Botanica’s Children’s Garden turns 10, and the party includes free admission

Botanica is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Downing Children’s Garden — which not only changed the attraction’s landscape but also the demographics of its visitors — with a rare free event.

Botanica, 701 N. Amidon, will be open to the public for free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, for the Children’s Garden celebration. While Botanica offers discounted admission at various times, including a current Thursday night special, it rarely offers free admission, noted Kathy Spillman, director of special events.

“This is my 10th year here and we’ve never done a free event in that time,” said Spillman. Botanica first opened 34 years ago in 1987.

To get ready for the anniversary celebration, the caterpillar in the garden’s reading nook was redone by local artist Whitney Maloney and spider pod swings were installed just this week by artist Connie Ernatt. Both artists have several other featured works at Botanica. Maloney has painted murals inside the carousel pavilion and inside a cottage next to the Cox Butterfly House, for example, while Ernatt created the giant sleeping troll sculpture for the new Koch Carousel Gardens.

When the Downing Children’s Garden opened 10 years ago, it incorporated nearly 30 functional pieces created by local artists. The creative and whimsical pieces provide fun, interactive activities for the tiny visitors the garden is meant to appeal to. Other features in the garden include a rainbow-colored trail, a music maze, an Enchanted Glen, a polliwog pond, a sunflower fountain, a giant treehouse that’s surrounded by whimsical trees with faces, a salamander spring and stream, and an amphitheater for presentations.

Saturday’s celebration is also a good opportunity to see Botanica’s Big Bugs exhibit of 12 oversized animatronic insects spread all over the gardens’ 20 acres before the exhibit closes July 31. Besides Buzz the honeybee in the Children’s Garden, you can see Paul the dung beetle in the Carousel Gardens, Herbie the ladybug outside the Butterfly Garden, Charlotte the wolf spider and other bugs. If you’re feeling adventurous, hit up the bug buffet to try a flavored cricket, grasshopper or other insects. You can see live insects at the Alexander Bee House and the Cox Butterfly House during the event, too.

Other special event activities include a petting zoo in The Meadow and a special take-home flower planting happening in the Monster Woods Pavilion in the Children’s Garden. The petting zoo, which will feature dressed-up baby goats, a miniature horse and a miniature donkey from Four Points Ranch, was a big hit at Botanica’s Tulip Fest earlier this year, according to Spillman.

Carousel rides on the restored former Joyland amusement park carousel will be $3 during the anniversary celebration. Food will be available to purchase from local food trucks parked in the new food truck pavilion installed as part of the Koch Carousel Gardens.

As part of its Children’s Garden anniversary celebrations, Botanica is offering three other ongoing specials. Through September, Botanica will be open after-hours from 5 to 8 Tuesday and Thursday nights with free carousel rides with a general admission purchase on Tuesday nights and $3 admission (except for special events) on Thursday nights.

When the Downing Children’s Garden — with its original price tag of $3 million — was built, officials hoped the garden would provide an opportunity to expand the demographics of visitors interested in making a trip to an attraction originally built to generate enthusiasm for horticulture.

“The Children’s Garden really has changed our membership. It made Botanica more of a family-oriented hands-on garden and provided a totally different way to experience the gardens. … It made it more creative,” Spillman said.

At the time it opened in summer 2011, Botanica’s membership was 4,000, according to an Eagle article. Now Botanica has more than 6,000 members, according to Spillman.

It took 7 ½ years to raise the funds needed to create the Children’s Garden, according to news articles that reported the garden’s opening; a major $1.5 million gift was provided by local philanthropists Barry and Paula Downing, with the rest coming from other donors and grants. It was Botanica’s 26th themed garden at the time.

Botanica’s Downing Children’s Garden 10th anniversary event

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 10

Where: Botanica Gardens, 701 N. Amidon

Admission: Free, with $3 rides on the restored Joyland carousel and food trucks on-site

More info: 316-264-0448 or botanica.org