Book a Girl Scout Troop visit to Norfolk Botanical Garden! Complete the requirements of a badge or patch of your choosing, then spend the rest of your time in the Garden exploring our 175-acre campus. To book a Girl Scout program, or for more information on options for your Scout or Troop, call (757) 441-5830 ext.463 or email youthed@nbgs.org.

Program times are available at any point during the week. Self-guided visits must be booked at least a week in advance, with guided visits require booking at least three weeks in advance of the intended visit date. All program rates include Garden admission. Girl Scouts will not be permitted to receive the group rate or program materials without a scheduled reservation. Scouts will be provided their work materials and a badge or patch upon check in. At that time, they will be able to explore the Garden, and complete the required activities. If a guided program is booked, a Youth Educator will lead the group on an approximately hour and a half tour.

Upcoming Events

Book an NBG outreach program for your Girl Scout Camp this summer! For more information on our outreach offerings, email us at youthed@nbgs.org.

Bridging Ceremony

Schedule your group to complete our Explore NBG Patch requirements, choose one of our many garden bridges for your Scouts to complete their bridging ceremony, then round out your event with a private rental in a WOW Children’s Garden classroom to celebrate!

Pricing for Full Bridging Ceremony Package: Pricing starts at $275 for up to 25 total attendants (includes Scouts, all adult attendants, and any sibling tag-alongs). Price includes Garden admission for all attendants, and a one-hour classroom rental in the WOW Children’s Garden. Pricing for the Explore NBG Patch self-guided activities is an additional $5/scout. Add up to 10 additional guests or Scouts to your rental (35 total attendants) for $75. Add an additional 30 minutes to your rental for $50.

Don’t want to include a classroom rental as part of your celebration? No problem! Girl Scout troops can book the guided or self-guided Explore NBG Patch program (patch included), then complete their bridging ceremony as part of the program requirements. 

Explore NBG Patch – Take Action Activities

While our Girl Scout Explore NBG Patch program must be completed “in house”, there are still program requirements that Scouts have to complete at home. Review the patch requirements HERE, and then review the list of Take Action activities below. At least one Take Action activity must be completed to earn the Explore NBG Patch, but we encourage Scouts to give them all a try! Once you are able to visit the Garden with your troop or as an individual, you can complete the remaining needed Discover and Connect requirements to earn the patch.

Take Action Activities:

  • Research jobs in wildlife or horticulture that can be found in Virginia (Wildlife Biologist, Gardener, Botanist, etc.). Choose your favorite career, and investigate the education and training needed to achieve this position.
  • Record the items that go into your family garbage can for one week. Record which items could be recycled (and then recycle them), or which items could be added to compost. After a week, separate the items into three lists, and discuss with your family ways to reduce the amount of trash created. Put a plan into action to reduce your impact on the environment.
  • Track how many steps you take in a day with a pedometer or Fitbit. Research the recommended number of steps per day for a healthy adult. Using the Norfolk Botanical Garden map, create a route that would satisfy this daily requirement.