Once upon a time there was an idea. Like most ideas, it started with a question: what if you could bring your favorite children’s book to life? What if you could hop aboard the magic school bus? Meet the three bears? Create your own world with Harold and a purple crayon? Over 25 years ago, a woman in Sheboygan, Wisconsin named Sandy Livermore had an idea – she wanted to bring books to life one garden at a time. The idea took root and became Bookworm Gardens.

Bookworm is a botanic garden based on children's literature with a mission to inspire the love of books and nature in the young and young at heart. Learn more about our founding and history. We are open May through October and house over 80 different garden spaces, each inspired by a children’s book. Bookworm Gardens opened in 2010 and since then we’ve been busy with beloved events for all ages, field trips, summer camps, Nature School, and so much more. We encourage our community to visit, explore, and become connected with the natural world.

Bookworm Gardens is a grassroots non-profit organization that values community connections. Over the past twenty years thousands of people have volunteered their time, talents and treasures to get us where we are today.

In a world of uncertainty, the Gardens have become a place of joy. We’ve proven that even the smallest seed of an idea can grow into something amazing. With the help of our community, we can continue to write the next chapter in our story so that Bookworm Gardens can not only be a place where books come to life, but where outdoor learning and nature exploration can thrive.

For more information about how you can get involved, check out the links below.