The Secret Botanical Garden in Texas With Adventure Space for Kids

The eight-acre Children’s Adventure Garden cost $62 million to build.

It has 17 indoor and outdoor galleries, 150 interactive exhibits, a 200-foot elevated skywalk through a tree canopy, and a 30-foot climbable tree snag where kids can scramble up through nets to play in the branches.

There’s a hedge maze, a wetland boardwalk, water blasters, a cave to explore, and a five-foot OmniGlobe that projects real-time weather patterns from NASA satellites.

And that’s just the children’s section.

The Dallas Arboretum spans 66 acres on the shores of White Rock Lake, where half a million spring bulbs bloom each year, 110,000 pumpkins transform the grounds each fall, and families can spend entire days wandering garden rooms.

Where the Dallas Arboretum Is Located

The arboretum occupies the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road in East Dallas, about 15 minutes from downtown.

The setting combines designed gardens with natural lakefront views—you can photograph the Dallas skyline from certain vantage points while standing among formal rose beds.

Landscape architects Arthur and Marie Berger designed the original 4.5-acre DeGolyer Gardens in 1940, and many features from that era remain.

This includes the Magnolia Allee, the McCasland Sunken Garden, and the Octagonal Fountain that Nell DeGolyer personally oversaw.

Today, the arboretum encompasses 19 named gardens, each with a distinct character—from the formal Lay Family Garden to the Japanese Maple rill to A Tasteful Place, a 3.5-acre edible garden with cooking demonstrations and tastings.

The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden

The children’s area opened in September 2013 and immediately changed what a botanical garden could offer families.

Named for Rory Meyers, a longtime arboretum board member whose family provided the lead gift, the garden was designed specifically to address state and national science education standards in life, earth, and environmental sciences.

The eight acres slope down toward White Rock Lake, using the terrain to create distinct discovery zones connected by meandering accessible pathways.

The Texas Skywalk—a 200-foot elevated walkway—rises 20 feet above the understory, allowing children to experience the forest canopy while learning about ecosystems at different heights.

A Walk in the Clouds, a 30-foot artificial tree snag, invites kids to climb through netted areas as if ascending a giant tree. A bird’s nest gathering space with oversized eggs serves as an outdoor classroom.

Inside the Exploration Center, smart tables and interactive technology transform abstract concepts into tangible experiences.

The OmniGlobe—a six-foot-diameter sphere and one of only 50 in the world at the time of installation—projects NASA imagery showing continental drift, ocean currents, atmospheric phenomena, and the solar system in real time.

Plant labs let children conduct experiments. A CSI-style mystery game in a mini 3-D theater teaches scientific investigation.

Outside, the learning galleries cover everything from erosion to energy to pollination. A full acre of wetlands includes a boardwalk where kids can test water samples.

The Pure Energy gallery demonstrates solar, wind, and hydroelectric power through hands-on exhibits.

Water blasters and cranks that make water flow uphill add pure play to the educational framework. Bronze animal sculptures appear naturalistically throughout, rewarding exploration with discovery.

Where Science Meets Play Amid Half a Million Blooms

The arboretum opens daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission ranges from $17 to $22 per person, depending on the season, with children 12 and under entering at reduced rates.

Parking costs $15 at the gate or $12 purchased online in advance. The Children’s Adventure Garden requires a separate ticket, purchasable at the main entrance or the garden’s dedicated entry.

The DeGolyer Restaurant and Tea Room offer seated dining, while the Café on the Green and Lula Mae Slaughter Dining Terrace provide quicker options.

A Tasteful Place offers daily tastings. Designated picnic areas with lake views accommodate families who prefer to bring their own food.

For more information about Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, visit dallasarboretum.org or call (214) 515-6615.

Use the map to explore the Children’s Adventure Garden, lakeside lawns, themed flower gardens, and walking paths throughout the arboretum.

Where: 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218

The Dallas Arboretum isn’t just a botanical garden—it’s a vibrant outdoor classroom and adventure space where kids can climb, explore, and discover nature while families enjoy one of Texas’s most beautiful lakeside landscapes.