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Atlanta Botanical Garden closes through March 30

The Earth Goddess sculpture is shown at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, Ga., on Thursday, June 6, 2019. The sculpture was part of the “Imaginary Worlds” show at the garden in 2013. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
The Earth Goddess sculpture is shown at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, Ga., on Thursday, June 6, 2019. The sculpture was part of the “Imaginary Worlds” show at the garden in 2013. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
By Rosalind Bentley
March 14, 2020

UPDATE: The Garden is now closed through April 30

In a reversal, the Atlanta Botanical Garden announced Saturday afternoon it will be closed through March 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure includes both campuses of the popular attraction, in Midtown and in Gainesville. On Thursday garden president and CEO Mary Pat Matheson announced the gardens would remain open to the public, “as an outdoor oasis of beauty, peace and tranquility during these stressful times.” The garden had pledged to aggressively clean public areas, but by Saturday, leadership announced it would close “out of concern for guests, staff and volunteers.”

The garden is a major attraction in Atlanta, drawing around 525,000 visitors during some of its recent exhibitions, such as the “Imaginary Worlds” show.

About the Author

Rosalind Bentley is an award-winning feature writer focusing on culture, arts and sometimes food, as they are expressed and experienced in Atlanta. She is a two-time James Beard Award finalist and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

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