If you asked most people to guess America’s highest-rated botanical garden, the answer would probably be somewhere in New York, Chicago, or the Pacific Northwest…but it’s none of those.
A new analysis by KÜHL recently looked at visitor reviews from 407 public gardens across the country – not just star ratings, but what people said in their reviews. The top ten ended up being mostly smaller, regional gardens that fly under the radar.
10. Sherman Library and Gardens – Corona del Mar, California
Score: 85.0 | Rating: 4.84/5 | 67.2% positive
The smallest garden on the list at just 2.2 acres, but it logged the highest individual star rating of any entry. Over 100 palm species, 130 begonia varieties, a tropical conservatory with koi ponds and carnivorous plants, and formal tea gardens. The pairing with a research library gives it a different character entirely.
9. Norfolk Botanical Garden – Norfolk, Virginia
Score: 86.6 | Rating: 4.82/5 | 74.5% positive…