I love going to Lauritzen Gardens with my kids. In my 20’s I volunteered there and gave tours to school kids. I typically give some version of the tour to my kids each time. Unfortunately, I only get out there twice a year. I feel like the stars have to align between weather, my level of crabiness and the kids level of whining. “My legs hurt… I’m thirsty… How much farther?” You get the idea. I’m a firm believer in looking my kids in the face and saying, “keep complaining and we are leaving.” If they keep griping, I actually grab their tiny hands and walk out. It’s beautiful. Now, if I pay $15 to get in, I’m staying the whole day.
If you pay attention there are enough free opportunities. You can still walk out if the kids turn into little monsters and not feel like you wasted your money. We spent 2 hours there, spent zero dollars and had a great time.