Contact: Heather Fitzpatrick, Group and Corporate Sales Coordinator
Address: 6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, Virginia 23518
Telephone: (757) 441-5830 ext. 318 Fax: (757) 441-5837
E-mail: grouptours@nbgs.org
Norfolk Botanical Garden, a premier horticulture attraction located in the heart of the Hampton Roads, is just 15 minutes from Virginia Beach and 55 minutes from Williamsburg, Virginia. With gardening ranked as one of the nation’s most popular leisure time activities, your group will delight in a garden-inspired tour. The Garden represents an oasis of more than 30 distinctly themed gardens encompassing 155 breath-taking acres. Bordered on three sides by the picturesque beauty of Lake Whitehurst, Norfolk Botanical Garden offers tours by foot, tram and boat. The Garden brilliantly features some of the East Coast’s largest collections of azaleas, camellias, roses and rhododendrons.
Tour Operators
Create a package that includes a tour plus lunch at the Terrace Café.We offer 20-minute narrated tram tours highlighting the Garden’s 155 acres, 35-minute narrated boat tours through our canals and Lake Whitehurst, and 30-minute guided walking tours. For the annual light display, Garden of Lights, your group will enjoy an unparalleled experience as they ride our tram through 21/2 miles of twinkling lights.
Group Rates
$8.00 per person: Admission includes narrated tram tour highlighting the beauty of what’s in bloom that season.
Group Tours: Consist of 20 or more individuals in order to qualify for the group rate. Reservations are required and may be made by phone, fax or email. Motorcoach escorts and drivers are complimentary. A 10% deposit is required at the time of reservation. Payment by cash, check or credit card is due in full upon arrival.
Garden of Lights only –$125 per motor coach: Admission includes reserved tram through spectacular light display.
Garden Favorites
The Garden is beautiful in any season, but here are the “don’t miss” things to see:
- February: The Tropical Display House is filled with tropical beauties that delight the senses.
- March: Hundreds of blooming daffodils fill the Garden in early spring. Our camellia collection has been nationally recognized as one of the best in the United States.
- April: A signature collection of azaleas comes to life during April. Don’t miss the time when more than a quarter of a million blooming azaleas make the Garden a “must see.”
- May: The Garden boasts the most spectacular rose collection on the East Coast with more than 3,000 fragrant, colorful rosebushes creating a dramatic presence within the three-acre rose garden.
- June: The nationally recognized hydrangea collection is filled with blue, pink and even purple-flowering hydrangeas.
- July: Crepe myrtles are the signature tree for the City of Norfolk. The Garden holds one of the largest mature collections in the region.
- August: See nature blossom and take flight in the Butterfly Garden. Hundreds of colorful plants attract a wide variety of one of nature’s most delicate creatures.
- September / October: The Meadow and Natural Areas are beautiful with stunning seasonal colors, fall foliage and migratory birds.
- November / December: Experience the magic of the Garden on a 2 1/2 -mile tour through Garden of Lights – our annual light display featuring a million lights. Or, visit during the day and add the “Yuletide Ride” tram tour to your schedule. This narrated tram tour takes your group through the Garden at the peak of its winter beauty.
Garden Café
The Garden Café is the perfect choice for a bistro-style lunch. Guests can dine while enjoying the spectacular views from the terrace. Or, arrange a pre-ordered boxed lunch or dinner.
Garden Gift Shop
The Gift Shop features a wide array of unique gift items. Highlights include: pottery, specialty food items, unusual souvenirs plus gardening books.
Accessibility
Trams, garden pathways, picnic shelters, buildings and restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
Children’s Group Tours
Our education department has many specialized tours available for youth and children’s groups. Please visit our school programs page for more information.
Location
Norfolk Botanical Garden is located at 6700 Azalea Garden Road adjacent to the Norfolk International Airport. From Williamsburg, follow I-64 to Exit 279, turn left on Azalea Garden Road from Norview Avenue. From Virginia Beach, take I-264 to I-64 (Richmond) to Exit 279 B.Turn left on Azalea Garden Road from Norview Avenue. The Garden entrance is on the right. Drivers will receive instructions at the tollbooth. Free parking for motorcoaches is adjacent to Baker Hall Visitor Center.
Hours of Operation
Spring/Summer Hours (Begins April 1): 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fall/Winter Hours (Begins October 16): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Area Attractions
Enjoy all that Hampton Roads has to offer with its white sandy beaches, year-round waterfront festivals, nationally-acclaimed museums, and historical attractions. Combine your Garden visit with any of the following area attractions: Busch Gardens Europe, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, Chrysler Museum, Virginia Zoo or the Virginia Aquarium.