JAPANESE GARDEN

Washington Park Arboretum

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Photos by Mary Nagan

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HOURS

March: Tues – Sun 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. *
April: Tues – Sun 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
May – Mid-Aug: Daily 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. *
Mid-Aug. to Mid-Sept: Daily 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. *
Mid-Sept to Mid-Oct: Tues – Sun 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. *
Mid-Oct. through Nov: Tues-Sun 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. *

* Garden closing times are subject to weather, available light, and impacts of daylight savings time.

ABOUT THE GARDEN

Located within the Washington Park Arboretum,this is a 3 1/2 acre formal garden designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida in 1960.

ADMISSION

Adults 18-64: $5
Youths 6–17, Senior Adults 65+, College students with ID, & Disabled: $3
Children 0-5: FREE
» membership, tour & school fees

Admission restrictions: In order to preserve the unique nature of this garden, and ensure access for all, we do not allow picnicking, weddings, tripods, or pets.

Public Tours: We offer free tours with regular garden admission April through October on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Additionally, we offer Monday tours at 12:30 p.m. May through August.

Tours are led by Arboretum Unit 86 Docents and provide an educational introduction to the culture and history of the garden. The content of these tours varies according to expertise of the guide, the interest, and size of the group.

Private and School Group Tours: Available upon request with advance notice and payment of guide reservation fee. Contact the ticket booth for details.

Photo sessions in the Garden

Sessions are held Mondays before the garden opens from 8-10 a.m. The limit is 10 Photographers. This is the only time tripods are allowed in the garden. $30. Advance registration required.

October 6th from 8 - 10 a.m.
October 20th from 8 - 10 a.m.
October 27th from 8 - 10 a.m.

Ceremony Information

Seattle Parks and Recreation has a number of sites that serve as excellent ceremony venues. For more information, please go to our Ceremony Guide.

We regret that the Seattle Japanese Garden can not accommodate private rentals of any kind, nor can it allow wedding photography during operating hours.

We extend our thanks to all who have flattered us with your requests to include our garden site as an integral feature of your family events.

Volunteering

Docent training will start in March 2008. For more information and a schedule of classes email gardensignup@gmail.com.

Head gardener, Kathleen Blanchard (Kathleen.Blanchard@Seattle.gov), welcomes volunteers to help with maintenance of the garden.

ACCESSIBILITY

The stone bridges, stepping stones, and rough terrain necessary to preserve the authenticity of the Japanese landscaping render some areas inaccessible to visitors with physical limitations. Pathways in the garden are surfaced with gravel which may result in some inconvenience for wheelchair and walker users. The garden does have some ADA access paths.

LINKS

• The Urasenke Foundation
• Washington Park Arboretum
• Duo En