Allen Centennial Garden — Attraction in Madison

I attended a work wellness event at the Allen Centennial Gardens. What a fantastic resource on the UW-Madison campus that is free to everyone who wants to learn more about this garden and plants in general. I have been to this cute garden a hand full of times in the past, but have never taken a formal tour of it. I'm so glad that I took a tour!

In the ~45 minute tour, I learned so much about plants, general landscaping designs, our changing environment, agriculture in Wisconsin, bees and the beautiful historic home on the garden grounds.

The gardens are absolutely free to the public and also can be rented out for events (ie weddings, photo opportunities, etc). They also host quite a few events during the year also. They have a really nice website where their events (most are free) are posted.

The historic home is under construction currently and is not open for viewing. It sounds as though the home will be closed for an undetermined amount of time still. Once finished, it will host environmentally friendly campus organizations.

They have quite a few different gardens to walk through or sit in to enjoy a little longer. The walkways are paved and easy to maneuver through. There's lots of seating throughout to enjoy the gardens. I love the water features and their relaxing sounds. The koi pond was probably my favorite spot. They were anxiously awaiting us to drop some food into the water and would follow us as we circumnavigated around the...

Allen Centennial Gardens is located on the corner of Babcock Road and Observatory Drive. Surrounding a Victorian mansion that sits on the National Register of Historic Places, this 2.5 acre slice of heaven is one of my favorite Madison attractions. The gardener in me appreciates the 21 individually themed gardens and thousands of different perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees that grace the gardens. I've learned a great deal about incorporating texture, color, sound and focal points into my own garden designs from my many visits to the gardens. I also enjoy how the garden is constantly evolving; it changes from day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year. I see something new each time I visit.

The non-gardener in me appreciates the peaceful setting where I can meditate with little or no distractions. It also is where my wife and I were married on a perfect September afternoon many years ago. That alone is grounds for a five...

A beautiful spot to visit and pass the time. It has the most attractive ginkgo trees I've ever seen. On most weekends and afterhours during the week, the parking lot on Tripp Circle offers free parking. Check the parking lot sign for times when a permit is needed and know that during large sports events, it is a paid lot and likely full. In addition to the garden, walk down to the Lakeshore Path to check out Lake Mendota, see if any of the rowing teams are training by the Porter Boathouse, and walk around the beautiful Adams and Tripp Halls, part of the University's...