Mercer Botanic Gardens
Mercer Botanic Gardens
4.5
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
80 within 5 kms
Attractions
50 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
238 reviews
Excellent
165
Very good
59
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
3
amirmarafi
Hawalli, Kuwait345 contributions
Nov 2020 • Solo
I visited this Arboretum last two years before the flood but now it has been renovated and reform to a great extent.
I would visit this place again and again because my passion is flowers trees and greenery which means fresh air all the time for me.
You can even sit down on any of the provided benches and relax and mix with nature and listen to the wind moving around leaves of the trees. Butterflies and bees are flying around taking the sap from flowers.
It’s full biodiversity and ecology.
I would visit this place again and again because my passion is flowers trees and greenery which means fresh air all the time for me.
You can even sit down on any of the provided benches and relax and mix with nature and listen to the wind moving around leaves of the trees. Butterflies and bees are flying around taking the sap from flowers.
It’s full biodiversity and ecology.
Written 5 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jenny6703
Houston, TX49 contributions
Sept 2020 • Family
I brought my daughter to enjoy the “cooler” weather and visit the Mercer Botanic Garden for the first time. We had a fantastic time. The garden is beautiful and so wonderfully maintained! Probably took 2 hours with us looking at EVERYTHING, but could be seen quicker or spend all day if we stopped to relax.
Written 19 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NATUREnME
10 contributions
Jul 2020
We took our wedding photos here on June 5, 2020. I absolutely love this place. They have info cards next to the different plants so that you learn as you go on about your stroll. We saw hummingbirds, fish in the pond right by the main entrance. Just beautiful and relaxing. I definitely recommend it.
Written 15 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tidus c
3 contributions
Apr 2021
Best park ever. If you want a hike in the wilderness with deer, armadillos, and lovely birds - then go to the park side. If you want beautiful flowers and landscaping - stroll through the botanic gardens. We have never had a bad experience here, and we have visited most weeks for the past three years.
Written 25 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darin T
6 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Beautiful gardens. I go frequently and they are always changing out the flowers. Make sure you pass the flower area and go back to the pond to see turtles and more flowers. If you go past that there are beautiful trails. One of my favorite spots.
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chrisinkingwood2
Houston, TX5,630 contributions
Apr 2022
It's still pretty early in spring but the gardens are looking quite nice. I went specifically to take some macro shots of flowers just after we had had a light misty rain. I had a great time walking around taking pictures.
Written 16 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jon J
St. George, UT25 contributions
We went for a visit thinking it would be a great place for our toddler to walk some of his energy off. He loves flowers, trees, plants, and walking on trails and bridges.
They did have trails & some water features, but their kiosk maps are outdated by a few years (the kiosk maps showed a butterfly house, but when we asked about it, the woman at the info desk said it had been gone for a couple of years) so if you are new there, it isn't easy to navigate. The paper maps that they hand out don't match up to what is there, either as much of the area is under construction.
While there, my son picked up a flag that was discarded on the ground. A man who said he was the Director said it was their flagging & they needed it for directing their maintenance crew. When I took it from my son and handed it back, the man didn't say "Thank you." Instead he told us, "We like our grounds and if you ever come back here, you need to watch him better." My son didn't do anything wrong, but this guy had decided to blame him for a misplaced flag.
To make matters worse, he started following us around the grounds. At one point, my toddler (not quite 2 years old) took one step off the trail into the grass. I told him, "Uh oh, not there, back on the trail" and he got back on the trail. Then the guy who claimed to be the Director went off about how much they do to maintain the trails on a low budget & told us we were being disrespectful. And he kept walking towards us talking loudly. I told him that I beg to differ, that my son is just a toddler and will make small mistakes, but that he listens to us & we are always near by to watch him. That's when the guy said that we shouldn't bring him there if we can't "make him" stay on the trail. He kept walking towards us berating us, judging our child, etc, so we booked it out of there. It was getting to the point of being scary.
We felt not just unwelcome there, but were greeted with open hostility. It tainted the whole experience for us and the family we were with that day.
We did go across the street to the less manicured trails for a few minutes, and without someone hounding us, that was much nicer. Still, I can't in good conscience recommend this place to families with young or curious children. I was hoping for a nice relaxed outdoor time with family I don't see often, but instead it was a terrible experience for everyone in our little group.
They did have trails & some water features, but their kiosk maps are outdated by a few years (the kiosk maps showed a butterfly house, but when we asked about it, the woman at the info desk said it had been gone for a couple of years) so if you are new there, it isn't easy to navigate. The paper maps that they hand out don't match up to what is there, either as much of the area is under construction.
While there, my son picked up a flag that was discarded on the ground. A man who said he was the Director said it was their flagging & they needed it for directing their maintenance crew. When I took it from my son and handed it back, the man didn't say "Thank you." Instead he told us, "We like our grounds and if you ever come back here, you need to watch him better." My son didn't do anything wrong, but this guy had decided to blame him for a misplaced flag.
To make matters worse, he started following us around the grounds. At one point, my toddler (not quite 2 years old) took one step off the trail into the grass. I told him, "Uh oh, not there, back on the trail" and he got back on the trail. Then the guy who claimed to be the Director went off about how much they do to maintain the trails on a low budget & told us we were being disrespectful. And he kept walking towards us talking loudly. I told him that I beg to differ, that my son is just a toddler and will make small mistakes, but that he listens to us & we are always near by to watch him. That's when the guy said that we shouldn't bring him there if we can't "make him" stay on the trail. He kept walking towards us berating us, judging our child, etc, so we booked it out of there. It was getting to the point of being scary.
We felt not just unwelcome there, but were greeted with open hostility. It tainted the whole experience for us and the family we were with that day.
We did go across the street to the less manicured trails for a few minutes, and without someone hounding us, that was much nicer. Still, I can't in good conscience recommend this place to families with young or curious children. I was hoping for a nice relaxed outdoor time with family I don't see often, but instead it was a terrible experience for everyone in our little group.
Written 27 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
highdesert95
albuquerque nm58 contributions
Aug 2014 • Solo
Mercer Arboretum is a lovely, magical journey into a nature-filled walk! The Mercer Arboretum is divided into two sections, with one part on one side of the highway and the other, dog-friendly side, on the other side of the highway. Oh and there's a library on the grounds as well!
The dog-friendly section has so many trails and each trail is marked with sign posts so you can't get lost. There is the wonderful hickory bog with its wooden walkway over the standing water (hopefully), and the cypress trees with another wooden walkway over another watery bog. The beautiful and amazingly tall trees sway in the breeze and provide a wonderful canopy for you and your pup (on a leash) as you walk along. Each trail holds many beautiful scenes and there are even opportunities to drink from water fountains along the way and plenty of restrooms, too. Further toward the back of the dog-friendly section are playgrounds for the kids. Be sure to bring plastic bags to pick up your pup's stuff, if you know what I mean.
Mercer Arboretum, also has a non-dog-friendly section on the other side of the highway. This section is a well-manicured work of nature art, complete with many water features, swings, and plant scenes. Absolutely overwhelming with loveliness! The walks extend in all directions and go on forever. Be sure to visit when you have time to spare, because you won't want to leave.
It's all free, too.
The dog-friendly section has so many trails and each trail is marked with sign posts so you can't get lost. There is the wonderful hickory bog with its wooden walkway over the standing water (hopefully), and the cypress trees with another wooden walkway over another watery bog. The beautiful and amazingly tall trees sway in the breeze and provide a wonderful canopy for you and your pup (on a leash) as you walk along. Each trail holds many beautiful scenes and there are even opportunities to drink from water fountains along the way and plenty of restrooms, too. Further toward the back of the dog-friendly section are playgrounds for the kids. Be sure to bring plastic bags to pick up your pup's stuff, if you know what I mean.
Mercer Arboretum, also has a non-dog-friendly section on the other side of the highway. This section is a well-manicured work of nature art, complete with many water features, swings, and plant scenes. Absolutely overwhelming with loveliness! The walks extend in all directions and go on forever. Be sure to visit when you have time to spare, because you won't want to leave.
It's all free, too.
Written 9 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Big_Chris_Goodland
Lafayette, LA114 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
We had some time to kill. The gardens were free. Leisurely stroll through tall pines shading bushes and flowers. A little laye in the blooming season but there were still some flowers to see. Bumble bees and honey bees were on just about everything still blooming. There were lots of tiny lizards running around. Signs warned of snakes but we didn't see any. Nice way to spend a little time outdoors.
Written 2 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan R
Houston, TX41 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
Mercer Arboretum is worth far more than the free admission. I visited in February, just before the Spring explosion of color, but still had a myriad of trees, shrubs and flowers to enjoy. The gardens have bounced back after the serious flooding of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. I was able to get some stellar close-up photographs of unusual strains of flowers, visit the gardens of endangered plants, and visit with a very enthusiastic employee who even regaled me with original poetry as the conversation progressed. Very enjoyable experience.
Written 19 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I checked the website for Mercer and it says the following, hope it answers your question:
Just like plants are important to us, we understand that pets are an important part of many residents’ lives. Visitors are allowed to walk their dogs on the arboretum trails on the west side of Aldine Westfield. However, in Mercer’s botanic gardens on the east side of Aldine Westfield, pets are only allowed for pet portraits; owners must complete a Pet Portrait Form (PDF) and submit it to Mercer two weeks prior to the portrait sitting. Please send forms through mail, or in person to:
22306 Aldine Westfield Road
Humble, Texas 77338-1071
Pets must be on a 6-foot leash at all times and must be cleaned up after. Seeing-eye and hearing-assistance dogs are allowed throughout both the arboretum and botanic gardens.
Written 28 May 2020
Jacque_2890
Spring, Texas
Are there tables available for lunches and are there places for kids to play?
Written 15 September 2018
There is a picnic area across the street; however, there are tables (non-designated) on the main grounds where we ate a quick bite that day. I think they prefer you to eat at the picnic site to avoid dropped food and attracting ants. The picnic site (safer to drive over), I believe does have a play place for children (at least it did before the Harvey hurricane.)
Written 18 September 2018
How would i reach it from the Airport. Is there public transport?
Written 23 January 2016
There is no public transportation but Is only a short drive. You can rent a car, Uber or a taxi. ($)
Written 9 July 2018
Showing results 1-4 of 4
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing