While Norfolk is known as a city on the water, gardens and greenery are the focus of the day. Horticulturist Chelsea Mahaffey leads a tour to a botanical oasis and a historic estate.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden has 60 themed gardens covering 175 acres. Each corner offers a distinctive sensory experience, from the tranquil Japanese Garden to the enchanting Margaret Moore Hall Bicentennial Rose Garden bursting with the fragrance and color of more than 300 rose varieties. A guided tram tour provides an overview of the property before you stroll along winding paths adorned with colorful flowers, towering trees, and serene water features. Don't miss the chance to marvel at the beauty of the Bristow Butterfly Garden, 2 acres of butterfly habitat that attracts and supports butterflies and moths throughout their life cycle. 

After lunch, visit the Smithsonian Affiliate Hermitage Museum & Gardens, a historic estate nestled along the picturesque Lafayette River. Lush gardens are landscaped in the tradition of an early 20th-century country estate, featuring footpaths, tranquil waterways, and gazebos. A guided walking tour of the grounds and estate introduces the history of the gardens and touches on the many varieties of plants and the Hermitage’s extensive conservation work. Highlights include the Sunken Garden, a secluded retreat surrounded by towering hedges, and the Hermitage Wetlands, which provides a clean, safe habitat for many species of fish and wildlife and includes a variety of native and flowering plants.

Know Before You Go

• The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
• Tour participants meet at and leave by bus from the Mayflower Hotel with a pick-up stop at the I-95 and Route 123 carpool lot, at approximately 7:25 a.m.
• Lunch is included.

General Information

• Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
• Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
• As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
• For additional tour information:
• Study Tour Policies
• Refund/Cancellation Policy