Gardens have held spaces as special places throughout time and culture. Consider Monet's gardens that inspired some of the greatest Impressionist art of all time, Victory Gardens that kept families fed during World War II or the use of gardens in literature like "Pride and Prejudice" or "Alice in Wonderland" to tell rich and vivid stories about human nature. They serve as places to gather with loved ones, celebrate, mourn, relax and reflect. 

Madison's rich botanical offerings demonstrate our reverence for nature, sustainability, creativity and community. Destination gardens like Olbrich Botanical Gardens, UW–Madison Arboretum and Aldo Leopold Nature Center are grand showcases of horticultural excellence. But the hidden gem gardens below tell small, more intimate stories about our natural landscape and give you the opportunity to experience many variations of natural art.

Beautiful scenery

Allen Centennial Garden

When you hear the word laboratory, you probably do not envision lush greenery, a rainbow of flowers, water fixtures and lovely seating areas. But the Horticulture Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has a different idea of what a laboratory is. The department's living laboratory, Allen Centennial Garden, is open to the public daily, from dawn to dusk. Admission is free, and all are welcome (including well-behaved dogs).

Allen Centennial is comprised of several smaller gardens, including Native American, English, French, Rock, Woodland, Pond and more. The gardens surround a Victorian Gothic house known as "The Dean's Residence" because it once housed the deans of the College of Agriculture. Now used as offices, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The garden hosts events and programs, including build-your-own-bouquet Saturdays throughout the summer, drop-in tours and a summer concert series.

UW Botany Garden and Greenhouse

There's another UW–Madison educational garden space that's open to the public: The Botany Garden and Greenhouse. It's home to more than 2,300 plant taxa from 220 families, allowing visitors to explore a vast diversity of plant life from around the world. The living plant collection includes aquatic plants, carnivorous plants, succulents, orchids, herbs and more, representing a wide variety of climates and environments.

The garden is open to everyone from sunrise to sundown and the greenhouse is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Private tours are available on request.

Period Garden Park

Tucked away in the middle of downtown Madison in the historic Mansion Hill District is a Victorian-era park that defines botanic opulence. Period Garden Park originated as the front lawn of the Elisha W. Keyes House, built in 1853. Keyes was a well-known local politician who had been appointed postmaster by Abraham Lincoln and later went on to be Madison's mayor. The house was the setting of many political and social events and is now a city landmark.

The lot was transformed into a garden in the 70s thanks to a group of community boosters who saved the space from redevelopment. The garden was built in the image of Victorian gardens that had previously dotted the neighborhood during the 19th century.

Today, the park is an oasis in the midst of Madison's downtown, known for its colorful and fragrant flower beds, a central water fountain and an iron fence indicative of Victorian-era outdoor decor. The garden is open to the public daily from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.

William T. Evjue Rooftop Garden

Frank Lloyd Wright believed the best architecture was characterized by a harmonious blend with nature. This belief is fully realized at the William T. Evjue Rooftop Garden at the Wright-designed Monona Terrace. The Monona Terrace was designed as a visual marriage of Lake Monona and downtown Madison, which positions the rooftop space as having some of the best panoramic views of the lake, the Wisconsin State Capitol and downtown. 

The 68,000-square foot rooftop features a garden that embraces ecological value in an urban landscape. The garden is home to native and low-maintenance plants that support pollinators and fortify fauna in many of Madison's greenspaces. But there's another hidden gem within this hidden gem garden: Lake Vista Cafe. This open-air cafe features stunning views and an impressive global menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees paired with an assortment of beverages, such as wine, beer and lemonade.

Visitors are welcome on the rooftop Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight. It's also where visitors can attend a summer's worth of community events, including Concerts on the Rooftop, Dane Dances and Yoga Core.

Community Impact

Lansing Food Forest

Born during the COVID-19 pandemic on a small lot on Madison's eastside is the result of a community's long-term vision to support the natural ecosystem and improve access to food for all. The Lansing Food Forest was created in 2020 in partnership between Wisconsin Food Forests and members of the Eastmorland neighborhood.

Unlike a community garden, a food forest focuses on planting perennial fruit and nut trees in addition to other produce-bearing bushes and plants that will continue to generate food for years as it becomes an edible landscape. 

The food forest is home to two tart cherry trees, pear trees, strawberries, juneberry, honeyberry, gooseberry, currants, asparagus, rhubarb, herbs and more. It also houses a longstanding neighborhood tradition of being a drop-off area for people to bring plants, seeds, mulch and other excess gardening supplies to swap with or give away to others. Lansing Food Forest is located at Lansing Street and Starkweather Drive and is open daily to everyone.

Capitol Vegetable Garden

The Wisconsin State Capitol lawn is known for a beautiful landscape that changes regularly, providing visitors a new visual experience every time they're there. But what goes sometimes unnoticed is the 450-square-foot vegetable garden on the east corner of the Capitol Square that serves as a community resource and awareness space. 

Rooted, a local organization dedicated to improving the community through community gardens and other sustainable programs, started the Capitol Vegetable Garden in 2010 and today it is maintained as a collaborative effort with Urban Triage. The 450-square-foot garden typically has multiple crops growing at one time, often dedicated to a theme. For example, the most recent garden focused on native Wisconsin and American vegetables. The interior plantings were Wampum flint corn, squashes including the heirloom variety Gete-Okosomin, Cornfield pumpkin, Moschata squash, Cranberry beans and Rattlesnake beans. Around the perimeter were amaranth, tomatoes, tomatillos, hot peppers, sweet peppers, lemongrass and collards.

Vegetables grown in the garden are primarily donated to the Bayview Foundation’s food pantry and other free food programs around town.

Off the beaten path

Madison greenhouses

For those looking for resources and inspiration to start their own gardens, the Madison area is home to many incredible greenhouses that make green-thumb shopping easy.

Fresh Dining Experiences

Farm-to-table is kicked up a notch at Four Winds Farms, an agricultural events center in Fitchburg. The beautifully modernized space hosts public events like Pizza on the Farm, agricultural-focused workshops, cooking classes and more, bringing you closer to your food than ever before.

You'll want to stay in touch with Taliesin, which hosts culinary Weekend Workshops on topics ranging from the art and science of chocolate-making to the wheat growing and milling techniques seasoned bakers use for bread-making.

Or try Frostwood Farms Kitchen, a dining experience rooted in the success of its St. Isidore Garden, which hires youth to work in the gardens at above minimum rates, growing food for people who need it most. 


Epic

The tech-giant medical software company Epic is not in itself a hidden gem; however, the gardens found on the property are unexpected to many who visit the campus. Epic is known for its larger-than-life Verona campus with themed buildings designed by theme park engineers, but the grounds of the campus are equally stunning and masterfully created by Epic's horticulture team.

You can make a reservation for self-guided tours of the campus from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Groups larger than seven are asked to visit on weekends.