Bellingrath Gardens and Home

Bellingrath Gardens and Home, a 65-acre estate garden and historic home on Fowl River in south Mobile County, offers blooms and beauty every day of the year. Guests are invited to explore two miles of pathways through the Gardens on a self-guided walking tour. Bellingrath Gardens and Home, which first opened to the public in 1932, is the state's oldest public garden. The Gardens and Home are open year-round, daily, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bellingrath is closed just three days a year: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days. Bellingrath Gardens and Home has special events throughout the year. Guests especially enjoy touring the Gardens during the spring Azalea Bloom Out; the Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums in November; and the spectacular Magic Christmas in Lights display. The annual Azalea Bloom Out usually reaches its peak of color in early to mid March, and features the blooms of thousands of mature azaleas, many originally planted by the Bellingraths. The display is enhanced by beautiful spring blooms throughout the Gardens, including tulips, daffodils and delphiniums. The Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums display is installed in late October and continues through November. This show, the nation's largest outdoor chrysanthemum display, features colorful, four-foot-long cascades of chrysanthemums on bridges and balconies throughout the Gardens. Magic Christmas in Lights is one of the nation's premier holiday light shows. The extensive display includes 3 million lights, 15 scenes and 1,100 set pieces. The entire show is designed, built and maintained at Bellingrath by three full-time employees. Magic Christmas in Lights opens on the day after Thanksgiving and continues nightly through December 31 each year.