Sarah P. Duke Gardens 420 Anderson Street, Durham, NC 27708

"*LOVED* this place!! We moved here from Idaho in September and have been exploring a lot. This has been our favorite place so far. If you are from here, you might not realize how special it is to have banana trees and bamboo just growing outside in nature under pine trees and elms and maple trees. In Idaho, there was only pine so you didn't see leaves change colors with the seasons at all. I can't believe how colorful everything is here!! It's the thing I had been looking forward to the most, and it didn't disappoint. There's a smell outside as you walk around. It's this earthy tree smell that is my absolute favorite smell in the whole world (tied for the #1 spot with my daughter's head and my dog's feet). It was a 76 degree day with a light breeze and it felt like walking around in a rainbow heaven. The grounds are beautiful and there's lots to see. I'm certain we'll come back frequently. That being said, I will give one suggestion. It's a little bit hard to get around with my daughter's wheelchair and it would be helpful if paths were marked with arrows showing which way to go if you're in a wheelchair. They had an info both but it was busy so we skipped it, and I'm sure they could have told us where to go. Alas! We had to backtrack a little bit here and there, but there were other ways to get around. We took a detour to the chapel which was about an 8 minute walk from the gardens, and we did have to go up some stairs for that part. It was so pretty though and barely out of the way. Worth seeing. I expected only one chapel, but the university has tons of buildings that look like ancient mini castles. I didn't expect it to be so utterly breathtaking. Back to the gardens, there were some gravel areas inside the gardens that we decided to skip. Otherwise, the majority of the gardens were very accessible. We all loved this place so much."

"Visited with my boyfriend last Spring and the scenery was gorgeous. Lots of different kinds of flowers to view, as well as walking trails. We also stopped at the little shop and bought popsicles to cool down. Great place to visit and lots you can do!"

"Absolutely beautiful. Visited twice while in town and still didn't get to see everything because it was so big. My favorite was the vegetable garden which consisted of a compost and watering system and a bee keeping section. The workers and volunteers were super nice. There was a little building that sold snack and wraps that were delicious,fresh and reasonably priced. They also had a gift shop and area where you could purchase plants. The garden is free but you have to pay to park but the parking fee is reasonable but parking fills up quick."

"The visit to the Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University was spectacular. Much of the gardens were still in bloom. The staff, volunteers and workers were quite pleasant, very knowledgeable as well as helpful. It was a beautiful day to spend walking amid such floral beauty. We brought a simple picnic lunch to enjoy at the conclusion of our walk. If you are in the area, leave at least an hour or more to enjoy this treasure."

"After you figure how to pay for parking, you will be amazed at the beauty of this garden. It’s free to enter and has such majesty. Great place to come explore, relax, and spend time in a tranquil place. Many people come to peruse the garden, others come to have a picnic with friends and family in the greenway. Left this place feeling at peace."