BUFFALO HEALTHY LIVING: FREE KIDS ADMISSION AT BOTANICAL GARDENS

Buffalo, NY—The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens and M&T Bank are welcoming kids 12 and under and their families to visit the Botanical Gardens for a special discount during their‘Growing Back to School’ month. Throughout the whole month of September, kids 12 and under will receive free admission to the Botanical Gardens. Families in the community are encouraged to take advantage of this special discount to enjoy many of the new exhibits, activities, and plant collections that the Botanical Gardens has to offer.

The Botanical Gardens and M&T Bank teamed up to offer the community a free space for kids and their families to be able to enjoy the interactive exhibits and plant collections at the Botanical Gardens. Kids 12 and under will receive free admission to the Botanical Gardens, which is open daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Families can bring their kids by for an after-school activity or a weekend getaway. Kids can enjoy being immersed in the plant-life and enjoy play-based learning in their brand-new Playspace, seed planting activities, and at the end of the month will also enjoy a brand-new storybook adventure come to life during an exhibit called Topiary Tales along with two special Storytime readings.

The Botanical Gardens and M&T Bank encourage families to discover the playful and relaxing environment among the twelve greenhouses filled with exotic plant collections from around the world. Visitors can enjoy core collections like the Rainforest, Desert, Bonsai, Tropical Orchard, and so much more.

During various times of the month of September, Growing Back to School offers the community the opportunity to enjoy:

M&T Bank’s support in this program helps to remove financial barriers and offers a place for young minds to explore horticulture and science in a playful and engaging environment that hopes to inspire the next generation of plant lovers, environmental stewards, and curious learners.

Visitors of all ages and abilities will be able to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty with a fun, hands-on seed planting activity focusing on the science of how plants grow each Saturday in September from 10:00am-1:00pm. This engaging and accessible experience will invite participants to learn about germination and plant growth while planting seeds to take home. Participants will be able to choose from a variety of easy-to-care for plants, including flowering annuals and herbs. All materials, including containers, soil, seeds, and care information will be provided by the Botanical Gardens team of educators.

“We are deeply grateful for our partnership with M&T Bank. M&T Bank has made it possible for us to provide free access to the Botanical Gardens for school-aged children to learn about the amazing power of plants. Growing Back to School is an important community program that we are very proud to offer this fall,” said President and CEO Erin Grajek.

Organizers say it is also a great time to check out their new Playspace, presented by Wegmans, which is filled with opportunities for fun and learning for kids and their caretakers. This interactive exhibit encourages play, movement, and learning for young minds to grow and explore. Each play station within the exhibit is designed to teach kids about bees and pollinators from around the world through hands-on fun. With stations like ‘Flip and Find’, ‘Count the Critters’ and more, kids and families will have the opportunity to become pollinators by moving oversized pollen between flowers, design and build their own blooms with fun shapes, and stack honeycomb blocks while learning how bees live, pollinate and make honey. A ‘Honey Hut’ market also provides a space for imaginative play where children can pretend to sell bee and honey products that show the impact of pollinators in peoples’ daily lives. Among many more play stations and features, the Playspace also offers seating and tables for themed activities and story times.

Beginning September 19, families will also enjoy a brand-new exhibit called Topiary Tales, which features a storybook adventure come to life. The conservatory will be transformed into a whimsical woodland forest, filled with larger-than-life animal topiaries made from plants and other natural materials. There will be an entire cast of animal characters set in botanical scenes that inspired a series of short stories for visitors to read as they adventure through this storybook come to life. Enjoy the stories and illustrations of Fox and Rabbit, Turtle and Heron, Panda, Peacock, Deer, and Bison, all while seeing the scenes from the stories in real life. Two special readings of Topiary Tales will also take place during Storytime on Saturday, September 20 and Saturday, September 27 at 11:00am. Visitors are encouraged to take home the collection of short stories with them by buying their very own copy in the gift shop, so they can keep the adventure alive at home. Topiary Tales is illustrated by local artist, Emma Roberts of Kind Life Studio. This exhibit is included with regular admission and will be on display daily from September 19 to November 2.

The Botanical Gardens is open daily from 10:00 to 4:00pm and tickets can be purchased online at buffalogardens.com. For the month of September admission for kids 12 and under is free and tickets for Adults are $18.00, Seniors and Students are $16, and Botanical Gardens members are always free. The Botanical Gardens recommends planning an hour to an hour and a half during each visit.

About Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that welcomes all to enjoy its living plant collections, breathtaking conservatory, and educational programming. Opened in 1900, the Botanical Gardens is located within a park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Support for the organization is provided by public funds from Erie County; the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; members; donors; and friends.