Rio Grande Botanic Garden

On July 17, 2008, angele from Elephant Butte, NM wrote:

Visited 7/15/08. Outstanding garden. My top pick for a visit if going to Albuquerque. Favorite spot in the garden is the PNM Butterfly Pavilion.
This garden has something for everyone. The giant replicas of garden vegetables and bugs are fantastic. It was so fun to watch children discovering all the nooks and crannies especially in the Children's Fantasy Garden with:
- Fourteen-foot high dragon guarding the entrance
- Giant rakes, hoes and watering cans
- Enormous potatoes, onions and carrots
- Huge bees pollinate gigantic flowers, and a six-foot earthworms burrow through soil.
- Walk-through pumpkin 42 feet in diameter and two stories high was my 29 year-old son's favorite!
I even took a turn going down a slide because it brought the child out in me.
We bought the combination tickets which include entrance to the the garden, aquarium and zoo. The train ride to the zoo was fun but if when I visit again I would only get the ticket for the garden. It includes a pass to the aquarium which is adjacent to the garden.
My favorite place to visit in New Mexico - beautiful!

On November 27, 2007, cactuspatch from La Luz/Alamogordo, NM wrote:

Great gardens and the whole biopark is a fun day. Spring is great with blooms and walking by the river. The river of lights is also great there in December.