We love Highfield Discovery Garden! This unique park offers so many things to discover and is one of our favorite shaded playgrounds in Cincinnati.Ā
BONUS: If you wanted to get some exercise first, there is a 1.0-mile paved trail in the Glenwood Gardens, before you enter the Highfield Discovery Garden. Bring your littles in a stroller and meet a friend to get some exercise before the garden opens at 10am.Ā
**Note: There is an admission charged, $5.25/person or buy a family annual pass to support the Great Parks.Ā
The Magic Treehouse Playground
This is the main attraction! So much to discover in this treehouse playground. Try your hand at the matching game on the side in the green boxes or play hide & seek in the little nooks around the base of the treehouse. The structure and surroundings offer great shade!Ā
The back of the treehouse has a ramp to enter so everyone can see the fun! This is also helpful for parents who want to join in the play but might not want duck down in the other parts of the treehouse.Ā
The kids can scale the steps to the top and check out the a telescope lookout.Ā
Magical Fun & Fairy Garden
Hunt fairies, have a tea party, explore the beautiful gardens and more!Ā
There are adorable little gardens dispersed throughout the grounds to discover and explore. If you’re lucky, you’ll find some butterflies. We loved the mazes.Ā
There’s a little tiny house, a la Alice in Wonderland, perfect for little ones to have a tea party. BYO tea as the dishes are not out, per covid precautions.
GRAB SOME GARDEN VEGGIESā
There are some really cool raised gardens featuring peppers, tomatoes, beans and tons of other veggies. You can explore the gardens with your little ones to see how the veggies grow. Pre-covid, you were even able to help water the gardens using an old fashioned water pump! There are usually some great free veggies to take home and try!
Trolley garden
All aboard! A mini train display runs throughout the Trolley Garden and kids can walk under the bridges and find all the trains! Kids can pretend they are the conductors and press the light up buttons in the train station to make it go.
During normal operation, theĀ nature center hosts cute nature programs as well as hands on things for kids to do. Check the Great Parks website for a calendar of events here.Ā
Stay for lunch. You can enjoy a snack or have packed lunch at the tables with umbrellas just past Natureās Niche Gifts & Books where you purchase your ticket to enter the garden. The gift shop has some really cool, unique gifts, so be sure to take a look around. It’s air conditioned, so it’s a great place to cool off!
