Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Explore Ornamental and Native Plant Gardens

Meadowlark At a Glance

Visitor Center Hours:

November - March 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM Gardens close at 4:00 PM
April - October 10:00 AM- 6:30 PM Gardens close at 7:00 PM
*Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day
*(Does not apply to Winter Walk of Lights)

Fees: $3 for ages 6-17 & ages 55+, $6 for ages 18-54, and free for ages 5 & under

Address: 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, Vienna VA 22182

Portrait Photography Reservations: Two-hour photography sessions are available for $50 + the cost of admission for each guest. Admission fees paid upon arrival to the Gardens. Photography reservations are necessary when the primary purpose of the visit is to take pictures of people at the Gardens. Book Here

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Photography Rules 2023

*Wedding and bridal photography are not able to be booked as Portrait Photography Reservations and incurs separate fees; please contact the Atrium at atrium@nvrpa.org for wedding and bridal photography information and fees.

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Opening Hours

The Gardens are operating on normal business hours (see chart below). Follow us on social media to receive updates regarding special early opening and late closings.

Visitor Center Hours

November-March	10:00 AM - 3:30 PM Gardens close at 4:00 PM
April-October	10:00 AM- 6:30 PM Gardens close at 7:00 PM

*Gardens Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Gardens may close during the day when ice or snow covers the paths.

Fees

Daytime Garden Entrance fees
	Fee
Admission Fees Ages 5 and under Age 6 - 17 Age 18 - 54 Age 55 and over	Free $3.00 $6.00 $3.00
Portrait Photography Session Fee 2 Hour Photography Session Late Return Fee Reservations must be made in advance for all photography that uses the Gardens as a backdrop. (All wedding and bridal photography is not included and is handled exclusively through the Atrium. Please review all portrait photography rules and booking information.) Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Photography Rules 2023	$50 $50 Book Now
Group Visit The Group Rate is available Monday-Friday only, for groups of 20+ people, and must be reserved in advance. Ages 18-54 Ages 6-17 and Ages 55+ Group Rate Inquiries must be submitted 3 weeks in advance for tours, scout groups, or field trips lead by Meadowlark staff. Self-guided requests must be submitted 1 week in advance from the date of the visit. Please complete the Group Rate Inquiry below to schedule your visit. Group Application Form	$4.00 $1.50

Garden Memberships*

Annual Individual Membership (Includes unlimited daytime admission for one member and one guest; digital newsletter, 10% gift shop discount, discounted Winter Walk of Lights tickets, member-only late closing dates)	$35.00
Annual Family Membership (Includes unlimited daytime admission for two members, two guests and all family members ages 18 and younger; digital newsletter, 10% gift shop discount, discounted Winter Walk of Lights tickets, member-only late closing dates)	$50.00
Conservation Membership (Includes unlimited daytime admission for two members, two guests and all family members ages 18 and younger, digital newsletter, 10% gift shop discount, discounted Winter Walk of Lights tickets, member-only late closing dates, *lapel pin and window decal. Membership is valid for two years from date of purchase)*	$100.00
White Oak Supporter (Includes unlimited daytime admission for two members, two guests and all family members ages 18 and younger, digital newsletter, 10% gift shop discount, discounted Winter Walk of Lights tickets, member-only late closing dates, lapel pin and window decal. Membership is valid for five years from date of purchase.)	$500.00

*Meadowlark Botanical Gardens does not offer reciprocal admission with other gardens. National Park or State Park passes are not honored at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens as we are not affiliated with these organizations.

Purchase Garden Memberships

GARDEN INFORMATION

Garden Etiquette
Bikes scooters, skates, skateboards, outdoor toys, or balls are not permitted inside the fenced Garden property. Fishing, swimming, or disturbance of garden beds is not permitted at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Please do not disturb or feed the wildlife found throughout the Gardens.

Pets are not permitted within the fenced portion of the Garden. Dogs are welcome on the Perimeter trail that can be found outside of the Garden’s fence (marker number 15 on the map below).

Outside food or drink is not permitted within the gated Garden grounds.

Meadowlark’s picnic area is located outside of the fenced Garden property adjacent to the Lilac Pavilion. The picnic area is available on a first come first served basis, where group gatherings of more than 10 people are not permitted. Open flames, grills, or pop-up tents are not permitted on Garden property. Gatherings of more than 10 people must make a pre-arranged reservation with the Atrium for one of the available rental spaces. Please contact the Atrium at 703-255-3631 or email the atrium@nvrpa.org for all rental inquiries.

Visitor Center
All guests must enter and exit the Gardens through the Visitor Center where the gift shop and primary restrooms are located. The gift shop features local artisan goods, surplus plants from the garden, and much more! Additional restrooms are located next to the log cabin near marker number 25. Two wheelchairs are available for Garden guests to use for free on a first come, first served basis.

The Visitor Center no longer has paper maps available onsite. Please download the map below prior to your visit or scan our convenient QR code of the Garden map upon your arrival. Our digital map depicts paved walking trails marked by solid black lines while mulched trails are dotted lines. There are 3.5 miles of paved walking trails and 1.25 miles of mulched trails. An ADA accessible trail is designated on the map with a thick white line leading from the Visitor Center to the Lake Caroline Gazebo.

Horticulture Team
Our expert Horticulturists have a keen eye for what should be done seasonally from pruning, planting, to seeding, they work throughout the Gardens to keep them beautiful. Horticulturists offer workshops and talks throughout the year. Please check the Events tab located at the top of the page for all upcoming events.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens uses an integrated approach to deal with pests of all sorts; relying heavily on manual weeding and wiping away insects. We focus on cultural controls such as making sure the right plant is in the right place and when we must spray, we save it as a last resort.

We are working towards labeling all our plant collections at the Gardens. Since our collections are constantly changing with additions, divisions, and subtractions, plant labeling is always a work in progress. For assistance identifying a plant, take several pictures and email them and your inquiry to horticulture@nvrpa.org . What’s in bloom changes frequently throughout the seasons. Check our Facebook and Instagram for more information or ask the Front Desk staff upon your arrival.

The Volgenau Conservatory holds our Mediterranean collection and will be open for limited educational opportunities. In the wintertime, tropical plants not housed in the Volgenau Conservatory are dug up and overwintered in our greenhouse facilities.

Donations
Guests’ generous support is always appreciated and welcomed. To donate directly to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens please click here. The donation of benches and/or trees in memory of loved ones is currently on hold and we are not accepting these donations at this time. Physical donations may be accepted and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is unable to accept wildlife.

For all donation questions or questions regarding location of a memorial bench, please contact meadowlark@nvrpa.org.