Brookside Gardens

The grounds are organized into distinct display gardens, each with its own character, from a formal terrace and rose garden to a Japanese-style garden, an aquatic garden with ponds and water plants, and woodland paths that wander among mature trees. The plantings are chosen and tended so that the color and interest carry through the whole year, spring bulbs and azaleas giving way to summer perennials, then autumn foliage, then the structure of the winter garden.

Because it is a working botanical garden rather than just a park, Brookside also serves as a place of learning, with labeled collections, demonstration plantings, and classes for gardeners. But you do not need to know a single plant name to enjoy it. Wandering the curving paths from one garden room to the next is one of the most restful things you can do near the city.

Two connected glass conservatories anchor the garden and give it a warm heart in every season. Under their glass roofs, displays rotate through the year, and in the depths of winter they offer a lush, humid escape into greenery and blooms while the world outside is bare. Seasonal floral shows here are a highlight of the calendar.

In the warm months, one conservatory becomes home to the garden's popular live butterfly exhibit, where visitors walk slowly among hundreds of butterflies fluttering freely among the flowers, sometimes landing on a shoulder or sleeve. It is a magical experience for children and adults alike, and one of the reasons Brookside has such a devoted following.

When the growing season ends, Brookside reinvents itself for winter with a beloved evening lights display. On select evenings, the outdoor paths are threaded with tens of thousands of lights arranged into glowing shapes and scenes, and visitors stroll the garden after dark bundled against the cold, turning a quiet garden into a shimmering wonderland.

The rest of the year has its own rhythms. Spring brings the great show of bulbs, cherry blossoms, and azaleas; summer fills the beds with color and the conservatory with butterflies; and autumn lights the woodland with turning leaves. Whatever the season, there is a reason to come, which is part of why locals treat Brookside as a year-round friend rather than a one-time visit.

Brookside Gardens sits inside the larger Wheaton Regional Park, so a garden visit can easily expand into a fuller day outdoors. The surrounding park offers trails, a lake, a nature center, and family attractions, all a short walk or drive from the garden gates, making it a good destination for a family with varied interests.

For travelers based near Washington, the garden is a welcome contrast to the monuments and museums, a place to slow down and breathe among growing things. Its location in the near suburbs makes it easy to reach, yet once you are inside, the traffic and bustle of the Capital region fall away entirely.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.