Visited the Oregon Garden for the first time this weekend. It was lovely. Very well kept with friendly, helpful people there to answer questions. Very reasonable to get in. Be sure to take the tram for a narrated tour of the garden. When done, you can easily walk back to the areas you're most interested in. We will be going back and taking friends with us. read more

The gardens are massive and a beautiful place to explore. Take your walking shoes and a garden map. the main path is about a 3 mile loop and you'll want to meander off to other paths as well. Quiet, peaceful and lots to see. I think better markers to correspond to the map would be helpful, easy to get lost. read more

I first went to this garden years ago and decided that it wasn't all that great. We have a farm close by which we infrequently visit so I am generally not looking for diversions so I just ignore it. WRONG! Boy has it improved, and that was a visit on a close to freezing winter day. I am targeting a return visit on a early summer day when its not freezing or blistering hot as it can be in the Willamette Valley. Not sure about paying to park, we didn't. And if they ask you to pay just drive up to the resort and park there - always free. That said I was underwhelmed by the tropical house. read more

We have been here twice - unfortunately both times in June. While we enjoyed the gardens, we were disappointed that they do not have a lot of "plantings". By that I mean numerous flowers in the same area for display. We found the flowers were individually scattered and not as colorful as many other gardens we visited. Overall the entire garden - as flowers - seemed sparse - but the time of the year is probably a factor. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend you stopping but I don't feel it is worth a special trip. On a side note - we stopped and had lunch at the garden and was looking forward to a bowl of soup - but they didn't have it since "We haven't had time to pick it up yet?" Note this was at 1:30 - when do they plan on getting the lunch soup? Sounds like they wait until the lunch crowd is gone, pick it up and since they now have leftovers - perhaps get a free lunch? Just wondering. read more

A Haiku Review of The Oregon Garden: The first to review? This place is magnificent! Put this on your list. read more

Took my mom and sister last week as they were visiting from San Diego. I have been before and thought they would enjoy how beautiful I remembered it. What a disappointment, nothing but weeds and a few unkept water features. I can not believe they actually charge an admission. I understand it's been difficult this past year, but if they are going to open maybe ask for a donation instead. This was the last time I will visit and would not recommend to anyone. Complete waste of your time and money. read more

This is a beautiful garden in the daytime but they are responsible for the events held here so here it is. This is for the Christmas in the garden event: It was a total disaster this year! People had to park all over the place but you were warned it was "unsafe" to walk anywhere on your own even though they could have totally lit up the path like they have in the past. Instead they trapped hundreds of people by making them wait for the shuttle. Once one got up to the entrance whether they stumbled through the "unsafe" pitch black garden or waited an hour in chaos for the shuttle, there was an even worse line to get in. It was like a bad day at the DMV, total chaos. The shuttle honking at little kids but not slowing down. NOT safe! Everything was in darkness til you got up to the top so everyone was forced to take the shuttle. The line was everyone for themselves with everyone cutting eachother off especially on the way back. On the way back the shuttle broke down and people were jumping in front of those in line. One lady freezing in the cold with her elderly mother said they had waited for an hour to get in the line to get in and she was mad because the line curled around into the dark wet soggy grass and they were all soaked. The food line around 7pm was 45 minutes long and by the time we got to the front they had run out of half of the items. I felt bad for the people working at this event because they were all helpless to the horrible management of this event. In the past this was a nice event but whoever is in charge really messed up this year bad. We heard all kinds of comments about the failure of this event at least some people made humor out of it which made it better. The Eventbrite tickets didn't help make this event any more efficient and you cannot get a refund if you see the line and want to leave but already bought tickets online. People were seeing the line and leaving after dealing with the parking chaos. Something needs to change this was really bad. The way it was not organized is way more unsafe than the darkened walking path. I hope it doesn't get any crazier. The only thing that was done well was taking money from our account and ofcourse...the Christmas lights. read more

Wow. What a perfect experience. The rooms are spacious yet cozy. The grounds are so beautiful and soothing to explore. Then we had drinks in the lounge before dinner. The guitar duo was outstanding. Songs from James Taylor to Jimmy Buffet...so enjoyable! Then we had a wonderful dinner outside with a spectacular view and wonderful service. Again...I say wow...will definitely be back. read more

Strolled around the Oregon Garden today with a good friend. I really enjoyed all the lilies in bloom and saw someone had brought their Westie (it's so nice they are pet and child friendly) and have parts of the garden for children and pets. It was lovely and my friend picked up some plants which they sell there as well. They have a lot of water features which was pleasant, such as fountains and pools with Koi. We had a great time. And I picked up some lovely iris stationary in the gift shop. read more

See all

Spring in Oregon is beautiful, so a visit to the oregon garden seemed like a good idea...was disappointed...very few flowers throughout garden, several stagnant pools of water that stunk, many areas that were unkept with weeds taking over displays..park was well layed out , easy to walk through, ample parking...as this is a formal garden of naturally occuring plants of oregon it should have looked the part.... read more

I was disappointed with the Oregon garden I went on the website and it showed lots of flowers but when i went there there were barley any they say there's like a restaurant but there was like a mini cafe there was no food except like $8 tiny sandwiches and soup that was all the food and the rest was drinks and the resort was very small for what I saw the only good part about it is you could have a nice party or wedding but overall my experience was definitely not great read more

This garden has only been open to the public for about 10 years and is still growing and expanding. If you are in the area it is well worth the visit, admission is very reasonable. Take the narrated tram tour first then return to your favorite areas on foot via the many paths & sidewalks. Many beautiful plants, trees and wetlands (ponds & waterfalls) to see. Believe it or not (I didn't) it's pet friendly as long as you pickup after your pet. read more

See all

Went here for a conference and stayed the night at their resort. The gardens were really beautiful and only wish that when my mom was here I could have known about it to take her here. I spent a lot of time at the ponds looking for frogs, but the gardens in general were very nice. read more

Decent for a breakfast or lunch while at the garden. The rice bowl is good and the lamb pita OK. The fruit crisp is good too. The service was quick. read more

For Christmas lights... Just left and special thanks to all the volunteers who directed traffic and kept fires stoked at the warming stations. DO NOT PANIC if you see long pedestrian line after you pay parking fee. There is another parking area at top of hill that we got directed to and there was no line to enter the garden. THERE ARE ALSO BATHROOMS TOO. There is a short uphill walk to get to the lights and main venue but it is well lit with colorful lights. TAKE WARM CLOTHES. We saw so many kids with no coats or gear for the rain. Food prices are very reasonable. Coffee beer and shots of cinnamon whiskey are available as well. read more

Despite having lived in the magnificent Pacific Northwest for over 25 years, and being a frequent visitor to the Portland area, I only became aware of the Oregon Garden's existence about three months ago. For that, I can somewhat be forgiven as the Oregon Garden has existed in its present state for fewer than ten years. But, it is here now, and it is growing. And, I recently got to make my very first visit. My husband and I spent several hours -- on a beautiful, sunny, early Spring day -- roaming the beautiful Oregon Garden. It is actually several small gardens -- a rose garden, a water garden, a NW garden, etc. -- all sharing one amazing space. While wandering, we had two main thoughts: If we lived closer, we would definitely become members of the Oregon Garden as we would want to visit often to see what each season would bring. (For example, there are several beautiful, healthy rose plants. But, at the time of our visit a few days ago, these had not yet started to flower. We are sure, though, that in a couple of months, these will be astounding, both in color and fragrance.) Also, as mentioned,the Oregon Garden is not all that old. In another ten years; as the plantings start to mature, its splendor will only grow. For now, though, we'll have to be content with less-than-we'd-really-like visits. We've already decided we need to come visit to see what the Christmas lights have to offer. And, I would not be surprised if a visit next Spring (and the one after that) are in the works. read more

The Oregon Garden is a 120-acre garden located about an hours drive from Portland. The garden uses the waste water from the city of Silverton to create a series of ponds and to irrigate the site. I would plan on spending 3-4 hours walking through the entire garden. They do a lot of educational activities and have a lot of related events so I would recommend checking their website to see what might be going on during your visit. The garden is relatively young at ten years old. Although the Oregon Garden doesn't compete with Butchart Gardens, it is worth a visit. read more

The gardens are amazing and a great way to spend an afternoon. You can walk through the various sections (which I recommend) or take the tram (which I also recommend). The place is dog friendly so you can walk with your pups - there is even a garden full of pet friendly plantings. And so dog friendly that they invite you to bring the dogs on the tram (and mine are not little lapdogs). So on the tram we went. Happy we did as the commentary was witty and enjoyable and I would have missed a section or two on my own. Definitely see the hobbit house, the train area, and the water garden. Or better yet, just plan to hit all the areas and find your favorite. Can't wait to return! read more

We are glad we are members of the Oregon Garden. We've visited the garden at all 4 seasons. Each season has its own feeling to tell. As avid gardeners this garden provides us with knowledge what to plant, how it looks like in different season and weather. Oregon garden also raises awareness of what invasive alien plants can harm the native ones. As a matter of fact, sadly I began to notice Himalayan blackberry shrubs creeping in among the well planned plants. Maintaining the garden beautifully and keep it free from invasive plants relies on volunteers green thumbs and efforts. read more

Christmas magic at its best. Lights were beautiful and felt like I was in an amazing winter wonderland. The fire pits are a nice touch and no crazy lines for food. HOWEVER, we did decide to go early and ice skate at 3pm. There were no parking issues and in fact our VIP pass was only worth it because we wanted the ease to get our dog easily after ice skating and VIP parking is so close to the garden entrance. The ice skating is inside so makes no difference to go in daylight. And at 3pm on a Friday it is nice and quiet! We took a mulled wine/hot chocolate break at 4.30pm till 5pm so we were ready to go out into the gardens at dark and also tube on the snowless tubing. We got a table easily by the rink and this is where we were able to take our break till 5. We purchased fun passes - a must because you do not have to exit the gardens/rink at 4.30pm! You can stay and enjoy the peace for a quiet refreshment. At 5pm we tubed for an hour. Run after run after run. No crazy lines. In fact for that hour there was only 2-3 people per line. The fun passes are a must......the tubing alone covered the cost. We then walked the lights and perused the market. We left at 7pm. And yikes it was busy. Not crazy however. Lines looked reasonable but I would definitely advise getting the fun passes and splitting your time between a day skate and then hanging till dark. Makes the most of your $$ and patience when you have kids and a dog with you :) read more

Our first time at The Oregon Garden for the Christmas Light Display. I was concerned after reading the reviews from last year, about long lines and waits, but those problems appear to have been resolved. Purchased tickets online. Pre paid parking was sold out. We had planned to eat at the Garden View Restaurant but there was no separate parking for the restaurant. No parking on site when we arrived at 6:30. Drove down the hill about 1/2 mile and parked on the street. There are several lots nearby with shuttles but it was an easy walk. At the actual lot, there was one bus after another for the ride up to the display leaving quickly. The line for prepaid tickets was non existent. We walked right in. There was a fairly long line to purchase tickets. The lights were lovely. Lots of warming stations. Entertainment. Small market with lovely unique items for sale. Looked like a little bit of a wait for food but not horrible. Great drink options for adults. Lots of kids and strollers but the paths were large enough to accommodate them. Several dogs that probably would have been happier at home. Unless they were being carried they/the leashes were hard to maneuver. Also saw a couple barking aggressively at each other while the owners dragged them away. It looks like there is a special dog section for the regular gardens but don't know what their dog policy is for this display. Overall fun holiday experience...Worth the price and time.... read more

We went to Oregon gardens for the lights and the ice skating for our 3 year old daughter. Half the lights were out. And the pathway needed to be maintained a little better as we were stepping in mud and ruining our shoes. The ice skating was 12.00 per person for a ice skating rink the size of my living room. Then on top of that had to pay for your skate rental. So for a time of ruining our shoes . Seeing lights that were half out and paying a fortune to skate in an area so small that you couldn't move barely without running into someone or being run in too. Plus all the other charges such as the Oregon garden admission and the parking we paid 78.00 to basically have a bad time and was forced to put a smile on our faces for our child. Won't be recommending the ice skating to anyone. read more

To be honest, we were there for the Oregon Garden Brewfest (highly recommended!) but thoroughly enjoyed working off some of the beer by walking around the grounds. It is well laid out, scenic and there are some interesting things to check out like the Fire House and Pet Garden. We didn't realize that the really cool house we passed on the way up in the shuttle bus, was a Frank Lloyd Wright (although should've guessed as much!). Next time we are in the area we'll have to make a trip back to check it out. If you are coming down from Portland, take Hwy 213 - it's much more scenic than I-5. read more

You know when I'm done and you have no way you to go do it all right if it's okay good day to come over here to get it to my house to g

I'm giving the garden a full five stars because of the volunteer effort it takes to keep those 80 acres accessible and beautiful for the visiting public, for the wonderful people who work there caring for the trees, plants, flowers, water features, and wetland wildlife areas, and for the tram drivers who drive around in circles teaching the public about the nature of this place. It's an affordable education and treat. Go there to learn and go home to nurture your own garden or grow something new. Spend time near the over 400 year old oak tree. There's a gift shop with some interesting offerings, too. They have themed offerings at different times during the year, too. Check it out. If you're interested in architecture or Pacific Northwest homes you may like to see the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in the Pacific Northwest that's open to public. Put down the screen; pick up a flower or herb in the sensory garden ... and smile. read more

We drove up from Grants Pass on the 4th of July and were so excited to see how the Oregon Garden had grown and matured since our visit almost ten years ago. We were so disappointed in what we found. The garden had hosted a fireworks event the evening before and nothing had been cleaned up yet. Rickety wooden stands with directional signage were everywhere along with discarded beer cans and garbage. Seriously? The charge is $12 to enter and you couldn't clean all of this up before taking visitors' money? How embarrassing. That wasn't the only disappointment. The gardens themselves were sorely lacking. Weeds were growing everywhere and some areas seemed to have temporary fixes slapped together for irrigation, edging, and stair rails. Our impression was that this garden is in trouble. They seem to lack the funds to maintain their property and it is just so sad to see. Oregon is one of the horticultural meccas of the world, and this garden should showcase that. As it stands now, it is an embarrassment. I really hope they get the funding they need and the director to lead them to their potential. We would have asked for a refund, but felt they really need all the help they can get. read more

I drove down from Portland with friends for the day to enjoy a balmy 80 degree day at the end of May. It was my second visit in 10 years. The garden was too young and barren the first trip. I thought that by waiting a decade the garden would mature and would have time to become established. It is obvious that the location and lack of a cohesive master plan put this garden into financial ruin. The layout is chaotic and lacks a unified theme. The garden lacks focus and is trying to be too many things with too small a staff. The nursery trade organization that built the garden intended a fleet of volunteers to keep it looking manicured. The garden beds appeared weedy and neglected. New management has decided to focus on education for school kids, weddings, private parties, and the lodging guests at the top of the hill. This garden lacks vision as a plant showcase for which it was intended. The exception is the conifer garden created and maintained by the American Conifer Society Oregon Chapter. It is one of the finest in the United States I have ever seen. The garden's central axis has a European style formal slope that is meant to capture the coast range view from the Lodge and a water sculpture with a rose garden down below. The rose garden looks terrible and needs to be relocated for more sunshine and better air circulation. This is a tragedy in a state re-known for it's roses and rose growers. The tram ride has become the preferred method of traveling through the garden and it circles the perimeter between the gate and lodge. It is the only thing not to miss. The tram guides breathe life to an otherwise confusing lay out. The gift shop includes a cafe. It closed promptly at 4 during the hottest part of the day. That seemed like an odd time to close for hot and thirsty visitors. The only refreshments available were the refrigerator with bottles of soda, tea, and lemonade. Ironically it seemed like a large number of people suddenly appeared at the gift shop at this time of day. I suspect they too were looking for some cold refreshment. This garden needs a strong director to make some harsh decisions about future growth and direction. Otherwise, this showcase will become a nightmare of what can go wrong with a large property and small budget. read more

Most expensive, and bland meal I have ever had. I think their pasta and sauce where Safeway Select. I can honestly say that I have never been more disapointed by a dinning experience. I've eaten finer food at strip clubs. read more

This garden was totally gorgeous. There were 2 weddings going on, so there was music booming all through the various gardens, not all of it lovely, but it was cool. My kids LOVED the children's garden and it was almost impossible to drag them away from it. They loved running through the hillside tunnel and pushing the button for the train, oh, and the pirate ship. They loved ringing the bells in the more zen inspired gardens. My dog loved the pet garden and helped himself to some water from the creek. My daughter was terrified of the rediscovery forest, even though she claims to really love spooky stuff. It was just too dark in there, and there might be bigfoots lurking. There are frogs leaping about the ponds and a huge kingfisher was hunting in the water garden. It was pretty cool. We didn't ride the tram because we brought the dog, but we will be back. read more

We stayed for New Years and we were blown away! We felt spoiled! We love coming here for New Years since it's not crowded like Portland. Just laid back and chill. We were greater in the lobby by beautiful Christmas decorations. The tree was so pretty we had to take a pic of it and I have no idea how they kept it so fresh for this long! It was real! Our room had huge vaulted ceilings and a cozy fireplace. For New Year's Eve they had a really good band and a dance floor. Most of the time we just sat in the couches by the fire and played board games. That was fun! Our food took a little long to come so they gave it to is for free! We didn't even really notice that it was late b/c we were having so much fun! The servers were very guinine and so nice-unlike the overworked grumpy servers we typically get in Portland. Lol! The next night we went to their 500,000 lights Christmas wonderland! Wow! So cool! It was really cold but they had little fire pits all throughout so you could warm up. That was a nice thoughtful touch. We also got hot chocolate and hot apple cider as we walked through! They though of everything! They even gave us each these memorabilia mugs to keep! They had ice skating and snowless tubing which looked really fun but we didn't do. Has soon as we stepped out of the ice skating it started to snow! It was so magical! I love that this place allows pets and doesn't have a passcode on their wifi. Don't know why I like that- I just do. The pillows were so comfortable I wanted to buy one and take it home! Their breakfast buffet was amazing in the morning and they also had a free buffet on New Year's Eve! What?!?! And of course you got to love the outdoor hot tub! This was the best New Years I have ever had! It was so magical! Thank you! read more

See all

I can't believe we've lived in Oregon three years and had never visited the Oregon Garden until now! I purchased the $11.00 Groupon in November and decided to use it on a Sunday when the high was 25 degrees. It was incredibly cold. We decided to check out the garden during the daytime and then stick around for Christmas in the Garden, which started at 4pm. Both The Husband and The Child were a bit grumpy about the idea of visiting a garden in the dead of winter. I think Husband was imagining acres of dead roses and Child was envisioning...well....whatever a 6 year old imagines when you tell him you're going to visit a garden in 25 degree weather. I only gloated a teeny tiny bit when they both had an excellent time in spite of themselves. First, there is TONS to see in the winter. The ponds and water features were entirely iced over, which was a source of endless intrigue for The Child. There were birds everywhere, so between the wildlife, the cold, and the fact that we were literally the only visitors in the entire place, we really felt like we were having an adventure. Our 6 year old loved the Children's Garden, which has a little Hobbit hole, digging areas, a train, and all sorts of whimsical features. I enjoyed the oak woodland and the area where the chickens are. We were thrilled when we discovered the the Garden is dog-friendly. We weren't entirely sure about bringing the dog, as we thought maybe they had only a dog-friendly space. But not only was our dog welcomed inside the visitor center, they also gave her a treat. She was also able to sit with us as we had a cup of coca. She had a great time and I sincerely hope the chickens will eventually recover from that experience. To future guests with dogs: please clean up after your dog and make sure everyone is behaving. Don't ruin this awesome thing for the rest of us! We spent about 1.5 hours wandering around the garden, including sitting in the visitor center and warming up over coca. Christmas in the Garden began at 4 pm, which was truly the highlight of our day. Christmas in the Garden takes place in the forest area, and the trees are decorated with beautiful lights and vignettes. There are plenty of heaters and fires. A tram is available to shuttle visitors from the entrance to the forest area. Santa was there, as well as live reindeer! There were two concession areas serving German sausage, sauerkraut, pretzels, macaroni, and German stew. We didn't have the stew but the sausages were great. The prices were reasonable to start, and all tickets came with an extra dollar off at each vendor. To top it off, they were serving Glühwein! Yum! There were also several great artisan booths. It was a very well planned, well staffed event. Everyone was friendly and accommodating. I would suggest that visitors purchase the Groupon, check out the Garden, and then invest in a membership. That's what we did and it feels like it was $100 well spent. I can't wait to check out the Garden again in spring and summer, and sincerely appreciate all of their efforts surrounding the Christmas event. read more

I had never been to the Oregon Gardens before, and I was most impressed with the Gardens. There were all sorts of different experimental gardens, including medicinal gardens where all the plants had medicinal purposes. There were also food gardens, and a water garden including a 'dragon'. The day was spectacularly beautiful - warm enough to go without a sweater, big billowy clouds and a big blue sky. It is far away, so if you bring a picnic and make a day of it, you will definitely be happy you made the trip. read more

I have been wanting to attend The Oregon Garden Christmas Lights for years. We finally went last night, had pre-paid for our tickets and with two other couples we were very excited! Until we arrived. Here is what we experienced: 1. Traffic and mobs of people and absolutely no organization from the event employees. 2. Extremely dangerous parking situations made worse by the buses and shuttles. We witnessed the shuttle side swipe a parked car and numerous times nearly hitting walking people. 3. You are forced to take a shuttle to and from the event. We had to wait in lines for literally hours. 4. Walkways are dark and dangerous. 5. Pre-paid ticket holders had to wait in line twice as long as non-ticket holders. 6. Total time we were there: 2 1/2 hours. We spend 30 minutes of that looking at the lights and eating. The rest of the time was spent waiting in lines. 7. Employees are not properly trained and while they were somewhat friendly, because of a lack of training they created very dangerous situations. I absolutely DO NOT recommend this event the way it is currently being run and managed. read more

At the Oregon Gardens in Silverton, Oregon last weekend they had an event called the "Brew Fest". I now have attended 2 years in a row hoping it would be worth the money a person pays. 5 dollars for parking and 20 dollars to enter. Not worth it at all. I do drink beer on occasion and I like beer. I gotta say the beer at the "Fest" was NOT good at all. The samples were warm and gross! I swear anyone and everyone thinks they can brew a good tasting beer. The samples you get for 20 dollars (5 tickets) equal almost a half a pint! Barely a drink. If you give 4 tickets for a full glass? You only get 3/4 of a glass. They call that full. The food was very expensive ($9 for a slice of pizza) and not much of a selection. The music was very bad, and I mean very bad. Everyone thinks they're a rock star. Just head slitting music. The arts section was very very limited. I think 6 booths? Maybe 7? Not a lot and very expensive (except the glass booth). The glass booth was something to look at and purchase something. Over all the experience was not good. The whole event was not very well put together. I will not be back and any conversation I have about the Brew Fest will not get good remarks from me. I'm not the only person who feels this way;) DO NOT LET ADVERTISING FOOL YOU INTO THINKING SOMETHING IS GOOD AND FUN! read more

Very disappointing customer service at the Oregon Garden gift store. My family and I were treated very unprofessional in the gift store by the cashier. Contacted the gift store manager who apologized for the poor customer service treatment and said she would send us something to compensate for the poor treatment. However it didn't happen and the manager didn't follow up or return my phone call. read more

Nice place to visit - even in the winter. Great conifer garden, and fun concerts in the summer! Interesting to see plants at maturity. Fun gift shop, too! read more

Beautiful in the late spring and early fall! Great for a long walk, and the Brewfest at the end of April is well worth the trip there!

We highly recommend!!! We had lunch & dinner. Excellent food & service. Toured some of the gardens via a tram. We plan to return this summer, for 3 night. read more

Holy Hannah! Best Bloody Mary I've ever had!!! Jasmine is the bartender in the lounge. Great fireplace.. Great service. Amazing Bloody Mary's!!! Apparently she's the creator. The Gardens are gorgeous the town is quaint. Come for the scenery, stay for the Bloody Mary's. read more

If you value your time at all, then do not waste it here for Christmas in the Garden. Absolute chaos, never ending lines were everywhere and shuttle system was a joke. We waiting for a shuttle (with our 3 kids ages 4 and under) for well over an hour when signs posted said that shuttles were circulating every 20 mins. Once we finally got a shuttle, we arrived only to more chaos and lines. At this point we had been there for over 2 hours and hadn't even got our tickets. None of the staff knew where to go or answers to any of our questions. We decided we wasted enough of our time and didn't want to give them a dime. It then took us an hour to get another shuttle to get out! It was an absolute nightmare read more