"Adjacent to Atlanta’s verdant Piedmont Park, it’s easy to see why this 30-acre oasis in the heart of Midtown welcomes more than half a million visitors each year. In 2010 it nearly doubled its size when it opened the Canopy Walk, a 600-foot walkway suspended in the trees. Guests can visit the steamy orchid house, walk through the edible garden of native plants (though they are edible, resist the temptation!), and stop for an upscale meal at Longleaf, one of the few restaurants in the world to be housed in a botanical garden. Installations and special exhibits like a holiday light show further the wow factor. You’ll want to take your time and meander around, taking in the different themed gardens—Japanese gardens, native plants, ponds of water plants, dwarf and rare conifer, and hardy palms to name a few—at a leisurely pace. It’s also incredibly family-friendly with a dedicated children’s garden filled with interactive elements including a playground and splash pad." - Lia Picard, Jennifer Bradley Franklin
