Open year-round, the 10-acre New Orleans Botanical Garden contains more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. The seeds for the Garden were planted in 1936, when the City Park Rose Garden opened. The Botanical Garden was funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which created New Orleans’ first public classical garden. Today, it is one of the few remaining examples of public garden design from the WPA and displays the Art Deco influences of three renowned talents of the era: Architect Richard Koch, landscape architect William Wiedorn, and sculptor Enrique Alférez.
Free admission for Louisiana residents every Wednesday, courtesy of The Helis Foundation.
The Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden celebrates the history, influence, and work of Mexican American New Orleans artist Enrique Alférez (1901–1999). The garden is 8,000 sq. ft. and features 15 sculptures set within sweeping footpaths surrounded by greenery and oak trees. The Sculpture Garden is accessible during normal Garden hours and is included with admission.
The Historic New Orleans Train Garden is one of the Park’s hidden gems, featuring typical New Orleans home and building architecture made with botanical materials, and replicas of streetcars and trains that wind around the track. The 1,300 feet of track carrying streetcars and trains like those that traveled the city in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, at 1/22 of their actual size, is open during normal Botanical Garden hours. However, trains only operate Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–4:30pm.
Originally constructed in the 1930s, the Conservatory has been renovated into a state-of-the-art showcase of plants, featuring two exhibits–Living Fossils and Tropical Rainforest. The Living Fossil exhibit showcases a variety of prehistoric plant life (plants evolved before the development of flowers) from throughout the world. The Tropical Rainforest features an immersive experience and plants from the warm, moist regions of the world, including a tree root exhibit of epiphytes, a waterfall exhibit and cave. The Conservatory is accessible during normal Botanical Garden hours and is included with admission.
Currently closed for renovation and restoration
The Japanese Garden provides not only beauty and enjoyment for all visitors but also serves as a natural setting for other Japanese arts such as bonsai, ikebana, and sado (tea ceremony). The Garden provides increased awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture, aesthetics, and love of nature among all people in the New Orleans area. The Garden is named after Lafcadio Hearne/Koizumi Yakumo an exceptional writer who lived in both Matsue and New Orleans. The Japanese Garden and is open during normal Botanical Garden hours and is included with admission.
The New Orleans Botanical Garden offers a spectacular backdrop to any photo or film shoot — wedding or commercial photography, fashion spreads, family portraits, plant/garden photography, portfolio work and more.
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