The Botanic Garden in Fort Worth, Texas

The Botanic Garden in Fort Worth have always been one of our favorite spots to visit on the weekends. We especially liked to go there when we lived in Arlington, which is in the mid-cities between Dallas and Fort Worth. The Botanic Gardens are free to the public, and offer a wide array of interesting sights and activities.

The crown jewel of the Botanic Garden is the Japanese Garden. This area requires an admission fee, unlike the majority of the gardens. The grounds are beautifully kept and include a pond filled with koi, statuary, many shady trails and a gift shop. The attractive pagoda-styled main gate is open during the summer, revealing a small courtyard which is free to peruse. Off to the side is a small waterfall. At out last visit to the gardens, a great blue heron came and let us get very close to it at the waterfall. The animals in the garden seem to be used to people and are much less skittish than at other parks or gardens.

You might also be interested in visiting the greenhouse Conservatory if you come to the Botanic Gardens. There is a small fee to enter this area, but I think you will be highly pleased. Inside the warm and humid environment there is a wide range of tropical plants such as bromeliads, orchids, and other exotics. One nice thing about the Conservatory is that it's warm year-round, so it's a great place to visit in the winter when it's cold and rainy.