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Iowa Arboretum & Gardens
4.7 ★★★★★ 409 Google reviews · Greenhouse wedding venue in Madrid, Iowa
This 348-acre reserve has self-guided woodland trails with scenic overlooks, deep ravines & streams.
Plan your tour
- Pets “Dogs are welcome to tour the grounds with you.”
- Today see hours ·
- Phone +1 515-795-3216
- Website iowaarboretum.org — most venues book tours right on their site
Hours
| Monday | 9 am–4 pm |
| Tuesday | 9 am–4 pm |
| Wednesday | 9 am–4 pm |
| Thursday | 9 am–4 pm |
| Friday | 9 am–4 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am–4 pm |
| Sunday | 10 am–4 pm |
The setting
“We had a whole thing set up for guests to explore around and despite the heat of our chosen day, many people got to experience the arboretum in all its glory.”
Amenities, with proof
“Includes a pond with fountain.” — the venue's website
“The treehouse area has wheelchair accessible swings as well as the tree houses are wheelchair accessible.”
What couples say again and again
“The attached kitchen made hosting a breeze, and the pre-lit backdrop with sheer curtains made for a beautiful and easy photo op.”
“The attached kitchen made hosting a breeze, and the pre-lit backdrop with sheer curtains made for a beautiful and easy photo op.”
“It seems like the arboretum focuses a great deal on rentals and events more so than education.”
“There was plenty of parking.”
Why it's listed — and what we can confirm
- Glass / botanical setting — “Iowa Arboretum & Gardens”
- Hosts weddings or events — “We had our wedding here and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
- Hosts weddings — “Weddings”
From the reviews
The Grounds are so pretty, but really it is the Staff that went so over and beyond for us. We had our wedding here and it will always hold a special place in our hearts. I do wish their venue space would stay open later, but they do what they can. Kim was amazing to work with, so kind and accommodating.
I have been here twice. We attended a wedding reception outdoors in the spring and it was gorgeous! The grounds were lovely and we enjoyed the little schoolhouse as well as the plants and flowers. This winter we attended an indoor baby shower for the same couple. The room was spacious and included a kitchen.
Very pretty outside. As you walk the paths, you can smell the flowers and trees in the air. Beautiful for outdoor weddings, if that is your thing. The staff is amazing. Very polite and helpful.
Events room: Wow! We rented this room for 4 hours on a Saturday (11:30-3:30) to host a garden tea party themed baby shower. It’s was extremely reasonably priced ($30/hr!) which was the best of any rate I found in the Ames area. Jenna was friendly and helpful, as were the other staff who greeted us upon arrival.
Getting married at Iowa Arboretum & Gardens
Iowa Arboretum & Gardens comes up for weddings — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the tour worth it. First, see the glass house at the time of day and season you'd actually get married — the light pouring through the panes at golden hour is the whole reason to book one, but a greenhouse at noon in July feels very different from one at dusk in October, so ask about temperature and shade for your date and walk the path your guests take from parking to ceremony to reception. Second, bring the questions that only matter for a glass venue: is it heated and air-conditioned (the single most important question), what months do they actually book, is there shade cloth or diffusing glass for midday glare, what's the humidity like in summer, are candles or open flame allowed near the plants, and exactly what's included — tables, chairs, setup, and teardown are where quotes quietly diverge. Glass venues are intimate and popular dates book 12–18 months out, so if the tour feels right, ask what's open in your season before you leave.
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