10 Magical Reasons to Visit The Garden This Fall

When a new family moves to the Rocket City, one of the first things we like to tell them is to take the kids to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. “It’s my favorite place in the world,” six year-old Lucy likes to tell her friends. While HBG is fun year-round, there’s just something about visiting in the Fall that we like best. Don’t just take Lucy’s word for it… here’s why we love it too!

Our Top 10 Fall Activities for Families at the
Huntsville Botanical Garden in 2023

1. Festifall Celebration

This two-month Fall celebration encompasses All Things Fall! As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change color, there’s no better place to connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of autumn than the Huntsville Botanical Garden during Festifall. Be sure to visit September – October 2023

2. Legendary Scarecrows

A must-see fall feature at the Garden! The Scarecrow Trail is a family tradition featuring a bounty of fun, friendly scarecrows created by local community members. Wacky, whimsical, and wondrous, these are certainly not your average ‘crows!

huntsville botanical garden scarecrows — *These scarecrows from years past are delightful examples of what you’ll see on the Scarecrow Trail!*

3. Family Campouts

New to camping? Don’t feel like traveling far to spend a relaxing evening outdoors? We will have a hot dog dinner, s’mores to roast over the fire, a story at bedtime, and a chance to experience the Garden on a guided night hike.

Bring flashlights, tent, sleeping bags, pillows, and lawn chairs, and enjoy an evening outdoors with your family.

For more details about the campout, please click here.

4. 2023 Fall Break Kid’s Camp

HBG offers a STEM camp option for all of Fall Break week October 2-6, 2023. Extended care options make it easy to attend – even around work schedules. There will be fun activities planned every day just for kids! Sign up here – spots are going fast!

5. So Many Photo Opportunities!

Between the gorgeous Fall mums, seasonal pumpkin displays, and the tractor & wagon scene, September – October is a great time to head to HBG with your camera and your family. This year is even more special because of the various swings scattered throughout the Garden as part of In Full Swing.

6. HBG Fall Plant Sale

Did you know the fall is the BEST time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials in your garden? In 2023, September 21 – 23 will be the 13th year The Garden will share its native trees and shrubs, ornamental plants, assorted berries, and select herbs with you! They also offer a limited number of specially selected pollinator trees and shrubs at their Fall Plant Sale.

7. Learn Something New

Kids love the Huntsville Botanical Garden, and there’s a great program that combines nature and STEM just for kids in grades K-8! Nature Academy classes are a two-hour adventure into science at the Garden led by our certified educators. They are open to all homeschool, public school, and private school students in the area. Pre-register in advance.

Got a Little One that loves nature? Then Seeds to Sprouts is just the program for you! For ages 2-5, this unique program is an opportunity for children to discover the wonder of nature and science at a young age. Through stories, guided exploration, and STEM activities in the Garden, Seeds to Sprouts allows your little one to develop an appreciation of the natural world that will grow with them for years to come.

8. The Garden Railway

A very popular spot on HBG grounds, this adorable miniature train runs through a model European village. features a church, fire station, restaurant, and homes amid a waterfall, two ponds (with fish) and a stream. Forests, a bog area, and a farm complete the scene.

9.Monarch Tag and Release

On September 30, they will be “tagging” 100 monarch butterflies (putting a tiny sticker on their dorsal wings) and then releasing them into the Garden, and they need your help! Join them for a presentation about monarchs and their migration, followed by a hands-on tagging of the butterflies. They will even share how you can track the butterflies you tag to see if they make it to Mexico!

10. BOOtanica at HBG!

BOOtanica is returning HBG this year! BOOtanica is all about Halloween, costumes, crafts, games, music and more. The entire family will love spending a spooky night in the Garden and the kids will have a great time trick or treating among the Scarecrow Trail.