Gibbs Gardens opens for the 2024 season on March 1st. The garden opens each year once the daffodils are going strong.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Gibbs Gardens, located just north of metro Atlanta in Cherokee County, has been named one of the top 20 botanical gardens in the country. The beautiful, sprawling garden has received over 300 awards.

Each year, the gardens open in early March — putting over 20 million daffodils on display over a six-week period. While the late daffodils are in bloom, millions of tulips will join the colorful display.

Gibbs Gardens is famous for its seasonal color displays, with spring and fall being the most popular “colorfest” seasons. Spring brings millions of flowering bulbs. Autumn brings spectacular colored foliage from over 3000 Japanese maples.
The season of bloom calendar is just below — so you can plan your visit for peak color!
Ticket prices and other visitor info is also listed below.

Daffodils of all varieties keep the season going for about six weeks in spring.

Annual Membership BOGO Deal

During the month of January, you can buy a membership to the gardens and get a second one for FREE! That works out to $60 for two memberships, so you can visit with a friend or family member.

The offer is only open to new members and those with a currently expired membership. You cannot use the deal to extend a current membership. However, if you want to renew your unexpired membership, you’ll get a FREE guest pass ($25 value).

The offer runs through January 31, 2024.
Membership benefits include:

• Unlimited visits for 365 days from date of purchase
• FREE admission to live musicconcerts
• 10% discount in the gift shop
• From June thru August, bring friends for just $12.50 on designated weekdays (that’s half price!)
• more info here

Visiting Gibbs Gardens

The garden is an easy destination for those who live on the north side of metro Atlanta (Alpharetta, Cumming, etc.) From points south, it becomes more of a day trip to drive out to there, spend a couple of hours taking in the sights, and then drive home.

For more info, go to the Gibbs Gardens website

Location

The gardens are located in Ball Ground, GA, which is in Cherokee County.

If you’re using a GPS to get there, you can use this address:
1987 Gibbs Drive
Ball Ground, GA 30107

For reference, the gardens are about 27 miles from North Point Mall in Alpharetta, and roughly 50 miles from downtown Atlanta.

Spring tulips at the waterlily pond. Photo: Sandra Burm / Shutterstock

Ticket info: How much does it cost?

updated for 2023!

During the current pandemic, you must buy tickets online prior to visiting. The on-site ticket both is closed.

You can print your tickets at home, or just show them on your phone for scanning.

Remember, the gardens open for the season in March — you won’t be able to purchase tickets till then.

There is currently no timed ticket requirement, and your ticket is general admission.

Prices (tax will be added):
• Adults (18 to 64) — $25
• Seniors 65+ — $18
• Kids 3 to 17 — $10
• Kids 2 and under — FREE

The gardens open at 9 a.m.
The website does not list a closing time.

Daily hours vary by season:
• March 1 to July 4  — Tuesday to Sunday
• July 5 to Oct 2 — Wednesday to Sunday
• Oct 3 to Nov 14 — Tuesday to Sunday
• Nov 15 to Dec 4 — Wednesday to Sunday

Holidays:
• Open on Memorial Day (May 30)
• Open on July 4th
• Open on Labor Day, Sept. 4
• CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24
• Closed for the season on Dec. 5

Memberships:
If you live close by, you might consider an annual membership, which is good for 365 days from the date of purchase.
Memberships cost $60 per adult and $40 per child (age 3 to 17)

The Japanese Garden in early spring.

What you’ll find there

Gibbs Gardens is a collection of 16 themed garden rooms. Each one is planted with hundreds of varieties of plants. There are 24 ponds, 32 bridge crossings, and 19 waterfalls.

Among the most spectacular are the Manor House Gardens, Japanese Garden, and Waterlily Garden.

There is also a 70-acre fern garden, one of the largest in the country. Millions of ferns of many varieties form a dense carpet under woodland shade. A spring-fed stream winds through the Fern Dell. Walkways and raised viewing decks let you take in the sights.

The Monet-inspired waterlily garden in summer. Photo: Sandra Burm / Shutterstock

Seasonal displays

The gardens have been planned for spectacular seasonal color. Spring and fall are especially dramatic.

Spring features over 20 million daffodils, in a spectacular display. Because there are early, mid-season, and late blooming varieties of daffodils, the season stretches on for about six weeks.

The daffodils are complemented by thousands of colorful tulips. Later in the spring, you’ll find cherry blossoms, dogwood, azalea, rhododendron, mountain laurel, and colorful spring annuals.

Autumn features over 3,000 Japanese maples, for a dazzling display of crimson and gold. Gibbs Gardens is, hands down, the best place in the extended metro area to see fall foliage. In fact, it’s received an award for The Best Fall Color in Georgia.

The colored foliage of the Japanese maples is complemented by fall wildflowers like asters, as well as seasonal annuals and perennials. There is a also a taller canopy of deciduous trees that provide fall color.

The Spring ColorFest at Gibbs Gardens. Photo: Shutterstock.

Season of color calendar

If you’d like to see certain flowers, or just want to know what you’ll see before you go, you can check the Bloom Update page on the Gibbs website. It will be updated starting with the daffodils and spring flowers.

♦ Daffodils (and tulips) — early March through mid-April for daffs, through mid-May for tulips

♦ Cherry blossoms — two weeks in March (peak depends on the year)

♦ Dogwood and azaleas — Starts in early April and lasts two to three weeks, depending on the year

♦ Rhododendrons — starts early May and lasts two to three weeks

♦ Rose Garden — May through November

♦ Fern Dell — April thru October

♦ Hydrangeas — starts mid-May

♦ Waterlily Garden — mid-May through November

♦ Daylily Garden — June thru August

♦ Crape Myrtles — July thru August

♦ Japanese maples — mid-October thru mid-November (and fall wildflowers)

Gibbs Gardens is famous for the display of 20 million daffodils that bloom over a 6-week season in spring.

Know before you go

There is lots of walking at Gibbs Gardens!
Note that the tram is not running during the pandemic.

According to the website, you should plan on taking three to four hours to see the entire estate.

You could also plan on seeing the estate in two visits, splitting it up this way:

• Manor House Gardens — Allow 90 minutes to see the spring bulb displays, hydrangea plantings, rose arbor, woodland shade gardens, and the Canopy Walk.

•Valley Gardens — allow 90 minutes to two hours to tour the Japanese garden, waterlily garden, sculpture gardens, rose gardens, Fern Dell, and daylily gardens.

Fall foliage and reflections in the waterlily pond. Photo: Sandra Burm / Shutterstock

Food
Outside food is not allowed (except for water bottles). There is no picnicking on the grounds or tailgating in the parking areas.
However, you can grab a bite at the Arbor Cafe.

Pets are not allowed.

Restrooms are available at the Welcome Center and the pool area near the Manor House.

Cherry blossoms in March.

UPDATE on 11-15-2021
The Fall ColorFest is in full swing, featuring spectacular shades of crimson and red. Come and see over 5, 000 Japanese maples, with hundreds of different varieties. Gibbs Gardens has been named as the best place for brilliant fall color in Georgia, due to the careful planning that has gone into planting here.

Gibbs Gardens is closed on Thanksgiving Day, but is open the rest of Thanksgiving Weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — note that the last entry is at 4 p.m.

The Monet Garden in autumn. Credit: Sandra Burm / Shutterstock.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

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