My family and I have been big fans of Huntsville Botanical Gardens for years. For starters, our Botanical Gardens are so much more than just a garden to walk through. They host some of the best events and activities in the area and are indeed a community gem. From the annual holiday fun at Galaxy of lights featuring thousands of lights, fresh blooms, and bright colors of spring to summers filled with splashing fun and new exhibits. The Botanical Gardens is a great place to make memories every season.
We’re particularly excited about spending time in the children’s garden during the summer months, so it was an easy decision to spend a day exploring the newest exhibit, Uncaged, before ending in our favorite section for some water fun.
Uncaged: Birds, Nature & Your
Uncaged is an interactive exhibit featuring seven different bird structures scattered throughout the garden. Each piece is designed by local artists or architects and accompanied by facts and a prompt to help further enjoy the exhibit.
We loved that the exhibit almost takes you around the entire garden and acts as a scavenger hunt of sorts. As a family with a hard time pulling the kids away from the children’s garden, it was nice to see them excited about exploring other areas and eager to find each structure.
It was also a lot of fun watching them enjoy going through the prompts at each site and light up when making it to the one titled “Twigs, Twine, and Cuckoo Clock Time.” Constructed with local and recycled materials, you’ll have a hard time pulling yourself away. This was by far our favorite, and we spent at least 30 minutes pulling, pushing, and playing here. While all exhibits are photo-worthy, the cuckoo clock is definitely going to be Instagram famous!
Whether you love birds, nature, art, or all, Uncaged is the place to be this summer. My boys had so much fun and are already asking to go back and see it again. I foresee many more trips in the future, and this is one ask I can get on board with. Best of all, it’s included with regular admission, so no extra expenses; this is great for those that are members.
Tweetsville
While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the first phase of Tweetsville. “Tweetsville is a new immersive experience in the Children’s Garden that explores the role that birds play in our ecosystem.” It’s a wonderfully planned and thought-out space helping to engage and craft the next generation of birders. Here kids and parents can learn and observe birds local to the area under the comfort of an enclosed structure, complete with fans and benches. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a day spent looking for bird structures.
Uncaged is open daily and on display now until October 31st.
On the fence about whether you should visit? Check out a glimpse from our visit!
Botanical Gardens Hours
Monday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 9. a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9. a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission
Members: Free
Kids 3-17 $9 (2 and under free)
Adults $14
