Government Gardens, Urban park in Rotorua, New Zealand

Government Gardens is a large, manicured urban park in Rotorua with shaped green spaces, historic buildings, and natural geothermal features throughout. The park combines open lawns with paved walkways, ornamental garden beds, and areas where steaming vents and hot springs emerge from the ground.

Māori gave 50 acres at Paepaehakumanu and Motutara to the British Crown in the late 1800s, and the combined land became the Sanatorium Reserve, commonly the Government Gardens. The government opened a large Bath House here in 1908; it closed to bathing in 1966 and was renovated in 1995 as the Rotorua Museum. The Blue Baths opened in 1933, closed in 1982 and were restored in 1999–2000.

The name Paepaehakumanu refers to a bird-snaring ground, and the northern part was called Motutara. Māori owners gifted the 50-acre site to the British Crown in the late 1800s "for the benefit of the peoples of the world". The former Bath House, opened in 1908, is built in Elizabethan Tudor style and now houses the Rotorua Museum.

The park has paved paths that make it easy to walk around, plus restrooms and parking at multiple locations. The best time to visit is during dry weather, as the paths can become slippery near the active geothermal vents.

Beneath the surface, hot springs and geothermal systems constantly release steam and warm the ground beneath your feet. This active heat underground is often overlooked, but it shapes the entire park experience and makes every visit feel sensorily unusual.