I visited the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden in Mahomet, IL on Oct 3rd, 2025. There is a nice plaque in the gardens in which Mr. Gelvin dedicates the botanical garden to Mrs. Gelvin. The gardens, right next to the Lake of the Woods park, were about a 27 minute drive from my apartment in Urbana, IL.
Entrance to Botanical Gardens
It's a small but very well maintained Botanical Garden. Walking around was very relaxing and a good way to pass ~1 hour.
Black swallowtail
I captured some pictures of some garden buddies.
Fall decorations
It was very well decorated with some Fall decorations recently placed. The gardens were relatively empty without too many people.
Very pretty water fixture and bridge
I got to sit around this and relax. The weather was very nice, with a small breeze. The water had many lily pads.
Water lilies
The water was also full of MANY koi fish. It was a surprise to see this in IL. The biggest fish seemed to be fighting the smaller ones.
Koi fish party
After thoroughly enjoying the Botanical Gardens, I walked over to the "Museum of the Grand Prairie". I was surprised to find a nuanced collection of historical elements related to various history around IL and the prairie. There was a large focus on elements related to Abraham Lincoln, with many stories of his time in the IL/Urbana/surrounding area.
Museum of the Grand Prairie
On the way home, I did stop by and scout the "Alto Vineyards", which seems like could be a good time with friends, slightly outside the city. I met a lady there who coincidentally was in charge of classroom/building renovations in MSEB, and talked to her about her work at the U of I for a while.
Overall, both the gardens and the museum were enjoyable. This will probably conclude my visits to Mahomet, IL.