Loved visiting the Will Rogers Garden on a sunny day in April. This colorful, historic garden has so many beautiful walking paths. The gardens are located within one of Oklahoma City's oldest parks. Originally the land was a dairy farm. The Northwest Park was established in 1912. In 1932, Oklahoma City Horticulturalist Henry Walter began to develop the northern portion of the Northwest Park into the 30-acre garden. Walter designed the ponds, plant beds, overlooks and other structures. Federal Works Projects Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) programs added the red rock walls. It was renamed in 1936 to honor humorist Will Rogers. Today, you can visit a wide variety of gardens and flowerbeds. The Iris Garden was blooming and there was an Iris Festival featuring award winning flowers. so beautiful. There were so many birds and a very cute Eastern cottontail bunny hopped through the colorful plant beds. Parking was easy. Location was great. The gardens are free to visit. A beautiful park to visit in Oklahoma City. read more

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This is one of the most beautiful gardens in Oklahoma City that's free to the public. Construction of Will Rogers Gardens began in 1932 by Henry Walter with expansions by WPA and CCC programs. Today, the Ed Lycan Conservatory (a glass enclosed greenhouse) is available as an event hall for weddings and other celebrations. The Charles E. Sparks Color Garden nestles between the two ponds of the garden and contains seasonal blossoms. The Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum features hundreds of varieties of trees. Will Rogers Gardens also provides hands-on gardening and horticulture classes throughout the year. The iris gardens is also beautiful during the spring blooming season. An awesome public garden in Oklahoma City. read more

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beautiful garden area. there's a bunch of ducks around. nice walking area. fairy huts too read more

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What a beautiful tranquil place to get in some exercise. We were between appointments with nothing but time to spend. We happened upon this lovely spot! read more

Yard work is hard work. Pair that together with flower beds and I am dead, and this is on a scale of the little lot my house is on. There's a whole heck of a lot of yard work here!!! Because of this reality it makes me conclude that the crew here is nothing short of a super hero The lawns are manicured so well; ideal for picnicking, chatting with a friend, reading on a blanket, grounding, etc. All around the great lawns there are perfectly edged trees and bushes with several flowers and plants landed in a prepped area fluffed with mulch and other moisture promoting media Lots of walking path paved, gravel, and grass. A couple of ponds with lots of water fowl inhabiting/migrating through the area. Coy and turtles can be spotted occupying the subaquatic spaces of these ponds Near the east area of the grounds there is a nice sized greenhouse that can be rented and used as an event space, but you can find desert climate plants and cacti in this greenhouse. Just north of the greenhouse is the visitors' center and you can find some reading material for the gardens here along with a calendar of events happening around the park; I believe this stays open until the park closes There is a tennis center on the west area of the grounds and a senior center near the south central area of the park that holds several events open to the public; I attended a nutrition/dietetics class here one time The park opens and closes with the rising and setting of the sun so just be sure to check park hours throughout the year and don't expect the hours to match someone's review read more

The impacts of COVID-19 are settling in as we prepare to greet August. We are each looking to find ways to connect with others in memorable moments peculiarized by physically distancing, mask wearing, side eye glares towards people coughing, and fast-paced awkward walks "away." These new normals will forever enshroud our memories of this remarkable year. During times like these, a (free) walk through Will Rogers Gardens allows the soul to remember that beauty is still all around us if we take the time to look. Spring walks in May through the WR Gardens are second to none. It's a treasure of bright blooms, sweet smells, & fabulous flora abound. Some of my most favorite memories of the gardens include the lavender lined trails, mystical fairy houses, and the cactus garden. I also really enjoyed walking through the daylily garden. My fellow garden goers and I had some good laughs over the some of the silly daylily names. I was bummed we were too late to see the azaleas in bloom, I'll have to remember to go back earlier next spring to see them. An amazing feature of this local gem of a spot is the large pond (with fountain) at the heart of the park. It's great to walk around. So even if you go at a time of year when the blooms aren't abound, you can enjoy a peaceful walk around the water. There were several projects in the works. It's a well-loved and seemingly well-funded community space. I can't believe it took me so long to find this community treasure. I'll be back soon as walks through WR Gardens is a COVID-19 family friendly adventure. July 2020 read more

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we parked by the gate on the other side of the building and we went to take family photos we were gone for about 30 minutes we came back after the photos and our trucks window was cracked and the backseat window was torn off completely they took everything from our truck. we called the cops and said there wasnt anything we could do unless they try to use the credit cards they took. other than that the garden is very nice read more

We love this place. It's just gorgeous! Only minutes from our house. Ty to OKC & surrounding areas for making our city SO beautiful!

The gardens are beautiful with great walking paths. You walk Amons flowers and flowers abs flowers. There's even an entire section for irises. It's so peaceful to walk along the flowers. There's benches throughout, in case you want to rest or stop and smell the roses (ic didn't see this though). There are ducks and geese in a big pond. It was awesome to see the parents and the babies. When we got to close the parents yelled at the babies to hurry up. read more

Will Rogers Gardens - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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I finally got my deposit back. I can say again, this was the first time I had ever had an issue with this place. I still recommend it because it's very affordable but I have to share my issues as a be aware. read more

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Beautiful gardens with a variety of plants to view. Great place to take a walk with the kids

These gardens are absolutely beautiful. There are so many different types of plants, flowers, trees, bushes etc. I also really enjoyed being able to walk over he various bridges and look at the ponds and streams below. It was also really neat to see all of the different Koi in the water. Some of them were at least 2 feet long! Such a beautiful park. Perfect for a picnic, stroll, run, or even a wedding. :) read more

I saw the most beautiful thing today. I had never seen one before, but a lady told me it was a deciduous Magnolia (not to be confused with a Southern Magnolia). It was in full bloom. The flowers were dark pink and very fragrant. That alone made it worth the trip, but there is so much more. Will Rogers Gardens is a relaxing, serene place. There are two small lakes with fountains. Trails meander in and out of trees and gardens. Geese and ducks add to the splendor. It seems everything is starting to bloom: irises, azaleas, roses and other plants that I cannot name. Enjoy. read more

Will Rogers Gardens - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I just had my wedding at the Will Rogers gardens on a Saturday in November, and wanted to give a few warnings to those who will be also getting married there but may not know the same things I didn't know until the day of. 1. Since this place is public, it has to remain open during the day. That means anyone can come in and congregate in the "lounge" area and homeless people use the restrooms. 2. Also, we had guests who couldn't find a parking spot because there were so many people at the park in general. 3. Again with it being public, we had no way to secure our belongings in the rooms we were getting ready in while we were not in there. 4. People may be sitting right in front of the conservatory while you are doing your wedding. Or just walk in before when everything is set up even though you're paying for it, and it's closed to the public on the weekends. 5. Outlets outside do not work, so don't plan on using them. 6. Volunteers put Christmas lights on the bushes and trees RIGHT before we were about to get in the conservatory. They even tried to tell us at 1:30 that we couldn't go in there until 1, even though it was obviously passed 1. 7. Some staff were very nice, but others not so great. 8. We had to have people getting the random people out of the building, and finally had to ask a worker to put up signs that there was a private event, and it did not stop people. 9. There was another wedding in the conservatory that night, so there was a bride and bridal party getting ready in the bathrooms and walking around the lobby during my reception, with their guest also hanging out in there. With this being said, it was a beautiful wedding, but I would not do it there if I were to do it again. read more

This is a real gem of OKC, it is a gym as well in the world of Pokemon. My wife is a master gardener and has told me many times how beautiful it is as she works some volunteer hours here. The hours spent by dedicated workers is clear with any amount of time spent walking the gardens, and I am not exactly a garden head...... Come walk around and enjoy the view and pick up a bunch of pokemon while you are at it! read more

Went to a wedding here, and I didn't find the garden to be laid out nicely. I definitely don't find this place to be beautiful, and that's just my honest opinion. But, it is a decent place to have a budget wedding, because there are two spaces you could rent out either separately or together from what I noticed anyways. When I went there were two separate weddings occurring. One in the main building and another in the green house location. read more

I attended a wedding here and the location is nice for that. However, there was a smell of raw sewage near the green house conservatory that was overwhelming. You smelled it right when you walked in and it was a bit overwhelming. Hopefully this isn't a typical thing. read more

This is a beautiful garden area! I have wanted to go visit this area for some time but I always thought it cost to get in. Amazingly, this beautiful area is free to the public! This is such a wonderful place to take a short walk and enjoy the colorful flowers. The landscaping is gorgeous...areas remind me of a colonial or English garden. I will definitely be back to enjoy this park! read more

What a cool little garden/ park! Right next to a highway.. The greenhouse was closed when we went, but we spent hours just walking around the paths and sitting in the grass. It was pretty early in the day and not a ton of people were there, but eventually it got crazy crowded. Easter weekend may have impacted the population though. Lots of great benches strewn about, it seems like a great place to have pictures taken or just go read a book read more

The Will Rogers Gardens is truly a very quaint park that provides a serene atmosphere to enjoy while walking around the trails throughout the gardens. As appears to happen often in OKC (away from the downtown/midtown sections), you won't expect to find such a well kept park based on the sorrounding area, but trust your GPS, it's there. There's parking right off I-44 on NW 36th St. and in the back by Portland Ave close to the Tennis Center which although I did not visit, looks promising. I would still prefer to go for a jog by Lake Hefner, Nicholls Hills, or Downtown OKC, just because it seems a lot safer, it's a shame because as nice as the park actually is it doesn't have that "safe" feeling and there aren't many nice places for snacks/drinks close by read more

Worst place to have a wedding ceremony!! There is no point in doing the right thing and paying for a reservation because people will just intrude on your festivities, and there isn't anything you can do because it is a public park, or so says the rental office. Do not bother with this place. The flowers are gorgeous when in bloom, but I suggest just going there to do pictures. Do not waste your money renting it. The lady at the front office suggested I stop my ceremony and call the police when a party of children ran through and ruined my video. She also suggested that I should have had my own security to ensure it didn't happen again. Why should I pay for a reservation when others just get to have free rein and do whatever they wish? It was a complete waste of money and my ceremony was ruined! In the middle of my vows a group of young children ran through screaming. I was in tears from frustration. I will never again have anything to do with Will Rogers Gardens. It was the biggest mistake. I highly suggest you take your money, ceremony and memories somewhere else. Curly, who is the woman in charge over there, is absolutely awful. She needs serious sensitivity training.. and just training in general. I was told by the cashier office downtown that she is new. This is not an excuse when dealing with customers/clients. read more