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The Peninsula has a long gardening history. Wealthy families built estates here for the mild climate, Stanford planted an arboretum on former farmland and Japanese American communities left a mark on parks from San Mateo to San Jose. The result is an unusual number of public gardens within half an hour of Palo Alto. Many of them cost nothing to enter.
This list starts in town and moves outward, with hours and prices from each garden's own page or our checked guides. Winter hours are shorter at several gardens, so look before you go. Spring is the showiest season, but camellias, cacti and Japanese maples give winter visits their own appeal.
In Palo Alto
1. Gamble Garden
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden at 1431 Waverley Street covers 2.5 acres around a 1902 house in Old Palo Alto. It has been a public garden since 1985. Admission is free and the grounds are open daily during daylight hours. Elizabeth Gamble was known for her irises and roses and the small Tea House she added in 1948 still stands. Its Winter Festival runs December 3 to 5, 2026. See our Gamble Garden guide.
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On the Stanford campus
2. Arizona Cactus Garden
Planted between 1880 and 1883 for Leland and Jane Stanford and designed by Rudolph Ulrich, this desert garden holds about 500 cacti and succulents in 58 beds. It sits in the Arboretum beside the Stanford Mausoleum off Quarry Road. It is free and open grounds. Our Arizona Cactus Garden guide covers its history.
3. The Stanford Arboretum
Between Palm Drive and Quarry Road, the Arboretum's groves surround the Mausoleum and the Angel of Grief. Stanford counts more than 43,000 trees of over 400 species across campus. Walk here in the late afternoon when the light comes through the eucalyptus.
4. Rodin Sculpture Garden
Beside the Cantor Arts Center, about 20 Rodin bronzes stand in a garden of about one acre, open 24 hours a day. Free docent tours run Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m.
5. Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden
Carved posts and figures by Iatmul and Kwoma artists from the Sepik River region stand among native plants at Santa Teresa Street and Lomita Drive. It is free, with a free tour on the fourth Sunday of the month at 11:30 a.m.
Up the Peninsula
6. Filoli, Woodside
Filoli's 16 acres of formal gardens sit inside a 654-acre estate at 86 Cañada Road, built from 1915 to 1917. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has owned it since 1975. In early November 2026 Filoli listed tickets from $39, free parking and daily hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last entry at 3 p.m. From November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027, daytime visits run 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the Holiday Lights run 4 to 10 p.m. Filoli is closed November 26, December 24 and December 25 and the lights skip December 12. Our Filoli day trip has more.
7. Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park
Founded in 1929 at 75 Arbor Road, the Allied Arts Guild has about 3.5 acres of Spanish-style courtyards, fountains and gardens with small shops. It opens Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free. Proceeds support Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.
8. San Mateo Japanese Tea Garden
Designed by Nagao Sakurai and installed in 1966, this garden in San Mateo's Central Park is a walled garden with a koi pond, a stone pagoda and a teahouse. The city lists no fee. It opens weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is about half a mile from San Mateo Caltrain station. See our tea garden guide.
In the South Bay
9. Hakone Gardens, Saratoga
Hakone's 18 acres were laid out from 1915 to 1917 as a private summer retreat. Its sections include a Hill and Pond Garden. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and over and $10 for ages 5 to 17. Winter hours from October 31, 2026 to March 15, 2027 are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. It closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Our Hakone guide covers parking.
10. Japanese Friendship Garden, San Jose
Dedicated in October 1965, this garden of about 6 acres in Kelley Park marks San Jose's friendship with its sister city of Okayama and was modeled on Okayama's Korakuen garden. It is free. Winter hours from November 1, 2026 to March 14, 2027 are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking costs about $6 a day at the city rate.
11. San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
At Naglee and Dana avenues, 5.5 acres hold more than 3,500 roses in 189 varieties. The garden was dedicated on April 7, 1937, is free and opens from 8 a.m. to an hour after sunset. It is at its best from late April to June and again in early fall.
12. Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
The grounds of James D. Phelan's 1912 villa cover about 175 acres of gardens, lawns and trails. Visiting the grounds is free and parking is free except at some events.
What blooms when
Each garden has its moment. This rough calendar helps you pick.
| Season | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Winter | Arizona Cactus Garden, Filoli's Holiday Lights, cherry blossoms at the San Mateo Tea Garden in late winter |
| Spring | Gamble Garden at its peak, Filoli, the Rose Garden from late April |
| Summer | The Rose Garden into June, the Rodin garden on long evenings |
| Fall | Maple color at the San Mateo Tea Garden in late fall, a second rose bloom in early fall |
The city of San Mateo itself recommends late winter and early spring for its tea garden, when the cherries bloom. Gamble Garden calls spring its peak season, when the trees and beds burst into flower.
For tours of private gardens each spring, see our garden tours guide.
Planning a garden day
Three easy pairings keep driving short. In town, walk Gamble Garden in the morning and cross to Stanford for the Rodin garden and the cactus garden after lunch. Up the Peninsula, combine Filoli with the Allied Arts Guild and lunch in Menlo Park or Woodside, or ride Caltrain to San Mateo for the tea garden. In the South Bay, the Rose Garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden sit about 15 minutes apart in San Jose, while Hakone and Montalvo are both in the hills above Saratoga. Bring a hat and water in summer, since the rose beds and the cactus garden have little shade. Weekday mornings are the quietest time almost everywhere.
Good to know
- Most free gardens close at dusk. In December that means before 5 p.m.
- Filoli does not lend wheelchairs and its paths include brick, gravel and grass.
- Pets are not allowed at Filoli. Check each garden's rules before bringing a dog.
- Pair Hakone with a garden walk at Montalvo for a full Saratoga day.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free gardens in Palo Alto?
Yes. Gamble Garden at 1431 Waverley Street is free and open daily during daylight hours. At Stanford, the Arizona Cactus Garden, the Rodin Sculpture Garden and the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden are free and outdoors. Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park is also free to wander.
How much does Filoli cost?
Filoli lists tickets from $39 and free parking in November 2026. Book a timed ticket online. Filoli also takes part in Museums for All and Discover & Go, so EBT cardholders and Palo Alto library cardholders may get in for less. Its Holiday Lights run November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
What is the closest Japanese garden to Palo Alto?
The San Mateo Japanese Tea Garden in Central Park is about half a mile from San Mateo Caltrain station and charges no fee. Hakone Gardens in Saratoga and the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose are each about 30 minutes away by car.
When do the roses bloom at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden?
The first big bloom usually comes from late April through May and roses keep flowering in waves into the fall. The garden is free, covers 5.5 acres and holds more than 3,500 roses in 189 varieties. It opens from 8 a.m. to an hour after sunset.
Is the Stanford Arizona Cactus Garden open to the public?
Yes. The garden sits in the Stanford Arboretum beside the Stanford Mausoleum off Quarry Road. It is free and open grounds. It was planted between 1880 and 1883 and holds about 500 cacti and succulents in 58 beds.