Join us each Tuesday evening in June for a series of musical performances set in the beauty of the Gardens.
Admission is free, and no registration is required. Bring your friends and family, and don’t forget your chairs, blankets, and picnics (allowed in the Gardens on concert evenings only). Food trucks will be available for purchase. All concerts located on the Visitor Center lawn.
Can’t make it to Tuesday night’s concert? You’re in luck because Wheaton Regional Park in Silver Spring, has a little of something for everyone including an ice skating rink, primitive campsites, riding stable, fishing and an indoor tennis center. And for families, the 500 acres of trails and playground are perfect for an afternoon of play, and link directly to the beautiful Brookside Gardens.
Quick Look at Wheaton Regional Park & Brookside Garden
Address: 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: 301-962-1400
Website: montgomeryparks.org
Admission: Free
Parking: Free
Restrooms: Yes
Pets: Pet on a leash in the Wheaton Regional Park only; Pets are not allowed in Brookside Gardens.
Train Rides: Tuesday thru Sunday; $2.50/person
Fun for Kids
The Shorefield area of the park features the newly remodeled Adventure Playground. Slides of all sizes encourage daredevils and reassure the youngest kids with the range of selection. Multiple climbing structures include nets and a wall. And then there are so many concrete animals surrounding a sandy play area that it’s hard for kids to decide if they want to operate a sand digger or sit on a gigantic play animal.
Once your kids have had enough time playing hard, you can take a two-mile ride on the miniature train or the 106-year old carousel complete with 33 jumping horses, three zebras and two chariots. Tickets are required to ride the train.
Exploring the whole park
This part of the park is surrounded by grassy areas and tall trees, perfect for picnicking or tossing a frisbee. There are 11 miles of trails, four of which are stroller accessible. Brookside Gardens cover 50 acres of landscaped aquatic, azalea, butterfly, rose, and Japanese-style gardens. It’s not unusual to see turtles, butterflies and colorful birds in the gardens.
The Conservatory is open daily from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. It features plants from around the world as well as fragrant plants such as snapdragons, rose-scented geranium, myrtle, and tricolor sage. Within the conservatory, there is a butterfly display that you can visit for free.
Brookside Nature Center, open on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm, is a short walk from the conservatory and had a parking lot adjacent to the building. There are indoor and outdoor observation areas as part of the nature center. A live animal display includes animals that have been injured and are rehabilitating, and an active beehive helps kids understand the lives of bees.
This is a mega-park filled with adventure opportunities that everyone in your family is sure to enjoy.
-Donna Jefferson
