The WOW Children’s Garden offers opportunities for discovery and exploration for learners of all ages! Trek across the globe in our world-themed splash fountains and Passport Gardens, climb Discovery Peak to see, smell, and touch edible plants, and take a nature walk through our Plant Safari habitat gardens. Daily activities include discovery stations, scavenger hunts, crafts, and story times.
For our youth and family programs, rentals, and group tours, click on the following links:
WOW Children’s Garden Hours:
Summer Hours: April 1 – October 15 | 9:30AM-6:30PM
WOW Splash Fountains: April 8 – Late September | 9:30AM-6PM
Winter Hours: October 16 – March 31 | 9:30AM-4:30PM
WOW Children’s Garden Guidelines:
- The WOW Children’s Garden is a “risky play” adventure garden with animal habitat areas to observe, off the path spaces to explore, and other obstacles that allow children to assess risk in a natural setting.
- It is recommended children under 14 years old be supervised by an adult chaperone at all times.
- Bicycles, tricycles, and scooters are not permitted in WOW.
- WOW is a smoke-free and alcohol-free area.
- Follow the “golden rule” of nature: Leave everything as you found it.
- Do not feed or attempt to handle wildlife.
WOW Splash Fountain Guidelines:
- Appropriate clothing/swimwear is required. Children who are not toilet-trained must wear swim diapers. All diapers, including swim diapers, must be covered with another article of clothing.
- Persons who have skin ruptures, abrasions, sore or infected eyes, nasal or ear discharge, a cold, or any other communicable disease are not permitted to enter the splash fountains.
- Spitting or spouting water, blowing the nose, urinating, and defecating are prohibited in the splash fountain area. Restrooms are located in the WOW building.
- The splash fountains close during inclement weather and may be turned off due to extremely inclement weather.
- Fountains may close for periodic maintenance. Check with WOW Staff for updates.
Visit the WOW Children's Garden
Splash your way around the world! Practice your geography as you explore the oceans, continents, and other notable landmarks on Earth. Don’t forget to also visit our Spitting Frog Fountains and the Rainbow Fountain!
For more information on the WOW Splash Fountains, review the WOW Splash Fountain Guidelines.
Explore different biomes from around the world and learn about some of the plants found in each environment. Here’s where the trip around the world will take you:
- American Woodlands (Deciduous Forest)
- Russian Taiga (Coniferous Forest)
- South American Rainforest (Tropical Forest)
- African Savanna (Grassland)
- Australian Outback (Desert)
- Mediterranean Chaparral (Scrubland)
Visit Discovery Peak to get a “world tour” of edible and commercial crops grouped by their continent of origin! This is a great place to see how cotton and bananas grow, where grapes come from, what different fruit and vegetable flowers looks like, and to pick up some tips and tricks for gardening at home.
This is a great place to dig, climb, and explore. Learn about bugs, plant seeds, and play in the dirt! The barn and farmhouse are a great place to also encourage your little ones to practice their imaginative free play and reading from our WOW library.
Tell time with your body
on a sundial, mark birthdays on a colossal calendar, and follow a trail through nearly an acre of wetlands, forests, grassland, and desert areas.
- Frog Bog. Here you’ll find wetland plants and aquatic life such as frogs, turtles, snakes, and fish who call this area home. Can you pull your way across the bog on our floating bridge?
- Grain Plain. Walk through winding paths of long grasses and look for seasonal vegetables and flowers.
- Whichway Woods. Stop by the Log Cabin to relax in our shady woods, and then explore the diverse ecosystem living inside a rotting log.
- Prickly Pear Lair. See plants found in the American Southwest and learn how animals and plants adapt to the survive in a desert environment.
