These gardens list free general entry on their official websites. Parking, special exhibitions, tours and events may still cost money, and a free day at a paid garden does not qualify. We re-check prices regularly, but confirm with the garden before you go. This list has 164 gardens in 40 states.
Admission and hours checked September 28, 2026. Prices may change.
City-owned garden in Hoover with a five-acre lake, walking trails, a bonsai terrace and a Storywalk. Entry is free; groups of ten or more need a reservation.
City botanical gardens with distinct garden spaces, walking paths and a garden center. Entry and parking are free, and the gardens open every day.
A 16-acre campus arboretum at Auburn University with native plant collections and more than two miles of trails. Weekday parking needs a university permit.
A 60-acre university arboretum in Tuscaloosa with native woodland trails and wildflower, experimental and children's gardens. Entry is free and it is open daily.
Tucson living agricultural museum with themed plots of heritage fruit trees, heirloom crops and native edible plants. Entry is free, with self-guided visits or docent tours.
A water-wise mediterranean-climate habitat garden with native plants on its lower half; free entry, open dawn to dusk.
Terraced city rose garden in the Berkeley Hills with 1,500 rose bushes, a redwood pergola and bay views. Entry is free and street parking is limited.
Historic lath structure in Balboa Park with more than 2,100 permanent plants, including cycads, ferns, orchids and palms, next to a lily pond. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Volunteer-run water-wise garden in Clovis with Mediterranean, cactus, sensory and children's areas and home landscape demonstrations. Free entry, open Wednesday to Sunday.
Ten-acre woodland garden in Dunsmuir City Park with native plants, dogwoods, rhododendrons, Japanese maples, a rock garden and trails by the river. Free and open year round.
Historic 2.5-acre garden around a 1902 house in Old Palo Alto, with camellias, a watershed garden and a tree walk. Free entry, open daily in daylight hours.
Downtown San Jose greenway with a Heritage Rose Garden of over 3,000 varieties, a 3.3-acre historic orchard, a community garden and river trails. Free and open daily.
A 17-acre park and arboretum in Concord with an international garden and a community garden. Entry and parking are free.
An 18-acre public garden in Laguna Niguel with plants from Mediterranean-climate regions, including Australian, Chilean and South African gardens. Free entry.
Campus-wide arboretum at Palomar College in San Marcos with themed gardens and trails. Entry is free and a paid visitor parking permit is needed.
5.5-acre city rose garden in San Jose with more than 4,000 rose shrubs and picnic areas. Free to enter, with street parking; blooms run April to November.
A community botanic garden in RiverView Park, Buellton. Open every day from sunrise to sundown with free entry; dogs on leash are welcome.
A 15-acre desert art garden and visitor center at the former Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage. Admission and parking are free; closed each summer.
A free six-acre public garden in Walnut Creek with a rose garden, children's garden, waterfall and shade garden. It closes for private events.
A seven-acre collection of themed gardens in Lakeside Park, Oakland, including bonsai, rhododendron, sensory and Japanese gardens. Entry is free.
California native plant garden in Tilden Regional Park, arranged in geographic sections with large manzanita, oak and conifer collections. Entry and parking are free.
A university botanical garden in Los Angeles with plant collections from around the world. Entry is free and it is open daily.
Five acres of alpine plants in Ford Park, Vail, at 8,200 feet. Gardens open daily dawn to dusk with free entry and a $20 suggested donation; the site is sloped.
A 30-acre public garden in Littleton with nature paths, floral displays, water gardens and public art. Garden entry is free every day and parking is free.
A botanic garden in Montrose, Colorado, in high desert landscape, run by the Montrose Botanical Society. It is open every day and admission is free.
Six-acre garden in Steamboat Springs with about 70 gardens, ponds and sculptures. Entry is free and the park is open from dawn to dusk during the season.
A 93-acre public garden in Stamford with 13 gardens, champion trees, wetlands and trails. Grounds open dawn to dusk every day and entry is free; leashed dogs are allowed.
A 750-acre college arboretum in New London with a native plant collection, the Caroline Black Garden and a greenhouse. Open daily sunrise to sunset, free.
State park arboretum of over 250 Mesozoic-era plant species beside a dinosaur trackway museum; grounds and arboretum are free and open daily.
University botanic gardens of about 15 acres in Newark with ten garden areas and a trial garden. No entry fee; open every day; parking is metered.
A federal living plant museum near the Capitol with an indoor Conservatory, outdoor National Garden and nearby Bartholdi Gardens. Admission is free and no tickets are needed.
Volunteer-run 10-acre botanical garden and historic sugar mill site in Port Orange, with themed plant collections. Open daily; entry has no charge.
A 35-acre garden in Wellborn with a walking trail around Mirror Lake and cypress woods. Entry is free and the grounds are open every day.
University of Miami teaching arboretum of tropical trees with labels and signs for self-guided visits. Entry is free and open 7 days a week; parking is metered.
A 47-acre garden in Winter Park with nature trails, a creek boardwalk, a greenhouse, a butterfly garden and a pond. Entry is free and leashed dogs are allowed.
A three-acre garden by the Miami Beach Convention Center with a Japanese garden, pine rockland and water garden. Entry is free; open Tuesday to Sunday.
A free park in Bradenton on a former county nursery site, with plant collections including tropical fruit trees. Open every day and pets are welcome.
A cultural campus in Palm Beach with a sculpture garden and a demonstration garden. Garden entry has no charge; the sculpture garden is under improvements.
A volunteer-run public garden in Hartwell, Georgia, with themed garden areas and a pavilion. Entry is free and dogs must be leashed.
A 10-acre volunteer-run garden in Savannah with formal and natural plantings, a two-acre pond, nature trails and a historic house. Access to public areas is free.
A 323-acre University of Georgia garden in Athens with display gardens, nature trails, a visitor center and a porcelain museum. Admission and parking are free.
A 400-acre City and County of Honolulu garden in Kaneohe with tropical plantings grouped by region, a lake and a drive-through road. Admission is free.
Dryland botanical garden on 60 acres of a volcanic crater on Oahu, with a 2-mile self-guided loop path. Admission is free; bring water because none is available.
Small Honolulu garden of native Hawaiian plants on land once used by Queen Liliʻuokalani. Free entry; open daily 7 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4:30 pm.
A 24-acre county park in Hilo with a Japanese garden, Waihonu pond, stone lanterns and bridges. Entry is free; some paths flood at high tide.
27-acre city botanical garden in a forested ravine in central Oahu, with native Hawaiian plants and aroids. Entry is free; storm damage has closed most of it.
A 63-acre University of Idaho arboretum with native and introduced plants and a 1.4-mile gravel loop road. Free, open daily, with free parking.
University of Illinois arboretum in Urbana with gardens and natural areas across more than 100 acres. Entry is free; open daily from sunrise to sunset.
A Lombard park known for its lilac collection and Lilac Time festival. Open every day of the year and free to enter.
A 100-acre garden of restored prairie, woodland and wetland with over 6 miles of trails near Springfield. Free entry except special events; nature center has set hours.
A 5-acre botanical garden in Glen Oak Park with a tropical conservatory and 15 theme gardens or borders. Entry is free; donations are welcome.
Eight-acre botanical garden inside Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve near Mahomet, reached through the free Museum of the Grand Prairie or a side gate. Entry is free.
36-acre public garden on the SIUE campus with a half-mile paved loop, butterfly, prairie and English cottage gardens and student sculpture. Entry and parking are free.
Springfield park district garden of 20 acres with 10 garden areas and a glass-dome conservatory. Grounds and conservatory are free; the conservatory is closed for renovations.
Elmhurst Park District conservatory with a tropical plant house and three seasonal flower shows a year. Entry is free and it opens every day.
County-owned four-acre garden with hostas, daffodils, crabapples and magnolias set in 21 acres of woods; free, open dawn to dusk.
Arboretum in Richmond, Indiana with 330 acres and 16 miles of trail, plus a nature center and auto tour. No entry fee; hours change by season.
Nonprofit public garden and arboretum in Newton, Iowa with several garden landscapes and trails. Entry is free and the grounds open daily from sunrise to sunset.
A tree arboretum near Dallas Center with walking trails and a nature play area. Entry is free and dogs need a pass.
Horticultural display garden on the K-State campus in Manhattan, Kansas. Entry and parking are free and the grounds are open daily.
Nineteen-acre city arboretum in Parsons, Kansas with trees, a wetlands area, nature trails and a visitors center. Entry is free.
Arboretum of about 121 acres in Union, Kentucky with more than 5,500 trees and shrubs. Open daily with no charge for admission or parking.
Old tree collection on 4.5 acres at the Garden Club of Kentucky headquarters in Paris, Kentucky. Open to the public and free; guided tours by request.
Wooded arboretum in Baton Rouge with more than 300 tree and shrub species, an orchard, a butterfly garden and bamboo. Entry is free on weekdays.
State preservation area near Ville Platte with over 600 acres of native Louisiana forest and about 5 miles of trails. Entry is free; pets and picnics are not allowed.
Fourteen-acre arboretum in Baton Rouge with Louisiana native trees and shrubs. Grounds are free and open daily from dawn to dusk.
Labeled trees and shrubs in Payson Park, Portland, kept by the Longfellow Garden Club with the city. The site says it is free and open daily.
A 224-acre arboretum in Augusta with cultivated gardens, orchards and about six miles of trails. Entry is free and the grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset.
400 acre native garden and preserve on Maryland's Eastern Shore with 5 miles of trails. Admission is free every day.
50 acre public display garden in Wheaton Regional Park with aquatic, azalea, butterfly, rose and Japanese style gardens and two conservatories. Admission and parking are free.
A 281-acre tree and shrub collection of over 15,000 accessioned plants, open daily at no charge. The visitor center keeps shorter hours than the grounds.
Nearly 300 acre park in Westfield with gardens including a Rose Garden, trails and picnic areas. Entry and parking are free.
Northampton college garden with a 12,000-square-foot conservatory, about 6 acres of outdoor gardens and a 127-acre campus arboretum. Free and open daily.
Public garden on the Wellesley College campus with 22 acres of outdoor gardens and the Global Flora Conservatory. Admission is free and student-led tours run during open hours.
A historic university garden and campus arboretum on the Michigan State campus, open free to everyone. Visitor parking is in Lot 62 with a pay kiosk.
University of Michigan botanical garden in Ann Arbor with a conservatory, a prairie labyrinth and a children's garden. Free admission; closed Mondays.
University of Michigan arboretum in Ann Arbor of 123 acres with trails, gardens, meadows, river access and a large historic peony collection. Open daily and free.
Taylor gardens and woodland trails around an open-air conservatory that is a one-third-scale replica of the Belle Isle one. Free to visit from dawn to dusk unless an event is held.
A zoo and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory with a sunken garden and seasonal flower shows in St. Paul. Entry is free, with a voluntary donation suggested.
Two adjacent city gardens along the Mississippi River in St. Cloud: winding paths at Munsinger and brick walkways at Clemens. Open daily, free entry, and dogs are not allowed.
A 4.5-acre part of Leif Erikson Park in Duluth with over 3,000 rose bushes, a fountain and a gazebo, reached from the Lakewalk. Roses bloom late June to September.
Campus arboretum with over 2.5 miles of trails through forest and prairie areas, formal gardens and an interpretive center. Open in daylight hours all year with no admission fee.
Garden built in 1936 with ponds, a waterfall, bridges, a rock grotto and a separate rose garden beside a local history museum in Centralia. Free to visit; stay on the walkways.
Kansas City garden with annual and perennial plantings, bronze sculptures by Tom Corbin, stone walls and fountains. Entry and parking are free.
Living plant collection of over 4,600 native and adapted species on 13 acres inside Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Entry is free during park hours.
County display gardens in Somerset with a formal rose garden, perennial and sensory gardens inside an accredited arboretum. Free to visit.
County arboretum in Clinton Township with a garden, gazebos, picnic grove and nature trails. Grounds are open daily and admission is free.
Five acres of historic gardens at Morven in Princeton, including a Colonial Revival Garden and old catalpa trees. The garden is free daily, sunrise to sunset.
State botanical garden at Skylands with 96 acres of gardens, a manor house and woodland trails. Entry is free; a parking fee applies on summer weekends.
Historic estate arboretum in Summit with gardens, trails and a visitors center. Grounds are open daily and free to explore, with a suggested donation.
180-acre university botanic garden with display gardens, natural areas and Helyar Woods trails. Open year-round except Mondays with no admission fee.
University campus arboretum with about 2,200 trees and shrubs and four historic gardens, including a Japanese garden. The grounds have no gate and no admission fee.
Six-acre garden in a Montclair neighborhood with a kitchen garden, a visitor center, and a fairy garden trail. The house itself is closed to tours.
Nassau County park arboretum in Locust Valley run by the Friends of Bailey Arboretum. Open Wednesday to Sunday; deer live on the property.
An arboretum across Bard College's campus by the Hudson River, including Blithewood Garden and Montgomery Place grounds. Free, open daily sunrise to sunset.
Town-run garden in Albertson, New York with a rose garden, rain garden and All-America Selections display beds. Open every day of the year and free to enter.
A town arboretum in the village of Ellicottville next to the Town Center, with a nature trail. Free to enter and open every day.
A volunteer-run garden along Shore Road in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with native plant, pollinator, pond and rose gardens. Entry is free and the garden is open daily.
A city-owned historic garden in Yonkers with a walled garden, vista and rock and stream garden. Free every day; dogs are not allowed.
Garden in Asheville focused on plants native to the Southern Appalachians, with trails, a bird viewing deck and a visitor center. Entry and parking are free.
Seven-acre wetland garden in Greensboro with an elevated boardwalk, stone paths and a recirculating waterfall. Admission is free and leashed dogs are allowed.
17-acre city arboretum in Greensboro with 14 plant collections, display gardens, a rose garden and a butterfly garden. Admission is free and leashed dogs are allowed.
NC State University garden in Raleigh with a large collection of plants suited to the Southeast. Open every day of the year with free admission and limited free parking.
UNC botanical garden in Chapel Hill with 12 acres of display gardens, a garden shop, an exhibit hall and nature trails. No ticket or fee; donations welcome.
Gardens and trails on the Reynolda estate in Winston-Salem, with formal gardens and a conservatory. Grounds are free and open daily from sunrise to sunset; parking is free.
Community college gardens in Pinehurst made up of 16 gardens, with a visitor center and group tours by appointment. No cost to visit; hours change by season and pets are not permitted.
55-acre garden at Duke University with historic terraces, a native plant garden and an Asiatic arboretum. Entry is free; campus parking costs $2 per hour and fills early.
Arboretum near Asheville with display gardens, a bonsai exhibition garden, trails and a visitor center. No admission fee, but parking costs $25 per personal vehicle.
University botanical gardens in Charlotte with the Susie Harwood Garden, Van Landingham Glen and McMillan Greenhouse. Admission is free; weekday parking is in a paid garage.
A botanic garden at Yunker Farm Park in north Fargo, run by a volunteer nonprofit on a six-acre area along 28th Avenue North. Free to visit.
Over 30 acres of gardens, trees and a lake on the Ohio State campus in Columbus. Entry is free and it is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk; parking is paid.
A twelve-acre free public display garden in Youngstown with roses, perennials, bulbs and labeled trees. The visitor center is closed Mondays.
Franklin County Metro Parks garden in Westerville on 123 acres with rose, herb, conifer and rock gardens plus a children's garden. Free entry, open daily.
An Ohio State University arboretum in Wooster with theme gardens, paved walkways and a children's garden. Admission is free and the grounds are open dawn to dusk every day.
A 9.75-acre arboretum in Indian Hill focused on evergreens and companion plantings. Admission is free; no pets are allowed and renovations may close the main vehicle entrance in 2026-2027.
A street-tree arboretum in the median and planting strips of NE Ainsworth Street in Portland. Visitors walk it from the sidewalk; a map and seasonal walking routes are online.
A 190-acre tree collection in Washington Park with 12 miles of trails. Grounds open daily at no charge; parking is paid.
A 209-acre nature area with trails and outdoor exhibits on Willamette Valley ecology. Entry is free; Lane County charges a $5 parking fee per vehicle.
A one-acre clematis collection at Luscher Farm in West Linn. Open daily with no entrance fee and free parking; the greenhouse is closed to the public.
A 56-acre arboretum in Germantown with planned gardens, historic buildings and a farm. Grounds are free and open every day.
A historic botanic garden in Southwest Philadelphia. Grounds, vehicle access and visitor facilities follow different schedules.
A campus arboretum at Chatham University's Shadyside campus, open for walking and self-guided tours. Entry is free.
An arboretum and gardens in Devon with free admission. Use the grounds schedule, not the education center's closing time.
An 11-acre arboretum with over 100 tree species, pollinator gardens and a dwarf conifer garden, on the LancasterHistory grounds in Lancaster. Open to walk from dawn to dusk at no charge.
Closed for the season; the 2026 season ended September 10 (official notice, checked September 28, 2026). The normal schedule and booking details on this page do not apply until the garden reopens.
A public arboretum on Swarthmore College's campus. Follow the college's visitor parking directions.
Public garden of Natural Lands on a former Main Line estate, planted with native species around a great lawn and water garden. Free entry Tuesday to Sunday; dogs are not allowed.
A 30-acre reserve of trails, meadows and woods with dogwood, magnolia and holly collections, about a mile north of Widener's campus. Open daily and free.
The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens and surrounding arboretum at Penn State. Free garden admission does not mean free parking.
A city-run garden of over 150 acres along the Edisto River with roses, azaleas, camellias and a wetland boardwalk. Free and open daily from dawn to dusk.
A public botanical garden and woodland preserve in Spartanburg with themed garden rooms, a children's garden and short trails. Free to enter from dawn to dusk every day.
Small botanical garden in Union, South Carolina. It has no regular visiting hours; visits are guided tours booked ahead, with no admission fee.
230-acre garden at Clemson with woodlands, streams, paths and themed gardens. Grounds are free and open every day from sunrise to sunset.
A 150-acre city garden in Sumter known for Japanese iris in late spring, with swans, rose, azalea and butterfly gardens. Free entry and parking; open daily from morning to sunset.
Tree collection of almost 1,500 trees across the 80 acres of Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, many with name labels. Grounds are open daily with no admission charge.
An art museum with designed seasonal gardens in Memphis. Entry to the galleries and gardens is free; closed Mondays.
Outdoor learning garden in Knoxville that belongs to the three-site State Botanical Garden of Tennessee. Open all year and free to enter.
A botanical garden in Beaumont with open grounds, a garden center and a conservatory. Grounds open daily from dawn to dusk; the conservatory closes on weekends.
The museum and gardens are closed until late fall 2026 for building maintenance (official notice, checked September 28, 2026). The normal schedule and booking details on this page do not apply until the garden reopens.
Woodland nature preserve in Houston with trails and a nature center. Admission is free; parking is charged on most days.
A 14-acre city garden in Tyler with more than 38,000 rose bushes in about 600 varieties. Free to visit, open daily from sunrise to sunset, with peak bloom in April and October.
A waterwise demonstration garden in West Jordan with over 1,000 tested plants. General admission is free; open Monday to Saturday in season.
A public garden at Jordan Park in Salt Lake City with floral displays from May to October. Admission is free and it is open 7 am to 10 pm.
A Utah State University garden in Kaysville with an arboretum, volunteer-tended gardens, wetlands, ponds and trails. Grounds are open sunrise to sunset with no entrance fee.
A tree collection on the front lawn of the Chatham Hall school campus in Chatham, Virginia, with 27 featured species and a self-guided walking tour. Visiting is free during school hours.
A university arboretum with trails, a pond loop and family garden in Harrisonburg. Grounds are free and open dawn to dusk every day.
A Fairfax County park with more than 20 demonstration gardens, a native plant garden, a greenhouse and a historic house. Grounds are open dawn to dusk.
A nearly six-acre teaching and display garden on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. Entry is free and it is open every day; weekday parking on campus needs a permit.
American Horticultural Society headquarters with formal and naturalistic gardens above the Potomac River. Entry is free except during special events.
Two-acre volunteer-run garden in Freedom Park with more than 20 garden areas, pavilions and a fairy garden. Open every day and free to enter.
A 53-acre city garden of planted beds, restored woodland and wetlands. Open every day from dawn to dusk, free to enter, with free parking except at major events.
An 11-acre public garden in SeaTac with heritage gardens and plant collections near the airport. Entry is free, with free parking, from dawn to dusk daily.
65-acre city arboretum of labeled trees and woody plants along Garden Springs Creek, with a self-guided walking tour. Free entry, open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Four-acre woodland garden in Shoreline with native and rare plants, ponds, sculpture and a plant nursery. Free entry, open Thursday to Sunday.
Arboretum in Lake Wilderness Park with themed gardens, a children’s forest and a StoryWalk. Free entry, open every day from dawn to dusk.
A 4.6-acre Sichuan-style Chinese garden at South Seattle College with plants, stone, architecture and water. Entry is free; leashed dogs allowed.
Auburn garden with international, regional and historical themed gardens. Free entry, open Wednesday to Saturday from March to October.
230-acre arboretum on Lake Washington with woody plant collections, trails and named garden areas. Grounds are open daily, and the visitor center keeps shorter hours.
An arboretum within Spring Hill Cemetery on Capitol Hill in Charleston, with champion trees, wooded trails and a monarch garden. Free entry, dawn to dusk.
Botanic garden at Tibbs Run Preserve near Morgantown with trails and a visitors center. Entry is free with a $5 donation requested, and the grounds open daily.
Free public gardens in Appleton with a native rose garden, wildflower and fragrance areas and a veterans memorial garden. Open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A 1,200-acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Wingra with trails, restored prairies and a native plant garden. Dogs are not allowed, and there is no admission fee.
Botanic garden in Cheyenne with a grand conservatory, curated outdoor gardens and a children's village. Entry is free and the grounds stay open from dawn to dusk.
University greenhouse in Laramie with hundreds of plants from around the world, open to the public on weekdays. Group tours are available by request.
These are gardens we could check against their own official websites, not every garden in the area. “Free” refers to general garden entry, not parking, tours or special events. We do not show live opening status.
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