CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte, you can find Wing Haven Gardens & Bird Sanctuary. 

What You Need To Know

Wing Haven Gardens & Bird Sanctuary has been in business since 1927

The Wing Haven Foundation owns and operates three public gardens

The gardens are open Wednesday through Saturdays

The Wing Haven Foundation owns and operates the three public gardens: Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary, SEED Wildlife and Children’s Garden and Elizabeth Lawrence House and Garden. 

Elizabeth and Eddie Clarkson created the Wing Haven and Bird Sanctuary in 1927.

“People often come and say, I feel like I’m in my grandmother’s garden,” Wing Haven Executive Director Barrett Ranson said. 

It has vistas, formal gardens and woodland areas. The vegetation found here was developed to provide a habitat for birds. Every year 150 bird species are spotted in this area. 

Ranson said the benches, statues and plants take you back in time.

“It will always have that sort of Southern traditional feel to it when you're here as we work to restore it and get it back to its glory days,” Ranson said. 

Ten houses down from the Clarkson’s property, you find the Elizabeth Lawrence House and Garden. Lawrence, who died in 1985, is an internationally known garden writer. 

Andrea Sprott works as curator of the Elizabeth Lawrence House and Garden. 

“It’s more than a joy, it’s an honor and a pleasure,” Sprott said.  “[Lawrence] is considered to be one of the top three influencers in Southern horticulture.”  

Sprott uses Lawrence’s books to keep her legacy alive.

“I try to see the garden through her eyes because it is her garden. I try to bring her back to life through this space,” Sprott said. 

This space is also a local historic landmark by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark Commission and part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. It’s also listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. 

The SEED Wildlife and Children’s Garden, which opened to the public in 2018, is an outdoor learning and exploratory garden. 

Sprott is happy to have these gardens right in the city. 

“Three miles, if that, from Uptown. That’s awesome!” Sprott said. 

The gardens are open Wednesday through Saturday. Admission for nonmembers over the age of 10 is $10. 

For more information, visit here.