Which Gardens Can You Visit Through the National Tropical Botanical Garden?

Updated

The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) operates five gardens and preserves, and all five are listed on its website as visitable locations: Limahuli Garden & Preserve, Kahanu Garden & Preserve, Allerton Garden, McBryde Garden, and The Kampong. Four are in Hawaiʻi and one is in Miami, Florida. The site provides a "Browse Gardens" entry point and a "Book a Tour" option, so the practical way to decide is to pick the island or city you will actually be on, then check that garden's tour and booking details before you go.

The five NTBG gardens

Garden Location What it is known for (per NTBG)
Limahuli Garden & Preserve Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi A garden and preserve; part of NTBG's five-garden network
Kahanu Garden & Preserve Maui, Hawaiʻi A garden and preserve; part of the same network
Allerton Garden Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi One of the two Kauaʻi gardens in the NTBG group
McBryde Garden Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi The other Kauaʻi garden in the NTBG group
The Kampong Miami, Florida NTBG's continental U.S. garden; formerly the home of Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons, Miami-Dade County's first female doctor

NTBG describes its work as spanning "five botanical gardens and throughout the tropics," using a biocultural approach in which Indigenous knowledge, community priorities, and scientific research guide its path.

How to choose which one to visit

The deciding factor is geography, not preference:

  • If you are on Kauaʻi: you have three options — Limahuli, Allerton, and McBryde. Limahuli and Kahanu are described as "Garden & Preserve," which signals a combined cultivated-garden and natural-preserve experience, while Allerton and McBryde are listed simply as gardens.
  • If you are on Maui: Kahanu Garden & Preserve is the relevant choice.
  • If you are in or near Miami: The Kampong is the only NTBG site outside Hawaiʻi.

Because the site lists these as separate destinations rather than a single combined ticket, treat each as its own visit with its own logistics.

How to check tours and book

  1. Go to ntbg.org and use the Browse Gardens link to open the garden listings.
  2. Select the garden you are considering to see its own page.
  3. Use Book a Tour to see whether tours are offered and to reserve.

The homepage also carries a Recovering from Hurricane Lowell section with a "Kauaʻi Garden Recovery & Disaster Relief Update." If your plans involve the Kauaʻi gardens, read that update before booking, since access or operations may be affected.

Other NTBG resources worth knowing

Beyond visiting, the site links to research and reference tools that may matter if your interest is botanical rather than touristic:

  • Tropical Plant Database
  • Herbarium Search
  • Library
  • Living Collections
  • Breadfruit Institute, which NTBG describes as promoting the conservation, study, and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation

NTBG also publishes material such as Common Mosses of the Hawaiian Islands, a 100-page pocket guide, and has added a seed X-ray machine that lets staff see inside a seed without opening it.

Practical notes

  • NTBG is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (Federal Tax ID: 52-6057064).
  • Contact: (808) 332-7324, [email protected].
  • Membership is offered, including renewal and gift options, if you expect to visit more than once or want to support the gardens.
  • The site does not state tour prices or admission costs on the homepage, so confirm those on the individual garden pages or at the point of booking rather than assuming any garden is free.