bellingrath gardens and home

This place is absolutely amazing and worth the $20 plus dollars to view the grounds and a tour of the Belligrath home. The home tour is especially interesting with many unique items displayed such as a ceramic collection from many European countries. Other items were purchased abroad. The history of the Belligrath family as a founding partner in the Coca-Cola Company is also interesting. The gardens are beautiful most times of the year and the grounds border a bay with a diverse environment of part brine and fresh water. During the summertime, I believe that a boat ride is available. -- A small restaurant with good food is also available.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is an amazingly enchanting graceful garden. We were so blessed to enjoy the garden this past Saturday from 1 pm - 4 pm, during a time when the garden was so peaceful. The gardens have an amazing ambiance, a earthly honest feel, a graceful garden. Our family went and my little girl and I enjoyed a quite walk just us among the tulips as everyone else raced ahead. We really enjoyed such a peaceful, quite, lovely time together. The history, the character, the unique details, and the amazing talented gardeners, including the very lovely and historical Mrs. Bellingrath herself make this beautiful location feel like home. Bellingrath Gardens should be a top ten on your "Alabama the Beautiful" List of Amazing Sights. Happy Trails. Alabama Trails Magazine ATM

We walked all over this property and it is lovely. Highly recommend. We were there in the winter so nothing was blooming, but it was still pretty!

Although we had researched this facility before visiting, my wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the quality and variation in the gardens. The grounds are very well kept, and the flowers are changed regularly with the seasons. We enjoyed the house tour and getting to know more about the Bellingraths' marriage and their positive impact on people and this area. We really enjoyed our visit and hope to return in the future.

We've been to Bellingrath several times and we're never disappointed. We went in December when the Christmas displays were up. Not many flowers were in bloom, but the staff did, as usual, an amazing job with the Christmas decorations. We've been through the house before, but every time we go we notice something different. This is a beautiful and relaxing stop on any trip.

Visiting in January, I wasn't sure how attractive the gardens would be. But the staff obviously plants and maintains the gardens to be beautiful year round. Camellias, glossy holly, and some flowering trees were lovely, and the layout of the gardens which were the pride of the Bellingraths is worth a visit by any gardener. The home and it's largely original furnishings provide a look into the 30s and 40s, and it has been meticulously maintained.

My husband and I visited Bellingrath Gardens back in September. The flowers were simply lovely, we had the the grounds pretty much to ourselves, there were only a few people there viewing the flowers, it was very quiet and I was able to take lots and lots of pictures!!! We did not go through the home of the Bellingraths because we had been through it before. But, if you have never been through the house it is well worth the money and time to tour the house.

I will agree it was not the best time weather wise to view the gardens bit at least the sun was out so I made the best of it. I enjoyed viewing the gardens and home

Living about an hour and a half away, and hearing of how great the lights were for the christmas display, we finally had the opportunity to go this December. I can say that you will not be disappointed in this event. The lights are set up in themes throughtout the walking tour of the grounds. Some are traditional Christmas themes, others are more light hearted and more in line with life along the Gulf Coast. We spent about 3 hours here taking our time and enjoying the lights, but I suppose that you could probably do the entire loop in about an hour and half. There is a cafe for refreshments, but to be honest, when we were there it was so crowded, that we decided to go elsewhere. All in all, it is a very good experience.

Beautiful place! The grounds are well kept, with gorgeous flowers and trees, as well as aquatic areas. The exhibits are lovely and the special programs are educational and fun. This year was my first "Holiday Lights" and it was fantastic. I wish they had a yearly membership.

We have been a couple times, but had not been there in 4 years. Wow...amazing lights in 2014. We went after the rush (December 30) and arrived as the gates opened. For us that is the best time to go. Less crowded and easier to maneuver with a stroller. We have also been to the Gardens in the late spring and it is just wonderful. Really a great family trip.

This was a wonderful surprise find. We were traveling through the city and planned our overnight here enroute to our destination. We visited the home during the day, had a light snack at the cafeteria and waited for it to get dark so we could see the full effect of the holiday lights. The gardens were aglow. We really enjoyed walking through a holiday light display instead of driving. We would visit this place again, especially in the spring to see all the flowers in bloom.

We have been visiting Bellingrath for close to ten years now. It is a beautiful place, well kept and constantly changing. It requires a lot of walking, so be prepared for that, but if you are up to it, it's worth the effort! There are several distinct areas within Bellingrath. The Rose Garden is always well maintained and consistently bursts with color from the many varieties of roses within. There is a large fountain in the middle that kids gravitate to as well. The Great Lawn is another pretty area. The lawn hosts a number of special events during the year which I'll mention later, but during an average day it's a great spot to throw a frisbee, fly a kite, or pitch the football around. The path beside it changes with the season is and is always bursting in with colors. In the fall, the flowers here often host a lot of butterflies.The area around the home is shady and marked by several pretty fountains. This area opens into the waterfront area bordering the Fowl River. There is a beautiful fountain by the water and several shady spots that are a great place to find relief on a hot day. There is a dock that used to be home to a boat that gave tours of the river (it is now gone). The dock is a great place to watch the boats go by, or to watch the pelicans fish when they are in the area. There is a boardwalk area that takes you out over some of the wetlands near the area. Signs explain the ecology of the area and, if you're lucky, you'll see fish or turtles or even a raccoon. The area around and north of the pond is usually not the best spot in the Gardens. However, when the azaleas are in bloom in the spring it's not to be missed.The Japanese Garden is the last major area. It is beautiful, with several traditional buildings and bridges accenting the natural beauty. The most popular season to visit is in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom. There are literally thousands throughout the grounds. Some years they bloom at different times which is nice. However, if you catch a year when they all bloom together, its spectacular. My favorite time to visit is when they have the Hanging Mum display in November. The hanging displays are incredible and are accented by hundreds of other planted mums. It is beautiful! My least favorite season to visit is summer. It's still pretty, but it can be unbearably hot, humid, and buggy at times. If you go in the summer, go early in the day. As I mentioned, Bellingrath hosts a number of special events each year. They host an Easter Egg roll/hunt on the Great Lawn in the spring which is always fun. In addition to the hunt, they have the Easter Bunny and lots of activities for the kids to do in the plaza around the home. Around Halloween, they host Balloon Glow where they have one or more hot air balloons on the Lawn at dusk and a lot of businesses passing out candy in the Gardens. This event has grown substantially over the years and had thousands of kids in attendance this year.The best event Bellingrath does is their Magic Christmas in Lights. The Gardens are decorated with thousands of lights. It runs from the day after Thanksgiving through New Years and is absolutely spectacular! This is also the time to tour the Home. The Home is impressive in it's own right, but when it's decorated for Christmas it goes to another level. The tour is guided and the guides have always been friendly and knowledgeable.Admission is about $12, plus an additional charge if you tour the Home. Our family has gotten an Annual Membership the past few years. It's a flat fee of $100 and gains you admission for a year, even to the special events. It's the way to go if you live locally! The cafe is a little pricey, though the food is almost always fresh and the portions large. It's not fancy, but it's usually good. It features mostly sandwiches, with some salads, soups, and occasional hot options. During special events, it can be crowded, but normally it's very open. Our kids love being able to run ahead or linger at spots they like. Outside of the special events, it's normally very relaxing and open.The staff in the cafe, gift shop, and admissions building are consistently friendly and knowledgeable. Bellingrath is a beautiful spot and if you're in the area and have a few hours, I highly recommend it! The website tells you about special events and even has some webcams that let you see what's in bloom! Don't miss it!

We visited on Christmas Eve, an hour before sunset . The gardens are beautiful and the lights they had out were amazing . Every where u turned u saw something special . Wish they had the pier open though . Didn't go inside the house as it wasn't disability accessible .

Bellingrath Gardens really knows how to put on a light display. A must see attraction for everyone. Wonderful family atmosphere and great place see.