Worlds of Fun Await Kids in This Wisconsin Book-Inspired Garden

Books and travel have a fun way of fitting together, especially when kids get in on the action. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a destination known for its family-friendly atmosphere, Bookworm Gardens brings worlds to life for kids in a botanical garden, perfect for families visiting.

We all had our favorite books as children, and our kids enjoy many of those same stories growing up today. At Bookworm Gardens, see those books come to life before your eyes in a space marrying children’s literature with nature for a unique experience everyone can enjoy.

This botanic garden first opened more than two decades ago, but the joy it brings to families seems to grow stronger each year. There are more than 80 different garden spaces to explore, each one designed after a different children’s book. You can visit the Magic School Bus, explore Winnie the Pooh’s house, or paint with Harold and his purple crayon.

The gardens are open from May through October, so you’ll get to enjoy a changing landscape through the seasons. Different events hosted throughout the year also offer something great for each season, like the upcoming Happily Haunted, happening on select days throughout October, when the gardens will be decked out in kid-friendly style with plenty of Halloween-themed activities just for the spooky season. There is even an opportunity to bring your furry four-legged friends for some Halloween fun on the one night a year dogs are allowed in the park for the Happily Haunted Hounds event, happening this year on Oct. 9.

For many visitors, however, it isn’t the season or the scenery that makes them fall in love with Bookworm Gardens, it’s seeing their favorite stories and characters come to life and getting the opportunity to step into those worlds that ordinarily only live inside our heads as we read. Whether you want to walk, play or simply sit and read a good book, Bookworm Gardens is the perfect outing for the whole family.