Sensory Garden

A sensory garden is an accessible outdoor space for visitors of all ages and abilities to engage with and enjoy plants that evoke the five senses.

We hope visitors to the garden find rest and relaxation, connect with nature through touch, smell and sight, and explore the link between creativity and the natural world. Built in September 2020, the Sensory Garden is a site for many creative experiences at the DAM, including our creative aging programs that aim to support healthy aging and wellbeing of our older visitors.

The Denver Botanic Gardens carefully selected plants that will thrive in the garden’s unique environment and that create immersive multisensory experiences. Kevin Philip Williams, Manager of Horticulture, designed distinct planting layouts for each of the beds and has carefully guided the growth and care of the garden.

Didier Design Studio, a landscape architecture firm in Fort Collins, Colorado, designed, fabricated and installed the raised planter beds that provide the foundation of the west garden. The architecture of the surrounding building, designed by Gio Ponti, inspired the shape, color and features of the garden planter design.

Learn more about the design of the WATER, WOOD and SKY planting beds in this blog by Kevin Philip Williams.

The entrance to the Sensory Garden can be accessed through the lower level of the Martin Building. From the main entrance, please use the stairs or elevator to reach the Lower Level, then exit through the glass doors into the Kemper Courtyard. Once you get outside, follow the green signs to the north side of the building.

The best time to visit the garden is May through October. Please be aware the garden will close during inclement weather. Check the visitor services desk at either building for more information about accessing the garden.

Can’t make it to the garden in person? Look through these photographs to transport yourself, and enjoy botanical illustrations by Colorado-based artists inspired by the plants in our Sensory Garden.