What says romance better than a dozen roses? How about thousands of roses, along with lilies, tulips, philodendrons, and every other flower you can imagine.
You don’t have to spend a fortune at the florist to please your valentine. Your budding romance can bloom by spending the day in one of the Most Romantic Gardens in the U.S.
And if you’re planning a June or summer wedding, maybe one of these romantic gardens will be the perfect backdrop.
We’ve done the research to spotlight one romantic garden for each state (and Washington, D.C.), so you can be the master of your own date.
What makes for a garden romantic? These aren’t the biggest or most popular botanical gardens in the country. The most romantic gardens have lush greenery, intimate settings, and picture-perfect backdrops for wedding photos.
How did we select the most romantic gardens across America? We scoured dozens of romantic gardens, visited many of them over the years, and we factored in reviews from Tripadvisor and Wedding Wire.
The end result: These gardens are definitely the most alluring ones to visit with your special someone.
Table of Contents
Most Romantic Gardens by Region
Northeast region (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C.)
- Connecticut: Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens
- Delaware: Winterthur Museum and Garden
- Maine: Hamilton House
- Massachusetts: Tower Hill Botanic Garden
- New Hampshire: Fuller Gardens
- New Jersey: The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
- New York: Shakespeare Garden
- Pennsylvania: Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
- Rhode Island: Green Animals Topiary Garden
- Vermont: Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
- Washington, D.C: U.S. Botanic Garden
Southeast region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)
- Alabama: Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Florida: Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
- Georgia: Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Kentucky: Whitehall House and Gardens
- Louisiana: Longue Vue House and Gardens
- Maryland: Ladew Topiary Gardens
- Mississippi: Rosalie Mansion and Gardens
- North Carolina: Sarah P. Duke Gardens
- South Carolina: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
- Tennessee: Parrot Mountain & Gardens
- Virginia: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
- West Virginia: West Virginia Botanic Garden
Midwest region (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
- Arkansas: Garvan Woodland Gardens
- Illinois: Chicago Botanic Garden
- Indiana: Wellfield Botanic Gardens
- Iowa: The Brenton Arboretum
- Kansas: Botanica Wichita
- Michigan: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
- Minnesota: Munsinger and Clemens Gardens
- Missouri: Botanical Garden
- Nebraska: Sunken Gardens
- North Dakota: International Peace Gardens
- Ohio: Holden Arboretum
- Oklahoma: Myriad Botanical Gardens
- South Dakota: Shakespeare Garden & Anne Hathaway Cottage
- Wisconsin: Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Western region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)
- Alaska: Alaska Botanical Garden
- Arizona: Desert Botanical Garden
- California: The Botanical Garden in Balboa Park
- Colorado: Denver Botanic Gardens
- Hawaii: Kula Botanical Garden
- Idaho: Sawtooth Botanical Garden
- Montana: DanWalt Gardens
- Nevada: Ethel M. Chocolates Cactus Garden
- New Mexico: Santa Fe Botanical Garden
- Oregon: Portland Japanese Garden
- Texas: Zilker Botanical Garden
- Utah: Red Butte Garden
- Washington: Heronswood Garden
- Wyoming: Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
3 Highlights of Romantic Gardens
The Most Romantic Gardens in the U.S. are:
Beautiful Outside and Indoors
Flowers need rain to blossom, but you and your best bud may not want to get soaked while taking in the atmosphere. Pennsylvania’s Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens and other gardens we chose have greenhouses to enjoy on those less-than-perfect days.
Mystical, Not Massive
Some of the most beguiling gardens are smaller and less popular. New Jersey’s Frelinghuysen Arboretum and many of the other gardens we chose offer a sense of intimacy for you and your beau. So once you’ve found a place you two can cherish, mums the word.
Picture Perfect
Whether you’re looking for a place to wed, propose, or for that first date, you want a setting that is a perfect backdrop for memorable photos. For example, New Hampshire’s Fullerton Gardens has flowers, trees, and privacy — all paramount for Instagram photos you two will want to share.
Main Photo Credit: Pexels
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