We stopped by Hamilton Gardens on our drive back from Hobbiton to Auckland and really enjoyed the visit. The gardens are no longer free, they charge $20 admission but it's worth visiting. There are a number of different gardens to walk through (e.g., Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Egyptian, etc) with a lot of thought put behind the design to pay homage to the different artistic styles and evolution of gardens. You really get to immerse yourself into different cultures and expression of art in the garden form through time. I loved the gardens so much I ended up buying the book and have been learning more about the history and development of the gardens (fun fact: it used to be a garbage dump). By the far the best gardens I've visited. read more

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The Hamilton Gardens was our stopover on our way back to the AKL airport from Rotorua. It was our last bit of sightseeing before flying over to Australia. Parking was free but did take awhile to find an open spot considering it was a weekday. At the garden entrance we found out that admission was still free for anyone showing up instead of just for local Hamilton residents. That was a nice savings of $20NZD pp but not sure how much longer that exception will last. There were 17 different gardens to explore, all different and a joy to wander through. Our top favorites were the following: Mansfield Gardens - According to the signage, the garden may have been influenced by a novel written by Katherine Mansfield. It included a home, grass tennis court, outdoor piano and more. Chinese Scholar's Garden with the pathways lined with towering bamboo. Italian Renaissance Garden with its villa facade, fruit trees and statues. Te Parapara Garden for inclusion of Maori culture and traditions. We spent almost 2 hours here and we all agreed this was a must see when in Hamilton. read more

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Huge free garden and we're quickly learning that New Zealand has a lot of beautiful gardens for free! Give yourself about 2 or 3 hours to get through everything. Our favorite was the ancient Egyptian garden. Plenty of parking read more

Hamilton Gardens - Parks Near Me - Hamilton, AUK

Incredible gardens. The main gardens are lovely and surround a lake with turtles. The roses weren't out but can imagine they would be beautiful as they are laid out well in a charming setting. The real star gardens are the individual enclosed gardens. Free entry which is incredible- although apparently this is due to change. Gardens are each unique and walled, leading into each other. They include a Japanese, Chinese, Tudor, Maori, herb, Italian, surreal, concept, modern, English, sustainable Indian, Edwardian- and more are being constructed. Stunning and worth the visit. Best gardens in NZ read more

I can't believe this beautiful place is free...FREE! We had some extra time on the way to Auckland airport, and Hamilton Gardens just happened to be along the way for a stop. So glad we did! I'm not much of a botanists, but the gorgeous gardens each had its own unique theme. Words can barely capture and describe even 1% of it. Check out all the pictures, and be sure to visit if you're driving along Highway 1. read more

The BEST gardens in all of New Zealand. We went to the Christchurch and Wellington Botanic Gardens but the Hamilton Gardens takes the cake! Each area has a different theme. Our favorites were the Italian, India, English, and Chinese Gardens. Spent half the day here and still wasn't even enough time. We didn't stay in Hamilton but made a special trip out of our way to check out the gardens because we heard that they were awesome. It was free but we donated a little bit of money since we felt like it was such a good experience! read more

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The Gardens are an awesome attraction attractive indeed. Cum check it out Guyz it really is a Blast! read more

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Hamilton Gardens is likely one of the largest gardens I've been to, and it is always very well kept. Have a picnic in one of the many open areas outside the gate and then have a tour of all the various gardens. New gardens will be opening throughout 2022, 2023, and 2024. It seems they're always expanding. The most recent addition is the Surrealism garden, which is true to its name with an oversize wheel barrow for a great photo op. There's also the new steampunk garden. Really cool! Check it out! read more

Amazing!!! A must see if you are spending any time in Hamilton!! There is not much else to do here. Even the hotel front desk personnel told us this is more of a midway stop for travellers on their way to another city. For us, we had an afternoon in the city and we didn't want to pay for any more excursions since this was the end of our trip and we already did one too many. The gardens were the perfect options: local and nearby and open late! There is a lot to see so I suggest being systematic about it: always choose the option to the left or the right. This way you will cover everything. It's almost like a maze but not so bad where you will get lost or stuck. Just so that you may miss a garden or two! My favorite was the Tudor garden. It had neat statues all over of dragons and knights so that was fun to do. And the India inspired garden had beautiful flowers! Enjoy!! read more

We were told that we shouldn't miss the Hamilton Gardens, and we were not disappointed! I was expecting a park, but it was more like a collection of themed gardens. It felt like being transported to different parts of the world just by passing through different porticos. We went as a family with preschoolers and they found something to explore in each garden. I have to say my favourite was the Italian Renaissance garden. I'd definitely recommend it to others and would go again, given the chance. Oh, and it's free! read more

Hamilton Gardens - Renaissance gardens - Parks Near Me - Hamilton, AUK

Magical place- The landscaping is breathless and the architecture is perfection. I definitely suggest visiting this place if you're in New Zealand- one of the best I've visited any where in the world!! read more

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Just the most amazing place and it's FREE. This garden consists of many themed collections including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Tudor, modern, concept etc. and the collection keeps growing. I saw signs for ongoing development throughout. This is a must-see if you're in Hamilton. So beautiful and well-maintained. Lots of photo opportunities and just a relaxing place to have a peaceful stroll. read more

What a find! Stopped in town in between cities and didn't plan any activities. Found this on place and went to check it out. It was way beyond my expectations. Plan for at least two hours there. read more

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I've been here a number of times, during different seasons of the year and for special events. It's always beautiful and I've enjoyed spending hours upon hours of taking photos of the beautiful gardens. I can't believe this place is free and it's a great place to bring visitors, if they like this sort of thing. There is also a lake with ducks, a cafe and gift shop. Great for kids and adults alike. read more

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A great place to take your family for a picnic. It's very beautiful and you do not need to pay an entrance fee to see the different gardens. It's like stepping into a garden museum. read more

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Very nice place to visit. The Hamilton gardens is a great place to visit with family and friends. Events are often hosted there and the displays are very interesting. There are many gardens from many different cultures such as the Japanese and the Italian garden. It is all way much fun to visit. read more

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These gardens don't get enough rep for how amazing they are. Firstly it's a bit of a drive down to the main entrance but it might be cause its actually a huge green space with beautifully themed gardens with lots of greenery and flowers. There is a stream, big field near the start as well as the cool Renaissance garden like Alice in Wonderland, very-zen vibing Japanese garden, American themed garden, cool Taylor-Swift like love-story garden and rose gardens with a pavilion and plentiful picnic-mat laying down grass spaces- just to name a few. So much more though. Definitely a must see if you're in Hamilton- definitely a worth repeat visit too read more

Not a bad thing I could say about this place. Its beautiful . the landscaping is beautiful .. Thank you Hamilton Gardens read more

I've been lucky enough to visit Botanical gardens all over the world, and have to say this is amongst the best, well worth a visit. There are several themed gardens, all beautifully kept (well done gardeners!) clean and colourful. There's a scenic Cafe on a lake setting, which was pricey but the food was good and staff friendly and helpful. You would need a day to see and appreciate everything the gardens has to offer. read more

Absolutely amazing. A must do for anyone in Hamilton. There is so much variety of garden here. The gardens are well maintained and not overcrowded. Love it read more

Hamilton Gardens - Parks Near Me - Hamilton, AUK

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