Lauritzen Gardens Ranks Third Best Botanical Garden in the Nation

March 31st, 2026

Lauritzen Gardens on 13th Street has long been a source of quiet pride for Omahans. This week, that pride has a number attached to it: third in the nation. The garden has earned third place in USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Botanical Garden — a rise from fifth place just one year ago, and a significant achievement for a garden that is still, in botanical terms, relatively young.

The recognition came through a competitive process. Out of 600 botanical gardens across the United States, a panel of experts, including travel writers and industry professionals, nominated twenty gardens for the national shortlist. From there, readers cast their votes. Lauritzen Gardens landed in the top three, placing them in the company of nationally storied institutions like the Missouri Botanical Garden and Longwood Gardens.

The garden is celebrating its 25th technical anniversary this October, having grown from a grassroots effort in the 1980s into a 100-acre public garden with more than 20 themed areas. That arc from community idea to national recognition is one that the garden’s team takes seriously, and they are not done yet.

This spring, the Quinn Family Oasis and Amphitheater will open in April, providing a new gathering space with indoor restrooms. A woodland flyway, a new treetop entrance to the garden designed to offer a more accessible experience, is also in development. And a community-driven master plan is being launched to gather public input on the garden’s long-term future.

For families, summer adventure camps for children ages 5 to 12 are already filling up, offering hands-on time in nature, daily play in Sophia’s Play Garden, crafts, and special speakers. Registration is open at lauritzengardens.org/camp, though spots in several sessions are already sold out.

On the events calendar, Thomas Dambo’s Trolls Save the Humans sculpture exhibit continues through May 18th, now with narrated tram tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Dinosaurs Around the World opens at the end of May. The summer concert series, Leashes at Lauritzen on Monday evenings, the All-European Show and Shine, the Lauritzen Antiques and Design Show, the garden’s largest annual fundraiser, and the Japanese Ambiance Festival in October round out a full year of programming.

For a garden that began as a hope held by a small group of committed citizens three decades ago, the view from third place in the nation looks like proof that Omaha’s investment in its green spaces has been worth every season.

More information on upcoming events, exhibits, and summer camps is available at lauritzengardens.org.