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The Arid House at Norfolk Botanical Garden is part of the new Garden of Tomorrow expansion. Housed inside the glass-covered Perry Conservation, the environment replicates dry climate conditions and features cacti, succulents, and other rare arid-climate plants shipped from regions like Arizona, California, and Florida.

The tropical house at Norfolk Botanical Garden is a massive, two-story rainforest environment housed inside the new 26,000-square-foot Perry Conservatory as part of the Garden of Tomorrow. Designed with a sky-high, climate-controlled glass structure featuring an elevated second-story catwalk for immersive viewing and is filled with lush tropical vegetation, including banana trees, philodendrons, and rare, endangered plant species from global tropical regions.

Both Youth Education and Adult Education staff members strive to offer new and innovative programs for all learners in our community who desire more in-depth programming: academic topics for elementary, middle, and high school students; adult programs for lifelong learners; and professional development opportunities for current and future educators. The new Brock Environmental Education Center (BEEC) is a combination classroom and learning lab that will be outfitted with new equipment and supplies that will expand the Garden’s capacity to engage community members in high-quality, science-based learning opportunities that will enrich their understanding of gardening, horticulture, the environment, and natural resources. The Brock Environmental Education Center and its accompanying outdoor space offer a dedicated location that meets the need for these enhanced experiential programs and prioritizes these educational initiatives that are essential to the Garden’s mission.

Explore the Perry Conservatory, where a tropical rainforest meets the deserts from around the globe, alongside stunning works of art by Dale Chihuly.

Driving into the Brock Parking Garden, you are immersed in a beautiful garden setting that leads you to the Brock Entry Pavilion where you will be greeted by our Visitor Services staff. Enjoy handcrafted beverages and food from The REEDS Bistro.

This garden is located on a peninsula of land at the north end of Norfolk Botanical Garden. The mature overstory of oak, hickory, and pine creates a wonderful secluded retreat for walkers, birdwatchers and nature lovers. The treasures of this garden can be enjoyed by strolling along on a paved trail or a woodland trail, which also offers scenic views of Lake Whitehurst.

The Flowering Arboretum fills 17.5 acres in the center of the Botanical Garden. In 1982, a section of Crapemyrtle trees was added to the original acreage. Today the arboretum contains 336 different flowering trees. Because it displays a wide variety of fragrant and colorful flowering trees, homeowners and horticultural students look to the Arboretum as an excellent reference.

This garden invites you to explore four historic plant communities indigenous to the southeast coastal plain of VA. Included in this garden is the R.W. Cross Nature Trail, which features a boardwalk that winds through a bottomland hardwood forest, a bald cypress /water tupelo swamp, an Atlantic white cedar swamp, and a longleaf pine stand.

Each community features an interpretive sign highlighting the featured plants and their importance to people and wildlife. The boardwalk also offers beautiful views of Lake Whitehurst and the wildlife that frequent its shores.

This garden also features native plants rescued from the wild due to the imminent destruction of their habitat.

In the 1970s Isaac Baker donated money to the Garden to create Baker Overlook, in honor of the place where he proposed to Sarah Lee Baker. They had had so much love for each other and the Garden!

Created with excavated soil from the canal, this peaceful spot offers visitors a view of the waterway and surrounding gardens from its two-tier deck and gazebo.

Relax under the shade of a mature oak tree overlooking broad sweeps of plants selected especially for their color and texture.