The Rose Garden at Woodland Park
Setting: Seattle, with its moderate climate, is fortunate in having one of the finest rose growing environments in the world.
History: The concept for a Seattle Civic Rose Garden in Woodland Park bloomed formally in 1922 through the combined inspiration and effort of the Seattle Lion's Club and the Seattle Rose Society. The garden's purpose was to provide a free, public display of roses suitable for Seattle's climate.
The original garden plan, prepared by Howard E. Andrews, was approved by the Superintendent of Parks in October of 1922. Construction of the garden was completed in 1924 and when the garden opened it encompassed 1.8 acres and exhibited 150 varieties of roses.
The Rose Garden's reputation grew steadily and in 1947 it was selected to become a nationally recognized All-America Rose Selections test site, a designation it retained until 2010.
Today: Woodland Park Rose Garden offers a splendid setting for flower lovers to stroll the grass pathways circulating through 2-1/2 acres of rose displays. The garden's extensive array of bush roses, hybrid teas, miniatures, climbers, tree roses, and All-America test varieties blends elegantly with the garden's formal architectural design to create a memorable showcase landscape.
The public is annually invited to a rose pruning demonstration on the last Sunday in February.
A list of all the roses in the garden is also available to visitors.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
Visit the Seattle Parks Foundation Rose Garden website
Rose Garden At a Glance
Opened: 1924
Location: the zoo's South Entrance at the intersection of N. 50th Street and Fremont Ave. N. (750 N. 50th Street)
Size: 2.5 Acres
Rose Cultivation: 280 Varieties, Over 5,000 individual plants. You can view and download a list of roses here
Annual Visitors: More than 200,000.
Hours: Open from 7:00 a.m. until dusk every day of the year, free of charge.
Parking: There is a fee to park in zoo lots during zoo hours; free while the zoo is closed.
Rent the Rose Garden
You can rent the Rose Garden for your wedding or other intimate event.
