Naples Botanical Garden

"The Children's Garden alone is worth the drive"

My mom told me there was a nice children's section, so we headed south. I was suspicious since my son's admission was free- usually a heads-up that it's not really appropriate for his age. We stepped into the Children's Garden and it was Eden for kids!

Right at the entrance is a fountain at ground level, inviting kids to play in the water (swim diapers are required for young children and available for purchase in the gift shop). Beyond that was a grassy area, an amphitheatre for presentations, and (my son's favorite) a little "Cracker House" cottage, complete with Dutch door, windows, brooms, and Adirondack chairs on the porch. There were little fences around the cottage's garden which could be opened an closed. Wandering around I saw a display of raised beds with signs saying "Water any plants except these - these have plenty of water", which clued me in that free-range watering was welcomed. I saw a shed full of chameleon-shaped watering cans - and at the drinking fountain was a spigot where they could be filled. Someone put a lot of thought into that! There is also a gigantic enclosed screenhouse with plants and filled to the brim with butterflies! Also a "hidden garden" with a scavenger hunt to find the household items that had been repurposed into planters, etc.

Off to the other side of the fountain, there is a shaded"treehouse" where kids (and adults) can easily climb up into the house for an aerial view. The path meanders down where there is a waterfall you can walk under, shaded areas with sidewalk chalk, a sandbox, another tower to climb, and more paths to explore.

Just outside the children's garden we ate at the "cafe" (a trailer with a window). They had some nice sandwiches and salads. Not too many soft drink options (other than beer and wine, which was extensive). There were tables shaded with umbrellas or you could just sack out on the lawn. There were diaper changing stations inside the nearby rest rooms and paths leading to other gardens.

This was a truly excellent place for kids (and we didn't even see the other parts of the garden). My son still wants to back to "his little house" near the "butterfly garden".