. Silver Spring Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53218
(414) 587-4320
thecollaborativefarm.org
This historical urban farm also serves as a music venue, outdoor classroom, animal habitat, farmer’s market, community gathering space and more. It’s actually the last remaining piece of property in Milwaukee that is still zoned as a farm. Here, more than a dozen private farmers grow food for the local community, and visitors can learn about a healthier way of living. The historical greenhouses were built in 1926, and you can see chickens, ducks, goats, and fish on site.
Grohmann Museum Rooftop Garden
1000 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 277-2300
Website
Located on the Grohmann Museum on the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus, this rooftop garden features a dozen large, bronze statues of men at work – toiling in the field and foundry, heaving hammers or pinching molten metal with hot tongs.
Each sculpture is about 9 feet tall and weighs a thousand pounds. From their perch along the roofline, they have a commanding view of the city that was built on the hard work they depict.
The Grohmann Museum is home to the world’s most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 12.
Lamm Gardens
2708 Sherman Rd., Jackson, WI 53037
(262) 677-3010
lammscape.com
Lammscape’s beautifully landscaped grounds are open to the public for events and workshops throughout the season (Some of them are free!). Check out their kid-friendly events on their website. In the past they’ve hosted train-themed events, pumpkin painting parties, and more.
Lapham Peak Butterfly Garden
W329N846 County Hwy C, Delafield, WI 53018
(262) 646-3025
Website
Located in Kettle Moraine State Forest, the Lapham Peak Unit is near the top of our list for best natural places to visit. When you get done hiking Plantation Path, a one-mile, blacktopped, handicapped accessible trail through a prairie and wooded area, find the Butterfly Garden just east of this path. (Check the map before you go!) There are many flowers there, plus a memorial brick pathway. Vehicle admission sticker required.
Lynden Sculpture Garden
2145 W. Brown Deer Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53217
(414) 446-8794
lyndensculpturegarden.org
Admission is free at this garden that has wide open spaces for running around, magical trees the kids can hide inside of, frogs and turtles all over the place, and colorful sculptures. Don’t miss the bright polka dotted cows by the pond. Please remind your kids not to climb on the sculptures. Note: There are no paths. Bring suitable footwear. Donations encouraged.
Learn more about this beautiful garden >>
Mitchell Park Domes
524 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53215
(414) 257-5611
mitchellparkdomes.com
The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory is a living plant museum with a permanent collection of over 1,800 plant species that represent plant life from across the globe. The conservatory, also known as the Domes, is located in Mitchell Park in Milwaukee. There are three different domes – the floral dome, the desert dome and the tropical dome – and each is a miniature version of the horticultural environment that it represents. Milwaukee County residents save $1 per admission.
Bookworm Gardens
1415 Campus Dr., Sheboygan, WI 53081
(920) 287-7895
bookwormgardens.org
Trust us when we say this one is worth the drive!
Bookworm Gardens is an absolute must-visit, whimsical children’s garden based completely on children’s literature. The two-acre garden offers the young and young-at-heart the opportunity for free, unstructured play in a beautiful and secure environment. Entrance to the garden is free.
Special elements of the garden include outdoor classrooms, a small amphitheater, a greenhouse and an outdoor creation station. Reading nooks and crannies are plentiful, as are benches for resting and chatting. Read more about our visit to Bookworm Gardens and see more pictures here.
LAVENDER FARMS
A member of the mint family, lavender blooms are typically purple, but varieties can also grow in shades of blue, pink, red and white. Lavender fields are typically in bloom June through August (weather dependent). This propagated perennial takes about 3 years to fully mature.
Research has found pure essential lavender oil to possess antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti fungal, and antibacterial properties.
EDN Farms (COMING SOON!)
S66 W28796 River Rd., Waukesha, WI 53189
(262) 352-7452
ednfarms.com
A USDA-certified organic farm, EDN Farms specializes in producing garlic and immune-boosting elderberry, but they’re also branching out into lavender territory. They plan to grow a variety of lavenders for fresh floral, dried, and culinary use. The lavender fields will be blooming and open to visitors in Spring 2023, so stay tuned!
EDN stands for Ecology Diversity Network. They work with other small farms, developing and sharing best practices to build rich, life-sustaining soil through diversified planting.
“Edn” is also Hebrew for the original spelling of the garden described in the book of Genesis. Accordingly, the mission of EDN Farms is to get back to the way farming used to be.
Rowley Creek
E13901 County Rd. W Baraboo, WI 53913
(608) 844-9635
rowleycreekfarm.com
Aside from taking home some fresh cut lavender from the Farm Cottage, walking the lavender field is one of the best ways to experience the farm! Enjoy the stunning hillside views decorated with 13 cultivars of lavender. Stop by the farm cottage for authentic lavender goods and savor some raw lavender honey.
Farm visit appointments must be made prior to your visit. The contribution fee of $5 per vehicle goes a long way in supporting the farm.
TULIP FARMS
One of the earliest perennials to bloom in spring, the tulip grows in a variety of colors that herald the beauty of the season. If you get the chance to visit a tulip farm, you’ll be treated to some Instagram-worthy photo ops and a few fresh-cut stems for your own seasonal bouquets.
The weather determines when tulips bloom, but they usually arrive by late April or early May. A warm and dry spring usually yields earlier blooms, while cool, wet weather leads to later arrivals. Call ahead and confirm the status of the blooms before you go.
Happy Day Farmhaus – Tulip Fest & Harvest
This 6-acre, small-scale farm uses organic practices to grow veggies and flowers, and hosts a tulip festival each year in partnership with other local businesses and vendors.
Read more about the Happy Day Farmhaus Tulip Festival >>
Richardson Adventure Farm
Located just over the Illinois border, this farm grows 600,000 tulip bulbs in 30 different varieties next to a private, 36-acre lake. About 500,000 of the bulbs were planted in colorful blocks with a central design, perfect for those family photo ops. The rest are mixture of colors planted in a pick-your-own area.
From the tulip fields, the ground slopes down to a festival area with food trucks, beer and wine served from a trolley, picnic tables, live music on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, free games like giant checkers and cornhole, and more. There’s plenty of free parking, and friendly leashed dogs are welcome.
Admission includes entrance into the flower field and the Tulip Festival, access to the picnic area around Richardson Lake, and one tulip stem to take home. Additional tulips may be purchased for $1 each. Remember to bring your scissors!
When you’re done smelling the flowers, walk or drive to the adjacent Adventure Farm grounds (about a half-mile from the tulip parking area). There you’ll find a gift shop with wine tasting, fresh donuts, popcorn, kettle corn, and indoor restrooms.
Note: The walkways among the tulips are grassy and a little bumpy, and rain can make them soft, so plan accordingly.
Read more about this Tulip Festival >>
SUNFLOWER FARMS
Sunflowers typically bloom in late July, and there’s just something about them that makes us smile. Sunflowers can grow 5-10 feet tall, and a sunflower field provides the perfect backdrop for stunning photos. Plus, most farms will let you cut a few stems to take home and use in floral arrangements to decorate your front porch.
Soak up the last sunny days of late summer by visiting one of the many sunflower fields we found throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Some are nearby, while others require a day trip.
Open dates and times for sunflower season depend on weather and flower maturity. Be sure to call ahead for hours and the latest information.
Browse our list of sunflower farms near Milwaukee >>
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