A Botanic Garden Like No Other
Discover the beauty of native plants in a naturally dramatic landscape
In a place visitors often describe as magical, you’ll find a botanic garden just west of Boston that showcases New England native plants in a beautiful natural setting: 45 acres sculpted by retreating glaciers into eskers and steep-sided valleys, with a brook, pond, and wetlands. Here you’ll find inspiration for your own garden and a new appreciation for the varied plant life of our region. To get a preview before you come, or for those who cannot visit in person, we invite you to enjoy this virtual visit.
Location
180 Hemenway Road
Framingham, MA 01701
T 508.877.7630
F 508.877.3658
SOME EXCITING CHANGES
Our Administration, Philanthropy, and Conservation teams have moved out of the Garden and into new offices just 15 minutes away: 321 Commonwealth Road, Suite 204, Wayland, MA 01778. With the move, we have the long-planned opportunity to reconfigure features at the Garden to meet the needs of visitors, plant shoppers, and our programs. Changes include:
- Demolishing the administration building, which requires moving all the utilities
- Moving retail plant storage to the newly open space and to the stock bed area; adding fencing where needed
- Reconfiguring parts of the parking lot
- Constructing a larger, fireproof conservation seed vault, with a small laboratory for seed processing
- Rewiring the education, horticulture, and shop buildings with upgraded cabling for wifi and the new phone system.
We're working with a construction firm on a timeline that gets this all done before the retail plants start arriving in March!
Garden in the Woods will join our new phone system after upgraded internet cabling is installed in all the buildings. For now, you may reach people at the Garden by:
- Calling them directly, using the numbers listed in the Contact Us section of our website.
- Calling the current switchboard number, 508-877-7630, and following the recorded prompts.
The Garden Shop at Garden in the Woods is closed for the season, but you may contact the shop for gift cards, books, advance plant orders, and information by calling 774-301-8465.
Get directions from your location via Google maps. Please note: The exit to use for Garden in the Woods, formerly #12 (Framingham), is now #111 (still labeled Framingham). Your mapping software may not yet show the change.
Check our local weather
Hours
Garden in the Woods is closed for the 2023 season. We will reopen in April 2024. Have a wonderful winter! (Members, check here for updates on Winter Walking, which is temporarily on hold due to construction.)
Admission
Tickets are available at the Visitor Center when you arrive.
- $16 Adults (18-64)
- $12 Seniors (65+)/Students with ID
- $6 Youth (5-17)
- Free for children under 5
- Active service members and their spouses admitted free with valid military ID. Veterans receive 50 percent discount with proof of service.
- Our members at the Individual with Garden Access level and higher admitted free
- Please leave pets at home. Service dogs are welcome.
Accessibility and Modes of Transportation
For the safety of all visitors and the protection of plant collections and other natural resources, we do not allow bicycles, off-road vehicles, and vehicles or other power-driven devices used for mobility assistance (with the exception of wheelchairs and scooters) on the paths at Garden in the Woods or in our sanctuaries.
Please note that only the entrance plateau at Garden in the Woods is ADA-accessible. The natural terrain of the property is too steep for most wheelchairs, scooters, and other motorized mobility devices and presents a safety hazard to visitors using such devices.
For details about accessible parking and other visitor guidelines, please see the dropdown box below.
Garden Path
The main path through the Garden is a mile-long loop with a crushed-gravel surface, requiring about an hour to an hour and a half to walk. Benches are dispersed throughout. The natural terrain is rugged, with a steep slope at the entrance and exit of the Garden.
Amenities
Enjoy our outdoor picnic tables, located on the patio outside the Education Center. Restrooms are located inside the Visitor Center and also in the Education Center. (No restrooms are available elsewhere in the Garden.) The Education Center also contains a drinking fountain. At our Visitor Center, you may buy snacks and drinks, or order a box lunch in advance to enjoy during your visit (see online menu and order form at right). You also may buy native plants at our Garden Shop, near the Visitor Center.
Tours (in season)
Audio Tour and Virtual Visit
Enrich your visit with our free smartphone audio-tour app, which guides you through our plant displays. The app is available from Google Play and Apple's App Store. Please download the app before you arrive to ensure best access.
Drop-in Tours (in Season)
We offer guided walking tours of Garden in the Woods at the times listed below, on a drop-in basis. Walking tours last 60-90 minutes and follow the one-mile main path loop. These drop-in tours are complimentary with garden admission. Guided tours are subject to the availability of volunteer tour guides.
Drop-in tour schedule for April, May, and June:
- Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
- Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Drop-in tour schedule for July, August, September, and October
- Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Scheduled Tours (in Season)
Visitors may schedule cart tours and group tours, depending on the availability of volunteer Garden guides. Scheduled tours include garden admission and cost $20/person for an adult, $16/person for a senior or student and $10/person for youth. Our golf cart can be reserved ahead of time and holds five passengers and is driven by a Garden guide. You must request reservations for cart tours and group tours at least three weeks in advance of your desired visit, using this form. Please note: All scheduled tours for May 2023 are booked.
Nasami Farm
During the growing season, you may also shop for plants at our nursery, Nasami Farm, in western Massachusetts.
Parking and More
Things to know before you visit
Parking
Our parking lot is unpaved and accommodates 42 cars, including two handicapped-accessible spaces. If the parking lot is full, visitors may park on public streets, being careful not to block driveways or park on lawns. (See parking map below.) In addition, please note:
- Framingham permits parking on only one side of the street; which side is determined by whether the year is even- or odd-numbered. In 2023, parking is allowed only on the odd-numbered side of streets.
- Parking is prohibited on Raymond Road and Hemenway Road, because they must be kept clear for emergency vehicle access.
- When walking to the Garden entrance, please stay along the side of the road, as local traffic and bicycles use these roads.
Photography
- Commercial photography and group photo sessions for weddings, family portraits, engagements, celebrations, or similar gatherings are not permitted. (If you're a member of the press, please call to make advance arrangements: 508-877-7630.)
- We know you'll be absorbed in capturing images, but please take care to stay on the paths—and don't even think about disturbing the plants to get a better effect.
- Please do not block the paths or stand in the way of other visitors.
Thank you!
Rental Space at Garden in the Woods
As a service to the community, Garden in the Woods rents indoor meeting space in our Education Center to nonprofit organizations and businesses for a modest fee.
Please see below for basic rental information. Additional details are available here.
Overview
- The meeting space is available to rent June through March, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (We do not offer rentals during April and May, the busiest months at the Garden.)
- We can accommodate groups of up to 75 people.
- The Education Center is located on the ground floor and has handicapped-accessible restrooms.
- Rental guests are invited to enjoy our 45-acre botanic garden, featuring the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in the Northeast, during public hours.
- We do not offer rentals for outdoor events in the Garden, nor for weddings and parties.
About the Meeting Room
- The room is approximately 785 square feet and features a wall of windows overlooking the Garden.
- The room is set up as a classroom, and renters can rearrange it in a variety of ways on the day of the rental, within the 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. rental period.
- Renters may use the entire room or divide it with a soundproof partition (advance notice required; please request this on the separate rental form).
- The room has Wi-Fi access, air conditioning and heat, and is handicapped accessible.
- A covered, open-air stone patio with picnic tables adjacent to the Education Center provides space for small outdoor sessions and picnics in warm weather. The patio is available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved.
- An adjoining kitchen is available in which renters may reheat, refrigerate, and serve food that is already prepared. However, renters and caterers may not prepare food on the premises.
- Dishes and silverware are available.
- If you hire a caterer, the caterer must deliver food during the 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. period, when the renter is on the premises.
Rental Fees
- $400 for groups of up to 25 people
- $600 for groups of up to 50 people
- $900 for groups of up to 75 people
Fees include the meeting room, access to the kitchen, free parking, and free admission for all attendees on the date of your rental. We also require an advance $250 Cleaning & Damage deposit.
Scheduling Your Rental
Please download and read these additional details, fill out the Rental Agreement form, and send the form to Public Programs Administrative Assistant Stephen Kiely at skiely@NativePlantTrust.org. For questions, please call 508-877-7630 x3305.
