Reiman Gardens has been blooming and growing in Ames for three decades
As the popular Iowa attraction celebrates its milestone 30th birthday, it is holding a Botanical Bash from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. The party will feature live music by the Dustin West Band, a drone show, silent auction and inflatable play areas for children.
Reiman Gardens is a 17-acre botanical garden near the Iowa State Center and Jack Trice Stadium.
It is frequently listed as one of Iowa’s favorite attractions. In November 2023, Reiman was named to a prestigious list of the “Top 10 North American Gardens Worth Traveling For.”
How Reiman Gardens got its start
On Sept. 16, 1995, the garden’s five acres were dedicated on the Iowa State University campus, replacing a smaller horticulture garden that had been on campus since 1914.
ISU’s original garden was near the Horticultural Research Station before it was moved to a three-quarter-acre site next to the ISU Power Plant in 1964.
The move to its current site was inspired by a conversation between alumnus Roy Reiman and then ISU President Martin Jischke in the early 1990s, hoping to enhance the entrance to the Iowa State campus.
Big donation sparks Reiman Gardens’ namesake
Reiman Gardens is named after Roy and Bobbi Reiman, who donated $1.3 million to help fund the creation of the gardens.
“Truthfully, when the idea first came to mind of having an attractive garden at the entrance to the Iowa State University campus, the concept wasn’t anything as grand and sizeable as it eventually became,” said Roy Reiman, who passed away at age 90 on Sept. 16, 2024.
Construction began on the Children’s Garden in 1998, followed by the creation of the Town and Country Garden and Lake Helen.
The Hughes Conservatory and Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing were added in 2002. The butterfly building is home to about 800 live butterflies representing up to 80 different species.
Sycamore Falls was added to the south end of Reiman in 2021. The area features a waterfall, stream and a night-lit tower.
Reiman hosts a number of events and exhibits throughout the year. Spirits in the Gardens features more than 1,000 hand-carved jack-‘o-lanterns and trick-or-treating.
Art exhibits, orchid competitions, quilt shows and the Winter Wonderscape light display are among the many other events.
A big birthday for a massive gnome
Reiman Gardens added Elwood, the world’s largest concrete gnome, in 2010. Standing 15 feet tall and weighing 3,500 pounds, the big fella was named after the street that runs past the gardens before it was changed to University Boulevard in 2007.
Reiman Gardens will hold a birthday party for Elwood starting at noon on Monday, Sept. 15. Guests can help sing “Happy Birthday” to the gnome at about 2:45 p.m.
If you bring Elwood a birthday card with your address on it, he will send you a response.
Regular ticket prices are $16 for adult general public, $14 for members and ISU students, $7 for kids ages 2 to 12. Children two and under are free.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Reiman Gardens turns 30 with a Botanical Bash, featuring drones, music and an auction
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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