Designing botanical gardens that appeal to kids is an art that has recently, well, blossomed. Whether set on single-acre plots, expansive formal estates, free-flowing meadows or in glass conservatories, many gardens now invite you to smell flowers, touch fuzzy leaves, feed fish and splash in fountains.

Spring is a great time to get reacquainted with the green outdoors, as tulips and azaleas provide the color you've craved all winter. At the Missouri Botanical Garden, your family will delight in a world that transports them back to the Victorian period--manicured gardens, statuesque sculptures and pristine views.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN:
Open since 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a formal 79-acre garden with an aura that can only be provided by a century of care. We admired sculptures, compared lily scents, climbed a tower overlooking a Victorian maze, and giggled at giant koi fish begging for food in the Japanese Garden. In the 8,000-square-foot Climatron geodesic-domed greenhouse, a mechanical "talking orchid" will sip water from your hands. Admission is $3 for county residents ($7 for nonresidents) ages 13 and up, and free for ages 12 and under. Call 800-642-8842.



Joan Huyser-Honig is a freelance writer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.