The Gardens of Old Salem
Join us this summer in the garden for guided tours, exclusive speakers, extraordinary exhibits, and more!
Gardens Speaker Series
Join us for a series of events focused on the Gardens of Old Salem, tips for your own garden, and the history of various plants found in Old Salem and throughout the southeast!
All sessions will take place at 12:00 PM in the Single Brothers Workshop. Sliding scale program fee, pay what you can. Pre-registration is required for all sessions individually as space is limited.
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW – click your preferred date!
JULY 16TH
JULY 19TH
Ask a Gardener
For the first in our series, join the gardeners of Old Salem for an interactive community panel where you can ask anything about our gardens – or yours! Our multigenerational team is ready to share their knowledge and help you grow with confidence.
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW – click your preferred date!
AUGUST 20TH
AUGUST 23RD
Moravian Botanists and Plant Collectors: A Global Legacy
Travel through time and across continents as we trace the stories of Moravian botanists and plant collectors whose curiosity, faith, and fieldwork wove a global tapestry of plants and people.
September 10th and 13th: Heirloom Apples
Celebrate the beginning of the fall harvest with this lecture discussing the importance of apple trees to the Moravians and North Carolina while sampling centuries-old apple varieties.
October 15th and 18th: Forgotten Fruits
Discover the lost tree fruit varieties of the South and learn more about the ongoing efforts to not only preserve them, but reintroduce them to local foodscapes.
November 12th and 15th: Seed Saving
Learn the art of seed saving and how Old Salem’s historically authentic plant collection preserves regionally adapted heirlooms – while exploring how you can help steward this living legacy in the Piedmont.
Guided Tours
Join our educators for a themed guided tour of our Gardens, included with your standard ticket!
Click here to get yours today!
June 8th – August 30th: Pollinator Tours
This summer, explore our Gardens and discover how pollinators like Monarch butterflies and native bees help our flowers and crops thrive on guided walking tours through blooming landscapes.
Fridays and Saturdays | 11:30 AM & 1:00 PM
August 15th – August 16th: World Honey Bee Day
Celebrate World Honey Bee Day with our History of Beekeeping walking tour!
11:30 AM & 1:00 PM
September 6th – September 27th: Apple Tree Tour
Make this tree tour the apple of your eye! Learn about social and environmental factors which affected the apple orchards of historical Wachovia.
Saturdays | 11:30 AM & 1:00 PM
October 18th and October 25th : Harvest Tour
Join our educators for a stroll through the gardens to learn about the uses of our bountiful harvest and get a closer look at our growing produce.
11:30 AM & 1:00 PM
November 1st – November 22nd : After the Harvest: Compost Tour
What happens after the growing season? Come find out in a behind-the-scenes exploration of what crops are doing at the end of their life cycle.
Saturdays | 11:30 AM & 1:00 PM
Exhibits and Self-Guided Tours
Enjoy our upcoming exhibits and explore the Gardens at your own pace.
Exhibits available for viewing as long as nature allows.
No separate ticket necessary! These Gardens exhibits are included with your standard ticket.
Click here to reserve your spot!
June 14th – July 30th: Red, White, and Bloom
Celebrate this season with our most vibrant red and white flowers at their peak.
June 30th : Monarch Butterfly Lifecycle
Visit the Monarch butterfly enclosure in the Horticulture Center to witness these fascinating insects transform from tiny caterpillars to chrysalises and finally into beautiful butterflies.
September 3rd : Ghosts of Gardens Past Exhibit
This autumn, learn about past botanists, gardeners, and foresters of Salem as well as long lost gardens and endangered plant varieties.
October 4th : Eye Spy Garden Plants
Solve the riddles of this self-guided tour to catch a glimpse of the plants growing in the Gardens of Old Salem.
November 8th : Holiday Evergreens
Adventure through Old Salem’s winter wonderland at your own pace to get a closer look at many of our evergreen trees and shrubs.
November 12th: Holiday Evergreens Exhibit
Visit the Garden Education Center this holiday season to learn the natural history of native evergreens used as winter decor throughout history.