One of my favorite gardens! So beautiful and much bigger than I anticipated. I loved the educational section on growing produce/farming for children. If I lived in Durham, I’d come here all the time to read, picnic, and take a stroll. And it’s free! (Just $2/hr for parking). Photos were taken 10/31/21, so some of the flowers weren’t blooming. Would visit again in the Spring.

GARDEN OF EDEN QUALITY!!! 😮😮😮 Hands down thee most amazing floral botanical garden in the state of North Carolina and definitely in the Top Ten in the entire nation! We have visited here probably 50-100 times in the 20 years we’ve lived here in Raleigh. Words cannot describe the variety of the beauty of Creator God’s handiwork and creativity that you will see here. GO!!! VISIT!!! BE AMAZED!!! You’ve never seen anything like it! The month of May has always been my favorite time to go. Bring your camera, a picnic lunch, and ENJOY YOURSELF! Thee most beautiful free garden you will find anywhere! I literally shoot HUNDREDS of photos every time I come here, it is simply INSPIRING! THANK YOU, DUKE UNIVERSITY!!!

This botanical garden took me by surprise! It looks small from the road but it is quite large with plenty of walking paths. Even though it was moderately busy when i went it didn’t feel like it since there’s so much space to walk around in! All the flowers, bushes, and other plants are meticulously maintained and it truly is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens I’ve ever been to.

The gardens are beautiful and serene. Even on a weekend with a fair amount of visitors, we had a lovely family trip. I especially love that they have a small outbuilding where you can treat yourself to some ice pops. In the rising NC temperatures, it was wonderful.

It's absolutely stunning, and it's a fantastic spot for a scenic stroll and photography. There's a lot to see, so you'll probably need to come back a couple of times depending on your mood for a long, long walk. A beautiful body of water with this adorable red bridge is only a small part of the scenic beauty that this park has to offer. It's also completely free. ( Parking is only $2/hr) unfortunately gift shop was closed because of private even.

Absolutely gorgeous and a great place for a scenic stroll and family photography. There's quite a lot of it to see, it'll probably take a couple of visits depending on your mood for a long, long walk. Beautiful water body with this cute red bridge is only a small part of the scenic beauty this park offers.

These gardens are a pleasant surprise. You will need more than one hour to enjoy the place . Lots of cute spots along with the pond, the fountains . By the plants they have, I can say it's the prettiest at spring, but you can enjoy it all sumer long They have packing and the is free entrance.

Wow!! We were blown away by how beautiful and well kept everything was. You do have to have cash for parking. It was $2.00 per hour. It would be a great place for family pictures and can’t wait to go back to have a picnic there. Lot’s of shade and areas to place picnic blanket and sit with the family. They do have restrooms around the area and it is very helpful with little ones.

Went here Saturday before Father’s Day around 10am. Both parking lots at address were full but huge overflow parking just a couple houses down street. One of the biggest and better botanical gardens we have been too. Lots to see and walk around. Plan 2 hours of walking. Had bathrooms onsite as well! They should charge admission it’s that amazing, but all you pay is $2 parking. This is a must see for all at cost of free admission.

If you are planning to visit this place, do the following: 1. Have lots of energy saved up 2. Wear really comfortable shoes 3. In the summer, bring some water for yourself. Recommended: 1. Get a good camera (it will be worth it) if you want something better than what your phone is capable of 2. Get there in the morning 3. Get a parking spot as close as possible This place is absolutely worth the visit. These gardens are on par with some of the best I have ever seen. The aesthetics are not necessarily loud and showy, but refined and detailed. It doesn't shout but just presents itself quietly and your jaw will slowly drop as you absorb what your eyes are seeing.

As part of a day of celebration for my daughter’s birthday, my family and I decided to visit the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. There is no cost to visit these gardens; however, there is a parking fee of $2.00/hr. There is parking available at the main garden entrance area as well as a designated overflow area. Parking could be a bit limited so carpooling is a great idea, and the bus also runs there These gardens provide a serene atmosphere, beautiful sceneries, a peaceful and relaxing environment, and the opportunity to see some wildlife. There are also great areas for a picnic. I would recommend that you give yourself at least 2 to 3 hours to explore all of the grounds as it is huge and requires a lot of walking. We had a marvelous time and will visit again. What a great way to start a birthday celebration!

Calm and serene place where you can spend with your family. Well maintained and clean garden with lots of flowers and trees. Lots of wooden benches and chairs to rest and relax. Entry is free and parking charge is $2 per hour.

Beautiful place. Affordable parking. Clean bathrooms and gift shop available. People were taking professional photos, meditating, laying out with friends and family, playing sports and enjoying the landscaped nature. Very serene.

Awesome place to visit! We enjoyed the garden and it was just so mind-blowing that there’s such a beautiful and huge garden in Duke university! Highly recommend to pay a visit to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens if you are here in Durham.

Beautiful gardens and grounds. My wife and I visit here often to take in the beauty of this whole place. The entire gardens is large and you can easily spend several hours to half a day exploring and relaxing. We especially love the Japanese themed section complete with a bamboo forest. Best of all access is free. Would highly recommend to anyone!

We love heading down here with the kids. You get some good walking time in, but it doesn’t feel like it because of all the beautiful areas they have. There’s a duck pond with tons of turtles, an amazing koi pond, and so so many different stylized areas. Right now (sept 2021) they have several different cacti displays that are really well done. I’m not a big plant guy, but I was blown away, they picked out some really cool plants and it was fun to check them all out!! Bring a lunch, a blanket, and a book or ball and enjoy the afternoon. It’s pay to park with credit card or app, but the prices are reasonable at ~$2/hr.

I love this place so much! Beautiful trails with plenty of natural shade and the best tasting water at the bottle refill station in the visitor center (it’s the little things that matter, right?) I’m so happy they’ve opened back up to the public because these gardens are so nourishing to the soul. The grounds are so meticulously taken care of, there is such a wide range of variety of plant life. Definitely a family friendly place with adequate clean bathrooms spaced throughout even though they’re not clearly marked look for any stone building it’s a bathroom! I spent the majority of my time reading in the Adirondack chairs tucked under a tree at the White Garden.

*LOVED* this place!! We moved here from Idaho in September and have been exploring a lot. This has been our favorite place so far. If you are from here, you might not realize how special it is to have banana trees and bamboo just growing outside in nature under pine trees and elms and maple trees. In Idaho, there was only pine so you didn't see leaves change colors with the seasons at all. I can't believe how colorful everything is here!! It's the thing I had been looking forward to the most, and it didn't disappoint. There's a smell outside as you walk around. It's this earthy tree smell that is my absolute favorite smell in the whole world (tied for the #1 spot with my daughter's head and my dog's feet). It was a 76 degree day with a light breeze and it felt like walking around in a rainbow heaven. The grounds are beautiful and there's lots to see. I'm certain we'll come back frequently. That being said, I will give one suggestion. It's a little bit hard to get around with my daughter's wheelchair and it would be helpful if paths were marked with arrows showing which way to go if you're in a wheelchair. They had an info both but it was busy so we skipped it, and I'm sure they could have told us where to go. Alas! We had to backtrack a little bit here and there, but there were other ways to get around. We took a detour to the chapel which was about an 8 minute walk from the gardens, and we did have to go up some stairs for that part. It was so pretty though and barely out of the way. Worth seeing. I expected only one chapel, but the university has tons of buildings that look like ancient mini castles. I didn't expect it to be so utterly breathtaking. Back to the gardens, there were some gravel areas inside the gardens that we decided to skip. Otherwise, the majority of the gardens were very accessible. We all loved this place so much.

What an awesome place to relax, wander and soak up the calming vibes! From the time you walk in through the entrance, the waterfalls. beautiful gardens and varied wildlife just put you at instant peace! Honestly, I wish I'd brought a book and a blanket- this place just begs you to sit down and stay awhile! I now want to come back in the spring!

Absolutely beautiful. Visited twice while in town and still didn't get to see everything because it was so big. My favorite was the vegetable garden which consisted of a compost and watering system and a bee keeping section. The workers and volunteers were super nice. There was a little building that sold snack and wraps that were delicious,fresh and reasonably priced. They also had a gift shop and area where you could purchase plants. The garden is free but you have to pay to park but the parking fee is reasonable but parking fills up quick.

Visited with my boyfriend last Spring and the scenery was gorgeous. Lots of different kinds of flowers to view, as well as walking trails. We also stopped at the little shop and bought popsicles to cool down. Great place to visit and lots you can do!

Yes, please go there and enjoy the breathtaking gardens. Different plants and flowers, they decorate everything in a beautiful way. It was super hot, but we enjoyed every single stop. The entry is free, but you have to pay 2 dollars/ hour for the parking.

If you visit in summer, try mid June. Leaves and flowers are in full bloom then. Try early morning or late afternoon to avoid heat. Park now offers cart rides for elderly so check if one is active on the day. Parking os 2$ per hr.

This place is such a beauty to behold! You literally feel like you enter a place of enchantment. There's various gardens with different themes. Many places to sit and enjoy your surroundings during your exploration. The gardens are massive, so rest areas are great! There's workers riding golf carts who you periodically see to answer any questions and give directions. Definitely an amazing experience.

Beautiful Garden with lots of nicely arranged flower beds. There are many species of exotic plants and shrubs. Visiting Duke garden one gets feeling of tranquility and peace. Very well maintained garden indeed !

Place is so serene and beautiful. No charges aside from the $2/hr parking. No pets allowed at certain times. You can stroll here for a good hour and you still won’t be done with the whole place. It’s well maintained, you won’t regret coming here for a piece of nature!

Beautiful gardens with even more various colors of flowers and plants all over the place. Gardens is maintained well and walking through gives you good feel all the way through. It's most famous for its natural light and scenery views for capturing your beautiful memories of any events or occasions😍 better carry strollers if you going with kids or toddlers as the walk can be easy with it instead of carrying them all the time.definitely makes you feel good and worth visiting this place.

This place is gorgeous! It’s free but parking is $4 = 2 hours. It’s very walkable, easy to follow, so many side trails and paths to explore! It did seem a little dry when we went and they weren’t running the fountains. We spent about 1.5 hours there. It was super hot when we went too! There are bathrooms around the gardens and one in the visitor center. Would be great for a picnic, we saw people doing mediation and yoga. Loved it!

Favorite garden. I have been in love with gardening for sometime now and stepping into this garden fills my heart with joy. Every element and detail is meticulous places. Every section is different from the last and it is just a breath of fresh/sweet air.

Enjoyed the scenery. The nursery is so beautiful a lot of people have their photo shoots,for wedding, for Quinsenera and others. A must place to visits .

I have visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens during all the seasons (cherry blossom season is the best imo), and these were the pictures I took during my latest visit. The routes are well-maintained with leaf blowers, and you can enjoy the fall colors and exotic plants such as cacti and chrysanthemums (in the Asiatic Arboretum). There are also cute nooks where you can spend time.

Super beautiful and tranquil park to attend the day in. I went with my extended family and we all had a really great time. My brother is a birder, and he loves the bird watching here. So many cool plants from all over the world, and local.

Beautiful and tranquil! Amazing place to take photos! Take a picnic and a blanket! This place is truly gorgeous no matter what time of the year you go!

Lovely garden, take your time and walk it. We did about 2 hours and could of sti spent longer. Weekdays they have the Japanese Tea House area open and it had a ceremony going

One more could you ask for. Great fall foliage and a really cool Japanese area with other Asian country plants. Nice bridges, chrysanthemums, tiered gardens, lots of places to escape from the rain too. Whole family enjoyed are 2 hours

The visit to the Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University was spectacular. Much of the gardens were still in bloom. The staff, volunteers and workers were quite pleasant, very knowledgeable as well as helpful. It was a beautiful day to spend walking amid such floral beauty. We brought a simple picnic lunch to enjoy at the conclusion of our walk. If you are in the area, leave at least an hour or more to enjoy this treasure.

This place is amazing! Fun for the whole family if they are able to appreciate beauty. Notice: Wear walking or supportive sportswear because there's lots of different attractions and trails. Might be too large of a walking area for toddler's and young children.

Nice walk through various regions themed gardens and woodland. Not busy, pay to park. Staff very helpful and polite. It has a children's discovery area with staff supervision indoors and out. Great place to chill with tree coverage providing shade.

I loved this garden!! It had global influences from Japan, the UK and USA. There was construction/repairs going on the day of my visit but overall it was a rejuvenating experience. Plenty of places to sit down and stay cool in the shades.

This place was great for the family to walk around and see the growth of Duke Gardens. It's been a long time since I have been but first time for my kids. They really enjoyed the garden, the different flowers, plants, and trees. They really liked the waterfall and the Koi pond. Walking across the red ridge, the kids enjoyed themselves. Running in the grass and seeing the wildlife, the kids really liked how open the area was. The weather was perfect and it was not too crowded. The only cost was for the parking, $2 per hour.

This garden is huge! So many walking paths and things to see. I love how it is usually not very crowded and even when they are busy there is so much room that it’s hardly noticeable. Love that they have a koi pond and so many different flowers to see. Even in the fall there is still plenty blooming. There is paid parking, but it’s worth it since it’s inexpensive and the garden is free entry.

It was a warm and sunny Friday afternoon, we both had off and decided to check out the duke gardens. There was a few parking lots that were slammed but we were able to find parking without too much difficulty. It was about $4 for 2 hrs, so not terrible. Upon entry we found out it was no cost to go, which is very cool. The park overall is about 5 miles of walking if you do the full thing. Compared to the NC arboretum this is much nicer and cleaner. Plenty of great views and even a small refreshment shop with snacks and cold beverages. 10 out of 10 recommend, go here!