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Who We Are

Sarah P. Duke Gardens is a botanic garden in the heart of Duke University that inspires transformative learning, promotes wellness and builds community. 

Considered one of the premier public gardens in the U.S. and consistently ranked as the most visited attraction in Durham, N.C., Sarah P. Duke Gardens is a 55-acre botanic garden in the heart of Duke University’s campus. Founded in 1934, Duke Gardens is open 365 days per year and welcomes more than 650,000 visitors annually without an admission fee. It features several distinct garden areas, each with its own focus and flavor. Among its many highlights are:

  • The Historic Gardens, which includes the Italianate Terrace Gardens with seasonal displays of ornamental flowers, trees and shrubs;
  • The Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, a garden of Southeastern U.S. native plants that promotes the conservation and protection of threatened species;
  • The Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, which showcases the floral biodiversity and cultural significance of plants from Southeast Asia;
  • The Doris Duke Center Gardens, including the Page-Rollins White Garden, a garden inspired by the many white-flowered cottage gardens of England, and the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, which displays, demonstrates and teaches about plants that provide people, animals, birds and insects with food and shelter.

Our Mission 

We are a botanic garden in the heart of Duke University that inspires transformative learning, promotes wellness and builds community.

Our Mission 

We are a botanic garden in the heart of Duke University that inspires transformative learning, promotes wellness and builds community.

Our Vision 

We invite a deeper connection to the natural world through horticultural artistry, plant conservation, sustainable practices and innovative programs. We play a vital role in the health and well-being of the Duke and Durham communities and beyond.

Our Vision 

We invite a deeper connection to the natural world through horticultural artistry, plant conservation, sustainable practices and innovative programs. We play a vital role in the health and well-being of the Duke and Durham communities and beyond.

A black and white archival image of Duke Gardens with a metal pergola structure sitting atop a hill of terraced gardens. A glossy reflective body of water lies at the bottom of the hill in the foreground of the image, and large trees are in the background.

Our History

A field of purple coneflowers and other native wildflowers.

Our Impact

A bridge with ironwork on its side over a ravine with green ferns and orange flowers

Publications & Media Highlights

A colorful garden in summer with a variety of plants in the foreground, including silvery blue-green agave plants, a sea of red flowers and green foliage plants like elephant's ear. There is a silver metal pergola structure in the middle, and the large dark green trees in the background.

Strategic Plan

Diversity & Inclusion Statement 

Sarah P. Duke Gardens is committed to being a welcoming place for all.

As people who work with plants, we know the natural world is interdependent in multilayered ways. Living communities are supported and enriched by having diverse and healthy members, and caring for them is continuous, open-ended work.

As we strive to better embrace and represent the full diversity of our community, we will collaborate with and learn from people who represent a spectrum of human experience. We welcome and encourage new relationships and dialogue as we build a more inclusive future together.

Our Core Values 

Beauty: Duke Gardens is an artful expression inspired by nature.

Wonder: Duke Gardens invites all to discover the rejuvenating benefits of nature, follow their curiosity, and connect with the natural world around them.

Sustainability: We demonstrate and promote best practices for environmental, fiscal and social responsibility to ensure a healthy future for generations to come.

Community: We embrace the knowledge that people and plants are diverse and interdependent, and we seek ways to understand, share and celebrate the full spectrum of human experience.

Questions about Duke Gardens?

Please contact us at 919-684-3698 or gardens@duke.edu.