Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Olbrich Botanical Gardens Explore 16 stunning acres of outdoor gardens and the indoor Bolz Conservatory, a tropical oasis with exotic plants, a waterfall, and free-flying birds.
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Explore 16 acres of outdoor gardens featuring stunning landscapes and Midwest-hardy plants. Visit the tropics year-round in the Bolz Conservatory and experience exotic plants, flowers, orchids, birds, and a waterfall. Concerts, classes for adults and families, flower shows, and events year-round. Outdoor Gardens are free and open daily. The Bolz Conservatory has an admission fee.

🦉 As summer fades away, unseen creatures call out to you from the darkness...Remaining tickets for this Saturday's GLEAM...
08/25/2026

🦉 As summer fades away, unseen creatures call out to you from the darkness...

Remaining tickets for this Saturday's GLEAM 2026 Opening Viewing can be purchased online at olbrichgleam.org.

While there will be many more chances to experience the exhibit in September & October, opening night offers the very first glimpse of this year's collection of 11 brand new illuminated installations, as well as roaming LED circus arts performances from Cirque du Cham and a chance to meet and chat with this year's featured artists.

📆: GLEAM viewings are held Wednesday - Saturday evenings from August 29 - October 24

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Supporter:
The Bradbury Family

Patrons:
JH Findorff
MGE Foundation
SVA, A Professional Services Company

Signature Media Sponsors:
Cricket Design Works
Shine United
Kingdom Filmworks

Community Collaborator:
Sector67

Know any orchid experts? 🌸 We currently have a rare opening for a Glasshouse Horticulturist on our Horticulture team.Thi...
08/22/2026

Know any orchid experts? 🌸 We currently have a rare opening for a Glasshouse Horticulturist on our Horticulture team.

This full-time, permanent position provides operational support for the Bolz Conservatory and greenhouses, oversees Olbrich's orchid collection, and plays an important role in program and exhibit development. This position also shares their horticulture expertise by serving as a resource to the public, answering general questions, leading classes and tours, as well as providing public access to the orchid collection.

The deadline to apply is August 30. Head to the comments to learn more and apply!

08/19/2026

Have you ever seen a water lily pad big enough for a herd of cows to stand on? 🐄

For the first time, Olbrich has joined the Waterlily Weigh-Off! Botanical gardens around the world compete in this virtual challenge to see how much weight their Victoria water lilies can hold.

Our submission this year is a whopping 19 cows (or 0.03 lbs 👀) on a pad of about 30 inches in diameter!

The lily pads of the Victoria water lily (Victoria amazonica) can grow to a size of 10 feet across and hold up to 150 lbs. We didn’t get there this year, but we are very proud of how much our young plant has grown. We’re coming for the trophy next year!

The water lilies at Olbrich are planted in large containers that are submerged in water. The plants are removed in fall when the pools are drained. We are very grateful to our incredible water lily volunteer, Matt, who cares for our collection year-round.

Thank you to Botanic Gardens of Sydney for inspiring this video and Denver Botanic Gardens for organizing our favorite event of the year. And a HUGE thank you to Matt for bringing a Victoria water lily into our collection!

Olbrich members! Enjoy a magical summer evening at our Member Mocktail Mixer on Friday, August 14, from 6–8 p.m. Your co...
08/14/2026

Olbrich members! Enjoy a magical summer evening at our Member Mocktail Mixer on Friday, August 14, from 6–8 p.m. Your complimentary mocktail will be crafted by Lauren Virnoche of Ecotone Herbs and the Herbiery Taproom, featuring ingredients harvested from Olbrich. Choose from three creative, garden-inspired drinks:

🍹 Ripe In Plain Sight: jammy berry with a balanced sweet-tart finish, featuring Cornelian dogwood & lemongrass

🍵 Tea Service In Panga: herbaceous, bright & refreshing, featuring fennel, nettle & wormwood

👩‍🎤 I’m Working Late, ’Cause I’m A Singer: decadent, earthy & spiced, featuring dandelion, false cardamom & linden

After you grab your drink of choice, go enjoy music in the Gardens! From 6:30–7:30 p.m., you’ll encounter surprise operatic performances by Fresco Opera, along with the immersive NeuroArts Sound Garden installation created in collaboration with Arts + Literature Laboratory.

Please RSVP using the link in the comments as this event has a capacity of 300 people.

Join us for a one-of-a-kind musical adventure at Opera at Olbrich featuring Fresco Opera on Friday, August 14, from 6:30...
08/13/2026

Join us for a one-of-a-kind musical adventure at Opera at Olbrich featuring Fresco Opera on Friday, August 14, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Wander the pathways with a drink from the bar and discover live operatic scenes performed in a variety of garden settings. While you’re here, experience an immersive Sound Garden by composer and NeuroArtist JG Everest, featuring multisensory art and sound installations in Olbrich’s Perennial Garden.

Free and open to the public! Registration is encouraged; use the link in the comments to sign up.

Wisconsin Insect Fest was a buzzing success! 🐛 Huge thanks to our partners at the UW-Madison Department of Entomology fo...
08/12/2026

Wisconsin Insect Fest was a buzzing success! 🐛 Huge thanks to our partners at the UW-Madison Department of Entomology for bringing this celebration of insects to Olbrich Gardens!

We welcomed 1,379 guests for an evening of interactive exhibits, expert presentations, guided walks, and a screening of The Extraordinary Caterpillar. The night wrapped up with a Moth BioBlitz, where 163 participants helped document 45 moth species across the Gardens.

Special thanks to KindThailand and Ara's Antojitos Authentic Mexican for serving up delicious food, including adventurous dishes featuring edible insects!

We're lucky to have world-renowned entomologists in our community and such rich insect diversity right here at Olbrich. Thank you to everyone who brought their knowledge, curiosity, and passion for biodiversity!

Attention, Little Free Library stewards! 📚 Olbrich is excited to offer a donation of a book and a native plant to our ar...
08/11/2026

Attention, Little Free Library stewards! 📚 Olbrich is excited to offer a donation of a book and a native plant to our area Little Free Libraries.

We have a limited availability of Olbrich-sown Lanceleaf coreopsis to plant around your library, as well as copies of the book Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel to add to your library's collection.

Books and plants are now available for pickup through August 16 in Olbrich’s lobby from 10 am – 6 pm daily while supplies last. If interested, please send an email to [email protected] to reserve your donation.

Join us Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, for the NeuroArts Festival & Sound Garden, a FREE two day multisensory ce...
08/11/2026

Join us Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, for the NeuroArts Festival & Sound Garden, a FREE two day multisensory celebration exploring the connections between nature, art, and community. Presented by the community curation project LAB⁴ at Arts + Literature Laboratory.

Experience a variety of immersive programs throughout Olbrich Gardens:

👂 Spatial Sound Garden
Friday, August 14 | 1–8 PM
Saturday, August 15 | 10 AM–6 PM
Explore the Perennial Garden as 35 distributed speakers create an immersive soundscape featuring a composition by JG Everest.

🎶 Opera at Olbrich
Friday, August 14 | 6:30–7:30 PM
Discover live operatic performances tucked throughout the Gardens with Fresco Opera.

🍹 Member Mocktail Mixer
Friday, August 14 | 6–8 PM
Olbrich members are invited to enjoy a complimentary garden inspired mocktail prepared by Lauren Virnoche from The Herbiery, featuring ingredients harvested from Olbrich.

📖 Community Workshops
Take part in hands on creative experiences, including poetry, spatial sound, and embodied weaving workshops led by local artists.

Admission is FREE, but advance registration is required for workshops, Member Mocktail Mixer, and Opera at Olbrich. Visit the link in the comments to learn more and register.

Don’t miss the final Olbrich After Hours of the summer!Join us Tuesday, August 11, for an unforgettable evening with Bra...
08/07/2026

Don’t miss the final Olbrich After Hours of the summer!

Join us Tuesday, August 11, for an unforgettable evening with Brandon Santini Music. Experience the explosive harmonica, commanding vocals, and powerhouse energy that have earned this seven-time Blues Music Award nominee national recognition.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. Reserve your tickets using the link in the comments below.

What's on deck?

• Are We Delicious? (6:30 PM): Arrive early for a one-of-a-kind performance by a fearless group of ensemble artists who write, create, and produce an original show in less than a week. A fast and fiercely creative work unlike any other.

• Go Green: Meet this week’s eco-partner, Wisconsin's Green Fire: Voices for Conservation, a group that supports conservation by promoting science-based management of natural resources. Be sure to stop by their booth under the oak tree just outside the lobby to learn how you can support conservation efforts.

• Local Eats & Sweet Treats: Come hungry. Enjoy Caribbean favorites from Rasta Barista, Mediterranean cuisine from Banzo, Filipino specialties from Halo Halo Foodcart, and Mexican fare from Gloria's Mexican Restaurant. Cool off afterward with a scoop from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. or a frozen treat from Frios Gourmet Pops.

Olbrich After Hours is made possible through the incredible generosity of our community.

Presenting Sponsors: The Bridging Nature & Art Endowment and the Olbrich Botanical Society Board of Directors
Audio Sponsor: Jenni & Kyle Foundation
Program Sponsor: Wealth Enhancement – The Tim O'Brien Team
Supporters: Audio for the Arts and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream

Address

3330 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI
53704

Telephone

+16082464550

Website

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