Duke Gardens has a fresh new look for spring—here’s what’s new
Sarah P. Duke Gardens has unveiled a makeover that transforms how visitors experience this botanical treasure. Though the garden in Durham, North Carolina never fully closed down, a large swath of the 55-acre property hid behind construction fences for a year.
Duke Gardens has added a new welcome center, 40,000 square feet of green space, and a cafe with daily food service. Administrators decided it was time for an expansion to accommodate the garden's growing popularity. In about five years, the 55-acre garden went from seeing 250,000 visitors a year to 640,000.
On a recent warm spring day, students and families line up inside the new cafe in the Barnes Welcome Center to order coffee and popsicles. They gather on the large outdoor patio, eating under a canopy that connects the welcome center to the original Doris Duke building. A former parking lot has transformed into an event lawn, with a trolley stop for tours. Lauren Smith Hong, marketing and communications director for Duke Gardens, notes that the project allowed them to regrade the entrance for wheelchair accessibility.
“It’s just really lovely to see people back here," she says. “I love that when you come here on the weekends, you can have 10-plus languages spoken in the gardens. It’s a place of joy.”
The Barnes Welcome Center also houses a gallery, indoor and outdoor classrooms, office space, and a locker room for Duke Gardens' rotating crew of 250 volunteers. The old Doris Duke Center was renovated to accommodate a larger guest list for weddings.
But Smith Hong notes that the "plants are the stars” here. “We are one of the premier botanical gardens in the country," she says. “We want people to realize we’ve got this real treasure here, and I’m hoping this new infrastructure ups that.”
The reconfigured parking lot will feature pocket prairies of plants that can thrive next to hot pavement. Plantings in surrounding walkways will flow into the existing Asiatic, native plant, and white gardens. The welcome center's plaza is planted with natives like azaleas, oakleaf hydrangea, bottlebrush buckeye, and needle palm. Smith Hong also notes that Gateway Gardens curator Jason Holmes made a point of choosing plants that won't obstruct the view of Duke Chapel's iconic Gothic tower.
“The Garden Gateway is not a canvas painted by one person, but a living collaboration tended to by many. If I have done my part well, the plants will not only beautify these new spaces, but also invite visitors to slow down, notice and feel a connection to both Duke Gardens and one another," Holmes has said.
Despite its location on a private campus, Duke Gardens is a member of the American Public Gardens Association and does not charge admission. Donors funded the $30 million expansion.
“Duke’s gift to the community is Duke Gardens, because it’s a place where Duke and the community can come together," Smith Hong says.
When To Visit Duke Gardens
Duke Gardens has always been a highlight for visitors to Durham. Whether they are touring campus, attending an ACC basketball game, or visiting on graduation weekend, stopping there has become mandatory. Crowds arrive when the cherry trees bloom in early or mid-March to take photos in the cherry allée. In late March, you can see tulips and daffodils come into full bloom on the terraces. The terrace beds are replanted with new flowers and foliage each season.
In late spring and summer, the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden is bursting with vegetables and flowers. Kids love visiting the chicken coop after Thursday morning storytime. The meadows in the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants are also in full bloom in summer.
For cooler weather and fall foliage, visit in October. Duke Gardens also holds its annual Harvest Festival that month. Between October and March, camellias are a highlight at the gardens.
What To Expect
The garden grounds are open from 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year. You won't be charged admission, but visitors must pay $2 an hour to park in the lots, which open at 9. The campus opens extra parking on adjacent lots and streets on the weekends, but it can be difficult to find a spot when the cherry blossoms peak in March. Consider arriving by bus, rideshare, or bike during the busiest days of the year.
Dogs are only permitted in the gardens before 10 a.m. unless they are service animals. Dogs must be kept on a leash and are never allowed in the Discovery Garden or Blomquist Garden.
Duke Gardens provides a gorgeous backdrop for family snapshots, portraits, and engagement photos. Photographers must purchase a permit for professional photo shoots and commercial photography.
