The Botanical Center in Providence, RI

It may be hard to believe, but there is a place in New England where palm trees and desert cacti, among other exotic plants, thrive. Located in Providence’s Roger Williams Park, the Botanical Center offers 12,000 square feet of indoor greenhouse area. Here, you can saunter along indoor paths or rest at one of the many benches. Either way, you can imagine that you’re exploring a tropical paradise and escape whatever harsh weather Mother Nature is throwing at New England. Make sure you also visit The fish pond, the turtle, and the goats!

Tropical Environment

As you enter the Botanical Center’s main foyer, you’re greeted by warm, humid air, which is quite welcome if you’re visiting during the cold winter months. The first site is the fountain you see above, and around it are all sorts of tropical plants that wouldn’t stand a chance in our normal climate. Just walking around in this area makes you feel as if you’re in Florida.

It could be minus 30 outside…you’d never know it by looking at these palm trees.

Obviously, there’s the obligatory “I’m standing next to a palm tree in winter” photo.

Fish Pond!

There’s even a fish pond. Watching the fish wander in the water is very relaxing.

Of course, the little kid in me had to get a picture of my face next to this leaf.

Isn’t that leaf huge? It’s unbeleafable! (That’s right, I said that.)

The Desert

There’s also an area with desert plants that includes many varieties of cacti (I much as I’d love to say ‘cactuses,’ it’s just not right…). Walking around this area, you’ll feel as if you’re out west in one of America’s deserts.

botanical center providence roger williams aloe plant desert cactus — This has got to be the biggest aloe plant I’ve ever seen!

botanical center roger williams desert cactus — This is one tall cactus!

botanical garden roger williams cactus desert

Gardening

While you could consider all of the Botanical Center a type of garden, there is also a section of a greenhouse dedicated to vegatable growing.

botanical center roger williams providence garden

A Turtle and Goats!

Plants aren’t the only living things that call the Botanical Center their home. We also came across a turtle, who was anything but camera shy! When I put away my camera, he was visibly upset.

Below are just a few of the pictures I took while Mr. Turtle was hamming it up for the camera. The picture above shows his reaction when I stopped taking photos. I don’t speak turtle well, but he doesn’t look very happy that his photoshoot was coming to an end.

The Botanical Center also houses goats! They’re located outside. One was very happy to have company, and he “baaaaaaheed” quite a bit while we were there. After a few minutes, all of them starting “baaaaahing.” We thought they were just really excited to have company, but little did we know, their caretaker was approaching and it was feeding time. This small herd of goats plays a vital role in helping to maintain the Botanical Center’s outdoor grounds.

More Pictures!

When I visit a place like the Botanical Center, I like to take a lot of pictures. While my photographs can’t take the place of actually visiting it yourself, they’ll be able to give you an idea of what it’s like. I hope the shots below inspire you to make your own journey the Botanical Center!