Bellevue Botanical Garden, Botanical garden in Bellevue, Washington, US.
Bellevue Botanical Garden is a 53-acre public garden on Main Street east of downtown Bellevue, Washington. It holds display areas including the Perennial Border, Yao Garden, Fuchsia Garden, Dahlia Display, Waterwise Garden, Native Discovery Garden, Rhododendron Glen, and Urban Meadow, plus Lost Meadow Trail and wetland and woodland sections.
The garden was founded in 1992 through a partnership between the City of Bellevue and the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society. The land had previously been in private hands and was gradually shaped into the public space it is today.
The Yao Garden reflects Bellevue's sister-city tie with Yao, Japan, a partnership the Bellevue Sister Cities Association has supported since 1977 with student exchanges between the two cities. The garden moved here from Kelsey Creek Park in 1990 and holds maples, azaleas, rhododendrons and viburnums around a small stream. The Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, begun by Bob and Iris Jewett, runs classes and events with volunteers.
The garden is free to enter and open every day, making it easy to visit at any time of year. Paved paths and clear signs make it straightforward to get around, and accessibility resources are available for those who need them.
Every winter, the garden hosts Garden d'Lights, an event where over 500,000 lights shaped like plants and animals are placed throughout the grounds. The event is so popular that timed-entry tickets are required, even though the garden is free and open without reservations for the rest of the year.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,776 contributors worldwide.