Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Woodland, wetland, and prairie trails protect more than 500 native plant species and a rich migration stop inside Theodore Wirth Park.
Artwork inspired by Francis Lee Jaques
Founded in 1907, the garden is not a conventional flower display. Its three habitats reveal succession, soil moisture, canopy, phenology, and the patient work of restoration; spring ephemerals, summer prairie, and autumn seed heads each tell a different story.
Bird activity is especially strong during migration, but quiet observation matters in the compact sanctuary. Stay on paths, leave plants and seeds, keep voices low, and remember that opening dates depend on trail and weather conditions. Dogs and bicycles are not permitted inside.
- Founded
- 1907
- Plants
- 500+ native species
- Admission
- Free
Quick guide
- Best method
- Walk slowly now, then revisit in another season
- Habitats
- Compare woodland, wetland, and prairie plant communities
Follow the season through three native habitats
- Start with
- Visit woodland spring ephemerals early in their brief season and stay on paths around fragile colonies.
- Look closely at
- Use the wetland boardwalk to compare water level, sedges, insects, and birds at close range.
- Connect the story
- Continue into prairie and bird-sanctuary habitat to see how one reserve supports sharply different communities.
- Plan around
- Confirm the seasonal opening and trail moisture, and leave pets outside this protected garden.
Good to know
The garden closes for winter and may delay spring opening when trails are vulnerable; Theodore Wirth Park itself remains larger and differently regulated.
Notice these
- Woodland spring ephemerals
- Wetland boardwalk
- Prairie and bird sanctuary