Portland Japanese Garden

611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205, USA

Address:	611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205, USA
Phone:	+1 503-223-1321
Site:	japanesegarden.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	12–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM 10AM–7PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Nancy Summitt

We went to the garden today after seeing it featured on a TV program. We got there @ 10am sharp and paid the admission fee. Once entering there was a group forming with a tour guide. The guide explained that she was a volunteer and the garden operated as a non-profit. Having a guide certainly added a whole new dimension to the education/informational aspect. 15 min into the walk one of the other persons in the group tapped on my shoulder and explained that the tour was a private group, basically I needed to leave. My first reaction, was embarrassment, then wondered why the guide didnt say something when she started. There were a lot of people that were walking by and stood to listen to the discussion. At that point, I felt cheated. We had paid for 1 hour parking and I really didnt want to send my husband back down to the parking lot to extend the parking. There were other guided tours but by the time the next one started the rest of the family was ready to go. I really feel like for the price they should have hourly tour guides.. What we did see was certainly beautiful, but I really feel like I was cheated out of a lot of valuable information. I think that maybe the private tour policy needs to be reviewed. We were also disappointed that there were a lot of trees that were not labeled and it would have been nice to know what they were.

Emma Nolan

Easily the most serene place in Portland, with one of the best views when its not too cloudy. I have a membership and have been many times, but have found there is no one season I prefer. In autumn a large Japanese maple (known to local photographers as "the tree") turns a beautiful red-orange. Spring sees Camellia, Irises and Wisteria in bloom. Rainy autumn and winter weather helps keep the moss in the Flat Garden vibrant. The garden also has many interesting events including crafts sales, bonsai, ikebana displays, and has had some exciting (if small) art shows in the tea house. They also offer classes on fence making - you might notice hand tied fences throughout the park on your visit. I havent yet taken one of these classes - but this gives you a sense of the amount of craftsmanship and work that has gone in this park. I highly recommend becoming a member if you live in Portland, or if not, keep an eye out for frequent free days. Even on a free day when the park is crowded it manages to retain its serenity. Its an excellent destination to take out of town guests - particularly in the summer due to its proximity to the International Rose Test Garden. The park is reachable via a path from the garden - however if your visitors are older - be aware there is a regularly running tram that can help get them up to the park.

JoAnn Daher

We enjoyed visiting the Portland Japanese Garden and felt that it was worth the $15 admission fee. Be aware that there are lots of steps to get to the main garden and then more within various sections of the gardens, so it wouldnt work for people with wheelchairs or people who have trouble climbing steps. There were also some parts of the garden where strollers were not allowed due to the uneven stepping stones and steps. The gardens are beautiful in a very quiet, understated manner which I appreciated. There is a large variety of trees, plants, water features, statues, and even a few buildings with Japanese architecture. The garden was simple to get to via public transit. We took the red line Tri-met rail to the Washington Park stop, and then after taking the elevator to get back to ground level, the free park shuttle bus stop was just a few steps away and the stop was clearly marked. The zoo was also right across from the shuttle bus. The bus then took about 10 or 15 minutes before it dropped us off at the Japanese Garden (which was also the dropoff for the rose garden). Parking and traffic around the park was crazy, so I would recommend visiting by rail if possible.

Phalla Agent

The garden is beautiful and the rose garden is spectacular. But be careful where you park. It is known to the Portland Police that it is a high car prowl area. Do not park up the hill from the garden. In less than 1.5 hour, your car will be broken into, your windows will be smashed even when things are not obvious in the car especially, if you are traveling from a far, they can tell by your license plate. Be careful!!! These thieves will spare no consideration. They will cut off your car security alarm to avoid attention. Sadly, even when you are able locate signals of your missing electronic devices with specific street address, the Portland Police cant do anything about it either. They will tell you that it belongs to a large apartment complex and its hard to narrow it down. I hope someday with the number of incidents reported that the Police will patrol that area more often so visitors wont have to deal with such troubles and lost. Keeping the area Save for All! JUST BE AWARE! Seattle,WA

Erin

Not what Id expected. I went in fall when the maple colors were most vibrant with some friends. Unfortunately, the rest of Portland had the same idea. It was crowded, extremely crowded. There was no parking, which is fine for locals, but visitors may not have the option to use transportation unless they are staying somewhere in town. If you have a baby, do not bring a stroller - use a baby carrier. I repeat, no stroller. It felt like we spent more time walking up through harrowing construction paths on the way to the gate than at the actual garden. And we went on all the paths at the garden, some twice. The limited staff we encountered when buying tickets were stern and not helpful, more interested in excessive rules than customer service. So we made jokes the entire time, "Dont use your phone because you might interfere with the serene ambiance provided by the jack hammer." Even without construction, I probably wont go back. Its just too small for the amount of people that want to visit.

Zach Chesebro

Breathtaking views, worth it for that view of the city, probably one of the best vantage points to see all of Portland from. Everything here seems to be constructed really authentically, it feels like being transported to a little piece of Japan. The gardens are really pretty with lots of little shrines and things built everywhere, and shelters for those rainy days so you can sit and look without getting soaked. The sand gardens were really cool too. Cant wait to see that big temple at the new entrance they are building. Although I didnt have a problem with this, its worth noting as other people have that it is definitely not accessible and I dont know if this is just because of the construction but you have to go up a very long flight of stairs just to get to the entrance. Once youre inside its also a lot of stairs, I dont think I saw any ramps. To get down they take you by shuttle out the back... Maybe this could be an option for getting in if you cant make it up the stairs in the front.