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West of the Lake Gardens
4.8 ★★★★★ 432 Google reviews · Lakefront wedding venue in Manitowoc, Wisconsin · 0.5 mi to the lakeshore
These serene, flower-filled gardens along Lake Michigan are open seasonally & offer free admission.
Plan your tour
- Setting lakefront venue, 0.5 mi to the lakeshore — verified by its distance to a real shoreline
- Phone (920) 684-6110
- Website westfoundation.us — most venues book tours right on their site
On the property
What couples highlight
“It’s not a big area, but absolutely packed with gorgeous flower beds and manicured paths and breathtaking lakefront views.”
From the reviews
What a great space! It's free to enjoy some of the best cared for flora (and more) around. Truly an extremely relaxing setting and the beat kept lawn I've had the pleasure of walking on. My friend took her shoes off and said it felt great to walk on. In the 50's there were at one point more than 30,000 tulips!
A must see when visiting Manitowoc- absolutely breathtaking gardens, trees and view of Lake Michigan. You can tell how much love and planning goes into keeping this garden so meticulous. I recommend taking time to look at all the fish in the serene pond and sitting in the periwinkle chairs by the fountain.
A beautiful public garden! We went in the beginning of October, and it was COLD, but the flowers were still stunning! The lake in the background makes for a view you won't soon forget. The combination of colors and varieties of flowers, hastas, succulents, and foliage is breathtaking!
Absolutely SUPERB display of natural colors, texture and fragrance with the sound of the Great Lake's waves lapping the shore. Whoever designed this year's fall garden really out did themselves.
Getting married at West of the Lake Gardens
West of the Lake Gardens is a public beach or park, so a ceremony here almost always needs a permit from the managing city, county, or state parks office — and the rules matter: many public beaches cap your guest count, set ceremony windows, and restrict what you can set up (some ban chairs, arches, and amplified sound entirely). There's no on-site coordinator, catering, or weather backup, so you'll bring your own vendors and a rain plan. The payoff is a stunning setting at a fraction of a private venue's cost. Start with our public-beach permit guide, then call the local office to confirm this season's rules.
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