Duke Gardens

Duke Gardens was a botanical garden located on the Duke Farms estate in Somerset County. The facility featured eleven distinct thematic spaces within its greenhouse structure, encompassing roughly 60,000 square feet of indoor growing and display areas where plant collections were arranged according to different geographic and stylistic themes.

The gardens were created by Doris Duke and opened to the public in 1964. They remained operational under the Doris Duke Foundation's management until the foundation chose to close them in 2008.

The indoor gardens displayed design elements from different countries and cultures side by side. Visitors could move from one nation's garden style to another and observe how various traditions shaped the plants and layouts they encountered.

The property was part of the larger Duke Farms estate and required planning to visit the various garden areas. Since this is now a closed attraction, visitors interested in the location should verify current access information before planning a visit.

Each of the eleven exhibition gardens was a full-scale recreation of an actual garden from a different country or time period. These detailed reconstructions allowed visitors to travel the world without leaving the greenhouse roof.

Location: New Jersey

GPS coordinates: 40.55060,-74.61870

Latest update: December 8, 2025 13:42