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Botanic Garden - Visitor Information

Botanic Garden walkway

The Wellington Botanic Garden features 25 hectares of unique landscape, protected native forest, conifers, specialised plant collections, colourful floral displays, and views over Wellington city.

It is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and is an Historic Places Trust Heritage Area.

Entry is free.

Hours

The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk.

The Treehouse Visitor Centre is open Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 4.00pm.

Location

The Botanic Garden is minutes from downtown Wellington, and is easily accessed.

There are many entrances to the Garden including from Tinakori Road, Glenmore Street, Salamanca Road, Upland Road and the Cable Car.

Location map
Botanic Garden map (449Kb PDF)

Getting There

Founders Gates, Glenmore Street

The main entrance to the garden is on Tinakori Road.

Cable Car - from Cable Car Lane, off Lambton Quay. Leaves every 10 minutes to the top of the Botanic Garden.
No 3 Karori Park Bus - catch the bus at Lambton Quay and get off at the Centennial Entrance on Tinakori Road and the Founders Gates on Glenmore Street.
Walking - the most popular route is from The Terrace through Bolton Street Memorial Park, through the Lady Norwood Rose Garden to the Main Garden. This takes about 20 minutes.
Car - the only public carpark in the garden is adjacent to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden. Parking is limited to two hours. Access is through Centennial Entrance on Tinakori Road. Parking is also available along Glenmore Street.

Wheelchairs & Mobility Scooters

Treehouse Visitor Centre

Generally the Botanic Garden is hilly, but the following areas are wheelchair friendly:

at the top of the Cable Car
Lady Norwood Rose Garden
Glenmore Street main entrance.

Mobility Scooters are available free of charge from the Begonia House.

Mobility Scooters

Dogs

Dogs are welcome, provided they are on a lead and owners clean up after them.

Guided Tours

Tours happen every third Sunday and fourth Monday of the month. Experienced guides lead tours that are tailored to each group. Tours leave from a number of points around the Garden. The cost is a gold coin or koha donation. Check the events calendar for details.

Botanic Garden - Events Calendar

History

The Peace Garden

In 1844, the New Zealand Company set aside a 5.26 hectare strip of land for a Botanic Garden reserve. At that time the land was covered in dense podocarp forest including rimu, totara and matai.

The Garden was established in 1868 and managed by the New Zealand Institute. Trees growing today on Druid Hill and Magpie Spur grew from seedlings planted at this time, and are some of the oldest exotic trees in New Zealand.

In the 1870s the fledgling garden was boosted with a further 21.85 hectares of reserve. Wellington City Council has managed the Botanic Garden since 1891.

More Information

Treehouse Visitor Centre
Phone:	(04) 499 1400
Fax:	(04) 499 1903
Email:	treehouse@wcc.govt.nz