Tag Archives: Brookside Gardens

November 16, 2020 · 5:04 pm

Scenes from a Lovely Fall Outing to Brookside Gardens

Is it just me, or has this fall been especially beautiful? The scenery seems ablaze with golden yellow, fiery orange, and deep red as the foliage puts on its seasonal performance. Perhaps the general gloom of this past year makes the bright spots that much more vivid, or maybe Mother Nature just knows how much we need it right now.

The fam framed by fall foliage

It’s this autumn luster that brought us to Brookside Gardens this past weekend — well, coupled with a little photography agenda. We wanted to get out and enjoy the day before the rain came, someplace relaxing that would showcase the season. So, I checked the round-up of the best outdoor places for ideas (yep, I use my own blog!), and in one glance I knew where we were going: Brookside Gardens, the beautiful public display garden within Wheaton Regional Park in the Montgomery Parks system.

Owen, circa 2010

Owen, circa 2015

The lead image in that post, the one of oh-so-sweet, four-year-old Owen chilling in the tree, was taken at Brookside almost exactly 10 years ago. We recreated the photo when we happened to be back there five years later, so when I saw it again and did the math, I realized it was time for the next installment.

Paved paths traverse the gardens…

…as do leave strewn dirt trails

As those photos indicate, we’ve been enjoying Brookside Gardens for a long time. Along with an occasional fall visit, we usually go for the wonderful annual Wings of Fancy butterfly exhibit and Garden of Lights holiday display, however, both were among the many beloved area events cancelled this year. But this autumn outing was lovely and serene and perfect for right now. Plus, we got that shot.

Owen at 14

Of course, we had to capture our best girl, too

Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Avenue in Wheaton, MD. Right now, the grounds are open to wander and enjoy daily from sunrise to sunset, and the Visitor Center 10am – 2pm. The sweet Children’s Garden is not accessible during Covid. Along with the links above, read more about Brookside in this KFDC post.

And get more of a glimpse of the gorgeous fall in the pics below…

Goose watching

And it was all yellow

Japanese maple…wowza

View from a gazebo

Shimmering woods

A serene pond scene

This pergola turns into a fab pink walkway during Garden of Lights

Masks highly encouraged!

Giveaway: Win Free Admission for 4 to “Wings of Fancy” at Brookside Gardens!

Discover the whimsical world of butterflies at the annual Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit at Brookside Gardens!

The seasonal display features hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world, as they flutter and glide throughout the conservatory. Witness their amazing metamorphosis on display, from tiny chrysalis to flying beauty. Learn firsthand how these magnificent creatures play an integral role in establishing healthy ecosystems and how to create a healthy environment that supports the butterfly life cycle.

Wings of Fancy will be on display at Brookside Gardens through September 16, 2018. Hours are 9am – 5pm until June 30. From July 1 – August 30, it will be open 9am – 1pm on weekdays, and 9am – 5pm on weekends. From September 1-16, hours will return to 9am – 5pm. Tickets are $8/age 13+, $5/age 3-12, free/2 & under. You can also try to win them through the giveaway below!

Read more about the wonderful exhibit in this KFDC post and view scenes from our visit there last summer.

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Giveaway: For a chance to win a Family 4-Pack of tickets to the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens, simply leave a comment below telling me what activity you and the kids enjoyed most over Memorial Day weekend. Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too! This giveaway will run through Wednesday, June 6, 2018, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Montgomery Parks, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.

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Filed under 2018, All ages, Annual, Educational, Exhibit, Giveaway, Maryland, Nature, Sponsored Post, Summer, Weekdays, Weekend

Tagged as Brookside Gardens, Butterfly Garden, Children's Activities in DC, DC Summer Activities, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Kids Activities in Maryland, kids in DC, Montgomery County Parks, Ticket Giveaway, Wings of Fancy

November 29, 2017 · 8:29 am

Scenes from Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens

We always make a point of visiting a light display (or two or three) during the holiday season. One of our family’s area favorites is the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, and we just visited over Thanksgiving weekend.

The locale that boasts beautiful plant and flower collections in the warmer seasons, the fantastic Wings of Fancy exhibit every summer, and an adorable Children’s Garden all year round, transforms into a twinkling wonderland come late fall and winter. Pathways are lined with colorful lights in forms of flowers, insects, animals, and more beautiful and whimsical glowing designs. There are sparkling tunnels, real trees illuminated with lights, and fountains full of shimmering scenes.

It’s so nice to stroll through leisurely (or run excitedly like the kids) and take it in at our own pace. Every corner we turned brought new delight — it’s fun, relaxing, and breathtaking all at once. And along with lights, there is a model train display in the Conservatory, plus live music, hot chocolate, and snacks for sale in the Visitor Center, perfect for warming up after wandering among the brilliant grounds outside.

Garden of Lights will be on display at Brookside Gardens through January 1, 2018. Hours are 5:30-9pm Sunday – Thursday, 5:30-10pm Friday – Saturday. Admission per car is $25 Sunday – Thursday, $30 Friday – Saturday. It’s open every night except for December 24-25. Get a glimpse of it all below before you go!

(Click to view larger images)

See the raccoon?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Montgomery Parks, however, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own, and I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.

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Filed under 2017, 2018, All ages, Annual, Christmas, Exhibit, Holidays, Maryland, Nature, Outdoor, Seasonal, Weekdays, Weekend, Winter

Tagged as Best holiday events in DC, Brookside Gardens, DC Family Activities, DC Holiday Light Displays, DC Holiday Train Displays, DC Holidays, DC Kids Activities, December 207, Family Fun, Fun Activities with Children in Maryland, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Garden of Lights, Holiday Season in Washington DC, Maryland Holiday Activities, Maryland Kids Activities, Montgomery County Parks

November 14, 2017 · 9:22 am

Giveaway: Enter to Win Free Admission to Brookside’s Garden of Lights!

Holiday light displays are always a seasonal treat, and you have a chance to win a visit to an area favorite: The spectacular Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens!

Escape to a glittering world with towering sunflowers, puffy rain clouds, lazy turtles, larger-than-life mushrooms, and other critters so beautiful, you’ll think you’ve been transported to a fairytale land.

Garden of Lights delights families every year with its imaginative and lighted figures that help usher in the holiday season. The handmade forms of forest animals, flowers and other natural elements help transform the gardens into whimsical winter scenes.

But the fun doesn’t stop outdoors. The conservatory will be transformed by G-scale model trains racing through a wintry landscape. And no wintertime shindig would be complete without mugs of piping hot cocoa, s’mores and live musical performances.

Garden of Lights opens November 24 and will run through January 1 (closed December 24-25). Hours are 5:30-9:30pm Sunday – Thursday, and 5:30-10pm Friday – Saturday. Admission is $25 per car/van Sunday – Thursday, and $30 per car/van Friday – Saturday. (KFDC Tip: If yu can swing it, go on a weekday when it’s less crowded.) Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Avenue in Wheaton, MD.

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Giveaway: For a chance to win free admission to Brookside’s Garden of Lights, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite holiday treat to eat (savory or sweet). Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too. The passes can be used on any date the exhibit is open. This giveaway will run through Tuesday, November 21, 2017, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Montgomery Parks, however, I only promote events, places, and programs that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.

221 Comments

Filed under 2017, All ages, Annual, Christmas, DC, Exhibit, Giveaway, Holidays, Maryland, Outdoor, Seasonal, Sponsored Post, Trains, Weekdays, Weekend, Winter

Tagged as 2017 Holiday Season, Best Holiday Events with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Brookside Gardens, DC Children's Christmas Activities, DC Family Activities, DC Holiday Light Displays, DC Holiday Train Displays, DC Kids Activities, DMV, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Garden of Lights, Maryland Holiday Activities, Winter 2017

August 2, 2017 · 10:58 am

Scenes from the Wings of Fancy Exhibit at Brookside Gardens

A visit to the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, has become an annual tradition for us. The exhibit showcasing nearly 20 species of live butterflies and caterpillars from North America, South America, and Asia continues to delight, fascinate, educate, and challenge (more on that one in a sec) year after year.

It always opens in mid-spring and runs through the summer. Sasha, her friend Ingrid, and I finally made our 2017 trip out there a couple of days ago, and it was lovely as ever! The South Conservatory transformed into a beautiful butterfly garden, with the many varieties flitting about the colorful flowers and plants, feels kind of like a fairytale world (save for the heat, which is about 10 degrees warmer than outside). It’s mesmerizing to watch the many varieties fly around, land delicately on a flower, then flutter about again. There are also chrysalises and cocoons on display, and staff are around to offer insight about the butterflies and exhibit.

We all seemed to have some “goals” for our visit (that challenge I mentioned before): The girls were on a mission to have butterflies land on them (Sasha purposely chose her dress for it!) and would stand or sit still as they waited. I loved snapping photos, with an aim to capture their intricate wing patterns, the blue morph proving to be the most elusive.

Looks like the dress worked!

Of course, we spent time wandering around the rest of the grounds, too — Brookside is fantastic to visit any time of year — but the butterflies are just here through September 17. Admission is $8/adult, $5/child, free for 2 and under for the exhibit, and entry to Brookside Gardens is free. You can read more about Wings of Fancy and Brookside in this post about one of our previous experiences there. And you can get a glimpse of it all in these images… enjoy!