Without looking at the signs that told us which book the exhibit was referring to, we tried to figure it out on our own. Along with the theme garden, there are also interactive activities including play houses, digging for dinosaur bones, view finders…there’s even a frontier area where children can play in a big covered wagon! There are different areas, each referencing a different book. The idea of the gardens is to bring children’s books to life. On this trip, I think we found our answer. For a long time now, The Dane and I have struggled with what we’d like to use in our own yard to build paths. It really looks like mulch, but it’s spongy which makes me think that it’s probably some sort of repurposed rubber. There are many kinds of paths – stepping-stones, a plank bridge, stone paths and this really, really cool foam mulch. A stroller probably really isn’t necessary and would really mostly bog Mom (or Dad) down. There are so many things for the kiddos to play with that even the smallest walkers can find things to get in to and they are welcomed to do so. The gardens are designed to be kid friendly and interactive. While that may present a bit of an issue for parents with smaller children, I think it’s actually pretty good advice. Afterwards, I realized that there was a posting online that states that parents should not bring strollers, carts or wagons due to the high volume of foot traffic, so I guess it’s possible that the sign is to encourage little kiddos to walk. A sign on the post told us to “use your walking feet!” At first, I thought this was a way of advertising donations to the gardens. We noticed stickers of tiny feet all along the fence. Next, The Dane and I walked down toward the main entrance. Though if you decide to visit, know that the gardens are a “trash free” zone which means that they do not have trash cans, so anything that is brought in will have to be taken out.

Down and around a path, there are interesting flowers and a cute walkway where you can enter to get tickets (though really, you don’t, this place is donation only, suggestion is $5 per person).Īround the area of the magic bus, there are picnic tables and the place is absolutely perfect for just this purpose. An interesting part of the bus is that if you look carefully, it has wings and spider legs. The gardens are open daily (May 1 – October 31) from 10am until 4pm except on Sunday, when they are open from 12 noon until 4pm.įor us, the gardens started with the magic bus, where children can enter and sit a minute. These gardens are located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. This little gem is called Bookworm Gardens. Luckily, I was able to find a treasure on our most recent trip to Wisconsin. Whenever we travel, I usually check to see if I can find things that are a bit off the beaten path.

Garden story bookworm