Self-Guided Tours and Family Activities
This photo courtesy of Janet Maloy
Use the activities in our Walk About – Talk About to tailor a field trip to your family’s needs! You can plan an hour or an entire day.
Please help control graffiti by asking your group to use pencils and refrain from marking on the Boardwalk and elsewhere.
Build your own tour of the Botanic Garden! Download garden tours and create a personalized Walk About-Talk About for your class. Each tour has a lesson for interpreting that area. Use the map to choose the gardens and plan your route. First, download the Walk About Talk About Introduction. Second, review at the garden topics and the map, and plan your route. You can spend an hour, or all day. Remember the Garden is 110 acres, so avoid crisscrossing the grounds. Third, download the pages you need.
Texas Native Forest Boardwalk
Texas Native Forest Boardwalk connects the north and south areas, and the 995-foot boardwalk winds through the woods with thirteen interactive educational stations addressing forest ecology with graphic-enhanced story panels. A child’s physical fitness challenge trail creates a must-do experience for any visit to the Botanic Garden.
Docent-guided tours in the Japanese Garden. (Fee Required)
Docent-guided tours are $4.00/students and $5.00/adults ($6.00 on weekends). One adult chaperone per five students is required. Chaperones are in addition to garden staff and cannot include adults with the responsibility of additional children. Reservations must be made three weeks in advance.
To book a docent-guided tour or for more information, contact bgedu@fortworthgov.org or call 817-871-7682.
Tropical Conservatory (Fee required)
Immerse your class right into the rainforest with a trip to the Conservatory. See bananas, papayas, coffee, and coconuts right on the tree! Everyone loves the Cacao, source of the world’s favorite food—chocolate! Tree-dwelling cactus and insect-eating pitcher plants stir the imagination, while orchids and wild ginger fill the air with spectacular perfumes. All this under a canopy of lush trees dripping with vines and amazing aerial roots! You just have to see it! Self-guided tour maps available, but you will see and experience a lot more with a docent-guided tour. (Did we mention the elephant yet?) $0.50/ students 12 years and under and $1.00/adult.
Japanese Garden(Fee required)
Japanese Garden
You will not believe the world that awaits you in the Japanese Garden. Over seven acres of serpentine paths, dramatic views, hidden secrets, and meticulously manicured plants. Younger students will enjoy the ever-changing scenery, waterfalls, and lush foliage; older students appreciate the craftsmanship, beauty, and design vision. Everyone loves the koi! Thousands of Imperial Carp (koi) create an ever-changing palette of color in the ponds. A spectacular outing! Self-guided tours are perfect for garden strolls, nature appreciation, and studying landscaping styles. To book a paid docent-guided tour of the Japanese Garden, or for more information, contact bgedu@fortworthgov.org or call 817-871-7682.
Butterflies in the Garden
Butterflies in the Garden is a live exotic butterfly exhibit in the Conservatory coming in March 2012. Tickets are available online on at the door: $10.00/ adult, $8.00/ senior (65+) and $6.00/child (3-12 years). School group discounts are available ($5.00/person) for weekday mornings and must be booked in advance at www.brit.org.
