Allen Centennial Gardens

Charming little area for a walk, or to sit down with a book. Parking garage nearby. Saw some plants and flowers I'd never seen before. It's small but beautiful. Not very busy so you don't feel rushed out at all.

Very nice small free Botanical gardens and a respite on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. Beautiful gardens are separated by climate or soil, like a dwarf confier area, succulents, hostas, a koi pond and Japanese bridge, a fruit and veggie garden.

On a beautiful Saturday in early May, people were getting ready to gather for a wedding- nice place for a little ceremony! (I hear this is common).

As a UW alumnus, I don't recall ever coming here as a student, or being aware the gardens were here. This was a great jumping off point for a hike to Picnic Point. Visit the Allen Centennial Gardens!

I attended a work wellness event at the Allen Centennial Gardens. What a fantastic resource on the UW-Madison campus that is free to everyone who wants to learn more about this garden and plants in general. I have been to this cute garden a hand full of times in the past, but have never taken a formal tour of it. I'm so glad that I took a tour!

In the ~45 minute tour, I learned so much about plants, general landscaping designs, our changing environment, agriculture in Wisconsin, bees and the beautiful historic home on the garden grounds.

The gardens are absolutely free to the public and also can be rented out for events (ie weddings, photo opportunities, etc). They also host quite a few events during the year also. They have a really nice website where their events (most are free) are posted.

The historic home is under construction currently and is not open for viewing. It sounds as though the home will be closed for an undetermined amount of time still. Once finished, it will host environmentally friendly campus organizations.

They have quite a few different gardens to walk through or sit in to enjoy a little longer. The walkways are paved and easy to maneuver through. There's lots of seating throughout to enjoy the gardens. I love the water features and their relaxing sounds. The koi pond was probably my favorite spot. They were anxiously awaiting us to drop some food into the water and would follow us as we circumnavigated around the waters edge.

This free garden on the University of Wisconsin campus is a hidden treasure. It is not only beautiful but educational. I'm sure most students don't appreciate it - I know I didn't when I was here. The wide variety of plants and garden types in such a small space is a credit to the creators and those who maintain these grounds. Thank you!

Whoa! Where did you come from beautiful gardens?? I was trying to get to the bike path to picnic point and found the gardens! I managed to miss the big sign out front where it says bikes are not allowed in and strolled my bike through. Ooops. There is bike parking across the street from what the sign says.

Anyways, very beautiful. It would be a great place to walk through, bring a book or coffee and relax. Not as big as Olbrich but there is still plenty to look at. I do not know a ton about flowers but there is a wide range of colors, type, smells...the list can go on! My favorite part was the water feature with the bridge.

This place runs off of donations so the fee is technically free. It is a great addition to your walk along the lake or a good stop after being on State Street.

I wish I had come here during the spring/summer, but I first discovered this place in the fall and so there weren't any flowering plants at the time. Despite that, though, Allen Centennial Gardens still has some cool things to see, including the koi pond and Czech rock garden. It's a bit on the smaller side since it's located on campus, but it's definitely worth the trip at least once I'd say. This place also seems like it'd be a great place to study, read, or just generally relax in the shade since there are multiple seating areas located throughout the garden. I hope to come here again when winter is over!

Wow. This place in mid-May is just about the most gorgeous thing in Madison. There are flowers and plants that you never knew existed in the Midwest. The coy fish are super cute--they flocked to us as we stood on the footbridge. Maybe they were expecting food?

This garden is a must see. Soon, the building on-site will be turned into a student center, so the lot will probably be much busier once that happens. Visit now while the blooms are full!

Luminous this past weekend, Friday, February 19, and Saturday February 20th was a
Beautiful winter night walk...artistic luminaries in the garden, a bonfire and hot chocolate to boot! Can't wait to check this out in the summer.

Allen Centennial Gardens sits on the corner of Babcock Road and Observatory Drive. Surrounding a Victorian mansion that sits on the National Register of Historic Places, this 2.5 acre Shangri la is one of my favorite Madison attractions. The gardener in me appreciates the 21 individually themed gardens and thousands of different perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees that grace the gardens. I've learned a great deal about incorporating texture, color, sound and focal points into my own garden designs from my many visits to ACS. I also enjoy how the garden is constantly evolving; it changes from day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year. I see something new each time I visit.

The non-gardener in me appreciates the peaceful setting where I can meditate with little or no distractions. It also is where my wife and I were married on a perfect September afternoon many years ago. That alone is grounds for a five star rating.

Wow, this I would have to say is a definite step up from Reiman Garden at Iowa State University. Parking is a bit annoying since only parking meter for 25 minutes at 65 cents. Today is Labor Day and still nothing on the meter saying about holidays (just effective M-F). Well, UW-Madison I supported you with my girlfriend who contributed 25 cents. Still, I am pretty surprised that you guys care enough to weed and add plenty of things to see like a trickling brook into a large pond of koi fish. Plus, the back has an edible garden which is donated to less-fortunate. Overall, I was amazed for a free garden.