Virginia is a country of many slogans, but one of them describes Virginia perfectly. In 1968, Virginia got a new slogan to boost tourism. That slogan was so powerful, that even today many people are associating Virginia with it. The slogan is Virginia is for lovers, and many couples, newlyweds, and married couples are visiting Virginia. It’s not a surprise that many people who are in love visit Virginia because Virginia has many romantic places to offer, and it is the perfect holiday destination. As a result, we created the most romantic date destination in Virginia.
Virginia is packed with romantic places to visit, and romantic activities to do. From romantic strolls in small romantic cities, to camping at the lake, or visiting Virginia Beach, there are many options. But from that many options, there must be the winner of the most romantic date destination. After lots of thinking, we decided that the winner of the most romantic date destination in Virginia is the Norfolk Botanical Garden. In this blog post, we will explain to you why the Norfolk Botanical Garden is the most romantic date destination in Virginia.
NORFOLK BOTANICAL GARDEN
Norfolk Botanical Garden has been listed as 3rd best botanical garden by Fodor’s Travel website in 2023. It is no wonder because Norfolk Botanical Garden has 60 different gardens to explore. Every garden is thematic and unique. We created a list of the most romantic parts of the garden and activities to create the most remarkable date. Also, the Norfolk Botanical Garden was the place of a monumental love story.
THE LOVE STORY IN THE NORFOLK BOTANICAL GARDEN
The love story started in 2003. And like every monumental love story, it had a tragic end. The Norfolk Botanical Garden was a chosen place for a pair of American bald eagles. One day in 2003, they moved into the Norfolk Botanical Garden and started their life there. They enjoyed spending time together, and they often had little birds. Their love story became very popular. People around the world were watching the eagle cam to see how eagles were enjoying time together and raising the baby birds. The American bald eagles had 19 eaglets.
Despite their love and popularity, their love story ended tragically. The female American bald eagle was killed by an airplane in 2011. To commemorate the American bald eagles love story, Norfolk Botanical Garden built Eagle Tribute Plaza. There you can find a memorial for the American bald eagles love story.
Besides the memorial for the love story, Norfolk Botanical Garden offers many gardens where you can enjoy exceptional nature while creating romantic moments with your significant other.
THE ROSE GARDEN
The Rose Garden is home to more than 3000 roses and more than 300 different types of roses. In the language of flowers, roses symbolize love, and there is nothing better than exploring a Rose Garden while you are holding hands with your partner. Stroll in the Rose Garden is extremely romantic, and do not forget to take photos together. Besides roses, in the Rose Garden you will find fountains, and sitting areas to enjoy the roses. Most importantly, the roses are at the height of bloom in mid-May, through October, and that is the best time to enjoy the Rose Garden.
ENCHANTED FOREST
Love is a fairytale, and in a fairytale, there is always an Enchanted Forest. In Norfolk Botanical Garden you can enter the Enchanted Forest, and give a sprinkle of magic dust to your romantic date location. The Enchanted Forest is secluded and perfect for a stroll and picnic. Like in the fairytale, Norfolk Botanical Garden’s Enchanted Forest has a lake too.
MIRROR LAKE
Mirror Lake is a stunning garden. It is located next to the lake, and you can see the reflection of the forest in the lake. Also, it is home to animals, and you can do birdwatching there, or say hello to the forest ducks that are chilling next to a lake. This area is the oldest part of the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
SUNKEN GARDEN
Sunken Garden is a hidden gem and an extremely intimate part of the garden. It is a very peaceful part, and perfect for a romantic picnic, or a rest stop. In Sunken Garden you will find a small pool filled with plants.
FRAGRANCE GARDEN
The Fragrance Garden is a place where you can enjoy the wonderful fragrance of the plants. It has plants that are blossoming at different times of the year, therefore you will find a delightful smell whenever you visit the garden. Later you can buy candles or air fresheners with the smell of the plants that you smelled during your visit, to have a reminder of a romantic day.
THE RENAISSANCE GARDEN
One of the most breathtaking parts of the Norfolk Botanical Garden. The Renaissance period is one of the most romantic periods in history, and it started in Italy. It is no wonder that the Norfolk Botanical Garden chose to create a garden to celebrate the Renaissance. The Renaissance Garden represents Italy and the Renaissance. It has magnificent design, and strolling there you will feel like you are in Italy. It has statues, fountains, a pool, little canals, and a vibe of Italy in the 16th century. There is also a coronation court where they have the crowning ceremony of the International Azalea Queen.
THE SENSORY GARDEN
The Sensory Garden is a perfect place to include all of your senses and have joyful moments with your partner. In The Sensory Garden, you can smell, or touch all the plants. Play a sensory guessing game, take turns, and try to guess the plant that you are touching or smelling with closed eyes. Who guessed the most plants is a winner.
THE HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN
The Hummingbird Garden is a vivacious part of the Norfolk Botanical Garden. The hummingbirds are adorable, and they are living in the Hummingbird Garden. They chose this part of the garden because of the delicious plants that are growing there. Stop at the Hummingbird Garden, and have a picnic with the hummingbirds.
BRISTOW BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Did you know that butterflies are the symbol of eternal love? The Norfolk Botanical Garden has the Bristow Butterfly Garden. There you can learn about butterflies, and see the nectar and moonlight garden. This garden is designed to attract butterflies and create a safe space for them.
Besides, they also have a huge butterfly maze that you can explore. In addition, Bristow Butterfly Garden has an indoor space – Butterfly House. Step inside, take a stroll in the house filled with butterflies, and become a fairy for a moment. Take selfies while butterflies are flying around you.
NATO TOWER
Furthermore, you can enjoy the lookout spot in the Norfolk Botanical Garden. It is called NATO Tower in honor of the NATO Organisation because they have headquarters of North America here in Norfolk. The Nato Tower is located in the middle of the botanical garden, and it is the perfect place to enjoy the magnificent view of the botanical garden from above.
AIRPORT OVERLOOK
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is next to the Norfolk International Airport. Because of being neighbors, Norfolk Botanical Garden has an Airport Overlook part where you can learn about the airport, and planes, and track the airport traffic. It is a unique opportunity to learn how the airport works and get an inside look. Maybe it will inspire you to plan your next romantic getaway and remember the ones you had.
NOT AN ORDINARY BOTANICAL GARDEN
Despite being a botanical garden, the Norfolk Botanical Garden wanted to be different and give a unique and extraordinary experience that you will remember forever.
Picnic is allowed in the park, and they even encourage you to have one. The only rule they have is to leave the garden as you find it so that you and others can enjoy it for a long time to come.
Take a tram ride through the Norfolk Botanical Garden. They created a 25-minute-long tram route where you can observe the park. It has 9 stops so that you can easily get to the part of the garden you want to experience.
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is located at Lake Whitehurst, and because of the location, they are offering boat tours. Hop on the boat tour, and catch one of the most romantic sunsets while you are in the arms of your love.
What’s more, The Norfolk Botanical Garden is hosting workshops. They are covering various topics, and one of the topics is cooking. Sign up for a cooking class in The Norfolk Botanical Garden, and learn how to cook a new meal. Together you can cook the meal that you learned in the garden, and remember the romantic date you experienced in the garden.
Besides being home to many plants, The Norfolk Botanical Garden is also home to art pieces. In the outside part of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, you can find sculptures of humans, animals, and plants. They even have a statue of the mermaid. You can play a sculpture hunt game together. Search for the statues in the park, and take a selfie for a memory (you can find the list of the sculptures on the website of the garden). Inside part of the Norfolk Botanical Garden is hosting many temporary exhibitions.
In summary, our choice of the most romantic date destination in Virginia is the Norfolk Botanical Garden. We chose this location because it is packed with romantic gardens where you can enjoy a picnic. Besides that, you can hang out with the animals, or do a sculpture hunt in the outside part of the garden. There is also a monument to a Norfolk Botanical Garden monumental love story and a breathtaking viewpoint. The Norfolk Botanical Garden also offers a part where you can learn how the airport works. You can track the flights from Norfolk International Airport because the airport is placed next to the garden.
The Norfolk Botanical Garden offers many romantic date activities, and because of its diversity, it’s our winner of the most romantic date destination in Virginia. The Norfolk Botanical Garden is located in the south part of Virginia, and it is very close to the Ride Rental Car office.
No matter which romantic activity you choose to experience in the Norfolk Botanical Garden, we are sure that you will create unforgettable memories. Ride Rental Cars offer the most affordable car rental rates in Southern Virginia so that you can spend more on creating memories, not a car rental. With our low car rental prices and our guide of the most romantic date destination in Virginia, we are sure that you will enjoy a romantic getaway with your partner.
