Do not arrive late because there is something behind every shrubbery that you could never believe was there, ancient dwarf conifers, swings, tropical trees, bees, amazes, pools, giant fish, forests of giant prickly rhubarb and squeezy through bamboo, tunnels that get smaller and smaller till you have to crawl, and a decent cafe with gluten free and wheaty fodder too.
The perfect place for a stroll any time of year. Wonderful plants, trees and open spaces. Beautifully planted with so much of interest. Lots for children and adults to enjoy. Stunning views and lots of birdlife too. Don’t forget the restaurants also- excellent food. Often an exhibition too of local artists and craftspeople the best place to spend your time!
Love the place! Any season, any day, any weather!
Also, I’d like to congratulate you on the use of china cups, in your cafe, and “real” teaspoons, unlike the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew where plastic cups, lids, cutlery etc are used, not only in takeaway outlets, but their indoor cafes as well.
So very well done Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum!!! #saynotoplastic
Hilliers is a perfect place to take the kids. It's an excellent day out for all. There is so much to do. The annual pass is amazing value.
I only found out about this place last year and since then i have been a few times. Yesterdays visit i paid for a years membership. Its a lovely place to spend a day and i always enjoy looking at "art in the garden"♡
Came here on Sunday this place never let's me down everytime I visit it changes in some way or another.
A lovely day spent researching plants for a gardening course. Very friendly reception staff, a map & seasonal plant interest information so helpful.
A beautiful garden, will visit again soon.Membership so reasonably priced especially with being able to use it at other partner gardens.
Beautiful gardens! Used to be a volunteer but now just another visitor! Well worth getting membership. Gets you into Kew, and botanical gardens in Wales and Birmingham. 😃
Had a wonderful few hours at the arboretum. Arrived in the fog and left in warm sunshine. Autumn is so magical and Hilliers' didn't let me down. All staff very helpful and they have the best carrot cake too.
Another fabulous day out at Hilliers. Beautiful weather, picnic, fabulous gardens, art gallery, art in the garden, fun, laughter and pond dipping! Catered for everyone. Kids had a blast! Thank you!
Robert Pauline Shea-Simonds
+5
A wonderful first visit yesterday..... all staff so very friendly....tasty good value lunch in the restaurant......so much to see and admire on our 3 hour walk round....will come again as the seasons change
Absolutely stunning, my teenage son and I felt so relaxed laying on our picnic rug amongst the magnolias...
Blossom was in abundance and so beautiful.
We also enjoyed exploring the far east section...
I have never seen such a beautifully laid out garden centre with such a variety of healthy plants...a magical experience...
A great day out loads to see and explore even our 5 year old found loads to do, especially the treehouse and swing areas but loved exploring the rest of the gardens too. Well worth a visit we will definitely go again
Christmas Light Up in December 2022 was an amazing evening, our first visit to the garden and this was so much better than we expected. Everything was well organised including a very good selection of places to eat and drink half way round. The gardens looked so good lit up, we were mesmerized by the lights and music over the water, we spent so much time at this part. We'll go back again this year, even though we're not that local. Highly recommended for anyone planning to visit.
The gardens are extensive and you can easily spend a day taking it all in. The site map leads you to approx areas, leaving you to work out your exact location. Plenty of champion, original collection, newly planted and magnificent trees here, as well as the various borders. This weekend, the colour was in the long border and the hydrangea walks, but our favourite areas were at the estate edges, where plant names required investigation. We enjoyed the unexpected pigs too.
I'm not a botanist, nor do I have a green thumb, but I greatly enjoyed the Gardens and the variety of trees and other plants from all over the world. If you're only there for a little while, take the trolley to see many trails in just a few minutes. The canteen had excellent chicken and bacon pie, and we even had a visitor at the table!
A real gem of a garden to visit - so many paths to explore the wonderful trees & plants. Will definitely return - possibly in the spring to enjoy a whole new experience.
I went along on as a parent helper on a school trip to the gardens and they far exceeded my expectations! They were very well organised and child focused. They had well planned, interesting activities for the children. The children learned a lot (and so did we, the parents!) and were engaged the whole time. I am looking forward to returning sometime to explore the bits we didn't see. I really recommend this place for a school trip for a wide range of year groups!
What an incredible place to visit, I love the history behind the gardens and how amazingly beautiful it is.
The coffee shop is a lovely spot to refuel yourselves.
Another nice little surprise was the resident cat that was super friendly. Me and my family have only been twice but have both now become annual members.
Stunning gardens, plenty of seats spread around the site. Nice places to eat and lots of restrooms. They have manual wheelchairs and electric scooters that can be borrowed & hired, best to book in advance. Stout footwear highly recommended.
A really enjoyable walk through well maintained botanical gardens with a huge variety of tree and plant life. The free guide map was a little vague in places with some secondary paths not clearly marked. The yearly ticket option makes sense if you intend visiting more than once or twice, £42 for a full year per person with 3 free entries for a guest.
Beautiful garden to visit. Such a variety of gardens to walk through, lots of things to see and things for children to do. Nice cafe restaurant too.
I worked for Light Up last year and absolutely loved it. When I finished my shift I couldn't WAIT to go and see the lights. What an amazing family to be apart of. Can't wait for this year!!
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