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Allen Centennial Garden
620 Babcock Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States
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De
Review №1

It is beautiful and calm with lush shades of green, pops of colored flowers, and a mesmerizing koi pond.

He
Review №2

This is a hidden gem on the UW campus. It’s a beautiful place to take a walk, sit on a bench, and relax. The flowers are stunning in spring, summer and fall. Entrance is free, but donations help maintain the beautiful landscape. I would definitely recommend for a cute date spot!

Do
Review №3

Celebrating 30 years June 2019, stunning gardens! Multiple styles in one setting to include container, rock, woodland, English - crazy variety of hostas along with a Koi pond, lovely shade trees and various spots to sit and enjoy.

Es
Review №4

Allen Centennial Garden is awesome! It shows a huge variety of plants from different environments.

An
Review №5

My husband and I were married at Allen Centennial in the English Gardens on 6/15/2019. It was such a fairytale!We had to pay to rent the arch and also paid a rental company to bring chairs and sound equipment, so those are not included in the rental price. But the ceremony was such a dream come true and our 200 guests loved it, so it was worth every penny!

71
Review №6

Nice Garden in all varieties Styles

Da
Review №7

Great UW-Madison landmark showcasing beauty and quiet.

An
Review №8

Really neat little garden and now they have wifi on the terrace so it can be an outdoor office.

Ka
Review №9

The nearest garden by my dorm (Turner hall, Kronshage drive) I love this place. I am usually going there when I have time. there have special events frequency that might make your day.

He
Review №10

Very pretty and peaceful, probably should have gone earlier in the year

Je
Review №11

Such a beautiful place.

pr
Review №12

Its Beautiful place to spend some time and relax

Lo
Review №13

Beautiful gardens well-maintained and a great place to rest and reset your soul

Ch
Review №14

Cool stop for a relaxing walk in nature while on campus.

Ru
Review №15

It is a beautiful garden! Clearly a lot of thought, care and creativity has gone into it. It is a wonderful place to relax and be with nature. One of my favorite WISC spots.

Gi
Review №16

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. Im so glad that I took a tour!

Jo
Review №17

A gem in the middle of campus.

Ru
Review №18

A wonderful oasis in the heart of campus

S
Review №19

Beautiful well manicured gardens. Available parking is a bit of an issue to enjoy but no different from other areas downtown or on campus.

Mi
Review №20

Beautiful, breathtaking garden. Small and easy to enjoy the splendor. We enjoyed a concert there, and among the sent of lush flowers.

Ku
Review №21

Beautiful place with an old historic looking house on the property. Beautiful koi in the pond with water and rock features all throughout the property. That may cost money to enter and view/ rent possibly?

Am
Review №22

Best time to go would be May. Right now in late March, there is not much of the gardens to see. However, the fishes, the quirky pebbles and the chirping of the birds is still a beautiful recluse.

Review №23

Feel peaceful here in the crowded university

Ma
Review №24

Free outdoor gardens on UW Madison campus. Pond with Koi fish. Nice variety of plants.

J
Review №25

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. Im 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. Theres 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.

Kn
Review №26

Nice place to visit if you have time 2 kill. Theres a bike path & campus there as well

Ga
Review №27

Very beautiful! I am not a big flower/plant person, but I can certainly appreciate beauty.Worth going to check out and walk through. Especially in the Summer.

Je
Review №28

Nice place to enjoy the flowers. There are many activities here, including some free wellness like perfume making.

Le
Review №29

Beautiful gardens... They do a great job!

GA
Review №30

Great architecture, great care to the plants inside and out.

Ne
Review №31

Poke stops, Beautiful plants, and colorful real fish in the pond! I love taking my 4 yr old here and playing pokemon with friends! Its also a hot spot for ex raid passes...I enjoy this gated hidden gem!

Ry
Review №32

Fun gardens to walk and explore or just chill in the shade on a hot day. Like a hidden Oasis on the north end of campus.

Je
Review №33

Absolutely beautiful! So glad we ran across this gem.

an
Review №34

Beautiful garden-wonderful place to take pictures, or just walk around and enjoy all the different types of plants and trees.

Za
Review №35

I never expected such a wonderful garden to exist on campus. It has one of the best collections (and well displayed collections) of alpine plants in its alpine rock garden that Ive seen outside of Scandinavia. Its a perfect sanctuary in the middle of campus and I just cant get over the quality of the garden. While its very small, it has much to offer and is always worth a walk around.

La
Review №36

Beautiful gem of a public park.

Ma
Review №37

Allen Centennial Gardens is located 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 slice of heaven 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. Ive learned a great deal about incorporating texture, color, sound and focal points into my own garden designs from my many visits to the gardens. 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.

Am
Review №38

If you need a little outdoors and relaxation.

St
Review №39

Nice place to stop and relax

Gr
Review №40

Entrance is free. I loved the writings on display because even without a guide you are able to appreciate a number of things. I visited at a point the deans house was under renovation so I did not get the chance to step in but the gardens were good enough and beautiful.

Da
Review №41

Beautiful space to relax in the middle of campus.

Ra
Review №42

The house was going thru restoration when there. The garden is small, but it is just gorgeous.

Na
Review №43

This is a beautiful mini Botanic garden on the University of Wisconsin campus.

pa
Review №44

Lovely setting and a great variety of plants. Interesting trees, shrubs, and perennials that do well in our climate zone. The garden has many varied hardscape and climate example plantings. The paths are well maintained and very aesthetically pleasing.Please take the garden for what it is and ignore the wedding peoples reviews.

La
Review №45

My favorite respite around the UW campus.

Ma
Review №46

Beautiful gardens, beautiful music, beautiful night!

Ka
Review №47

Beautiful Garden. Kids got some pictures taken here.

Ch
Review №48

Its beautiful and has so many photo opportunities! Great for Prom, Homecoming or wedding photos!

Ka
Review №49

Small but beautiful garden with many interesting varieties. Quiet, with a beautiful koi pond and places to sit.

Jo
Review №50

A good place to take pictures or relax between classes

Di
Review №51

Beautiful place

ra
Review №52

Its very beautiful

Wi
Review №53

Beautiful garden. Wonderful atmosphere. A great place to enjoy a wide variety of plant species, and an ideal place to relax within the hustle and bustle of campus.

Ha
Review №54

A beautiful place !

Da
Review №55

Beautiful and free! Whats not to love? Only downside is its smaller than I anticipated

Mi
Review №56

Great place to visit!

Lu
Review №57

Allen Centennial Garden is a classic public garden at UW-Madison. Great place to walk around and see the different types of gardens. Amazing in the Spring and Summer! Great place to take graduation photos

Ir
Review №58

Beautiful scenery in the middle of campus

Ma
Review №59

Beautiful little nook on campus

To
Review №60

I absolutely love this park. I enjoy playing pokemon with friebds, and bringing along my 4 yr old to see the beautiful plants, flowers, and different follege this place has to offer. It also has a very nice clean pond with colorful live fish swimming and a bridge to cross over!Also, it gas been an ex raid raid hotspot in pokemon offering 2 gyms and a few pokestops. Also, I lit is right on the bus line. Overall I adore this spot and visit often!

Ji
Review №61

Wonderful floral displays in a quiet setting on campus.

Ke
Review №62

The perfect get away on UW-Madison campus.

Lo
Review №63

This is a nice place to take a walk.

Ph
Review №64

This is a small (2 acre?) garden which has a spectacular selection of Asiatic Lilies. Happily many of these were in bloom when we visited at the start of July. The school of Koi was very impressive.The good parts of the garden were very good, but it was let down by some areas (and the lack of labelling on plants I was interested in!). Well worth a visit if you are in the area. You also get to see how *big* UW-Madison is.

Ga
Review №65

Beautiful well kept.

Sh
Review №66

It was a nice morning walk with my youngest.

Je
Review №67

Worth a visit, whether youre a student or not. A good place to bring friends. Free!!

Ba
Review №68

Stunning, creative, so artistic, love the textures from plant to plant and rock to bark.

Ja
Review №69

Scenic. Soothing atmosphere.

Am
Review №70

My husband and I are hosta and succulent lovers.... we absolutely loved our visit to this garden! So many hostas and so many hen and chicks!

De
Review №71

Great place for Mothers Day visit.

ok
Review №72

Beautiful, free, and open 365 days of the year! Calm relief to stressful day with just a ten minute stroll through! Believe It! I love it!

I.
Review №73

Beautiful spot. No charge for admission.

Sa
Review №74

Beautiful place for a walk. Lots of flowers blooming all the time. Would reccomend

Br
Review №75

Pretty setting for a wedding but the event staff are not helpful. I stopped taking them seriously when they said they have never received negative feedback. Save yourself the hassle, hold your ceremony somewhere else and just stop in for pictures.

Jo
Review №76

Fantastic area for seeing nature in the heart of the city

Jo
Review №77

Small garden. They have a lot packed into the tiny space though. Its a nice place to get away while still being in the middle of campus.

Kr
Review №78

A stunning respite of natural space tucked among the lakeshore buildings of the UW-Madison campus. Its easy to access and I highly recommend the stop.

Pa
Review №79

Small but underrated. Bird lovers can catch a glimpse of at least 3 species on a sunny day.

El
Review №80

Beautiful!

Je
Review №81

Beautiful gardens and walking paths.

Ro
Review №82

A small green space in the gloomy campus environment

Gl
Review №83

It was very pleasant. It was larger than I imagined and felt like being in the backyard of a mansion.

Ju
Review №84

An amazing place to take a nice stroll.

Ba
Review №85

Its a beautiful place!

Gr
Review №86

Nice flowers, worth walking through if in the area

Ka
Review №87

Beautiful

Am
Review №88

Nice little spot on campus

th
Review №89

Beautiful garden in the middle of Campus

Ro
Review №90

Nice

My
Review №91

Beautiful!

Bo
Review №92

Nice garden

Co
Review №93

Beautiful!!!

Sa
Review №94

Beautiful

Ba
Review №95

Wonderful

Ad
Review №96

Calm place

Su
Review №97

A beautiful spot for a wedding. :-)

Br
Review №98

Beautiful!

Ch
Review №99

Very great place :)

Information
100 Photos
99 Comments
4.8 Rating
  • Address:620 Babcock Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States
  • Site:https://allencentennialgarden.org/
  • Phone:+1 608-576-2501
Categories
  • Tourist attraction
  • Garden
Working hours
  • Monday:8–10am
  • Tuesday:1–3pm
  • Wednesday:8–10am
  • Thursday:8–10am
  • Friday:Closed
  • Saturday:Closed
  • Sunday:1–3pm
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
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