The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary opens for the season on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Staff and volunteers will be happy to assist garden visitors in their exploration of this treasured and historic native plant garden; however, due to the ongoing pandemic, visitor guidelines for the 2021 season will be much the same as 2020.
Garden staff thank all visitors for their patience and support – and look forward to welcoming everyone soon!
Visitor Guidelines
- All visitors will follow a one-way route through the Garden to allow for social distancing on narrow trails: trail map available here.
- Please bring a face covering to wear at times when it may be difficult to maintain social distancing.
- Enjoy a leisurely, semi-secluded visit: Entry for groups and individuals is staggered every few minutes.
- Garden hours will be Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm, with extended hours on Thursdays from 8 am to 8 pm. It will be closed Mondays.
- Get details at MPRB’s Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary web page.
About the Garden
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is the oldest public wildflower garden in the nation. Located on 15 acres within Theodore Wirth Regional Park, its legacy dates back to 1907, when Minneapolis botanist Eloise Butler and botany teachers successfully petitioned the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) to create a natural botanic garden to preserve native flora as the city grew. Three acres of bog, meadow and hillside were properly fenced and the Wild Botanic Garden opened April 27, 1907. Find more Garden history and other information.