The serene, 13-hectare grounds of Zilker Botanical Garden are a medley of theme gardens, including a rose garden, a dinosaur garden, a Japanese garden and many more, filled with wooden bridges, lily ponds, waterfalls and scenic paths.
The Green Garden showcases a host of hardy plants that survive with little water through the area's frequent bouts of dry weather. Inhale the fragrance of the numerous different herbs and spices at the Herb Garden before visiting the Douglas Blachly Butterfly Trail filled with flowers and plants that attract these colourful winged beauties.
Families with children will delight in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, where they will find more than 100 tracks left behind by six or seven dinosaurs. These great reptiles roamed the area of the parklands more than 100 million years ago, and native plants originating from that period litter the area now, recreating a prehistoric ambiance. Look out for the life-sized sculpture of an ornithomimus, the three-toed dinosaur that left its footprints in the area, along with an assortment of small reptiles and fish.
Stroll down the stone-paved path into the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden, which opened in 1969. The entire garden was built by Isamu Taniguchi, a local landscape architect, when he was 70 years old. Working without any pay, he spent 18 months transforming a formerly rugged hill into this serene garden. Constructed as a thank-you gift to the city of Austin, the ponds in the park were designed to spell out the word Austin. Take a break at the Japanese teahouse, which stands amongst the pathways and ponds. Named ten-wa-jin (heaven, harmony, man), the bamboo structure was designed to remind us of the importance of humanity's harmony with nature. The city skyline can be seen from here, as well as many other parts of this garden.
Zilker Botanical Garden sits on the south bank of the Colorado River, not far from downtown Austin. There's a small entry fee and free parking. Note that there are no food facilities, and picnicking is not allowed.
