See our hours & parking page for information on required use of PayByPhone for parking payment.

Gardens Policies

Welcome to Sarah P. Duke Gardens! We are open from 8 a.m. until dusk, 365 days a year.

Please remember:

Dogs are only allowed before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. More information here.
No other pets permitted
Drone photography is prohibited
Plants should be left for all to enjoy - please do not pick or cut any part of a plant
Stay on paths
Groups must follow all group use policies listed below.
Portrait and special occasion photography is by permit only
It harms the wildlife to be fed food intended for people (bread, etc.)
Walk bikes through the Gardens—don't ride them
Carry out what you carry in
Supervise children

Please note that the following are prohibited:

Sports equipment, balls, balloons or kites
Climbing trees, swimming, wading, boats
Scooters
Smoking (including electronic cigarettes)
Alcohol
Cooking or fires
Amplified music
Fishing
Hammocks or tents
Tables or chairs
Weapons
Confetti or glitter

Special note:

The produce from the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden is donated to benefit local families through community partnerships.  Please do not pick any part of these plants. We ask that you leave them for others to enjoy and learn from, and for the benefit of our neighbors.

Promotional photos & photo policy

Duke Gardens may photograph visitors and program participants on occasion for promotional purposes. By entering Duke Gardens, visitors are granting their permission to be included in such photographs. Please see our photo/video policy for more information about photographing at Duke Gardens.

GROUP USE POLICIES

Duke Gardens is a wonderful place to gather!

Many groups have specific registration processes; click the following links to learn more and start the process if your group is interested in:

All other groups are welcome to visit while following our group visitation policies.

REGULAR VISITATION POLICIES

All groups must follow our regular visitation policies, listed here.

LOCATIONS

All locations are outdoors; there are no indoor spaces available.

Groups cannot reserve or block off any locations for your exclusive use. We do not rent outdoor areas of the garden. The garden is open to the public, and others will be enjoying it while you visit. If you are hoping to use a particular location, you can check on it when you arrive and share it if there’s space available, but you cannot tell anyone else to leave either before or during your group visit.

The maximum group size in the garden is 25. If your group is larger than that, you must split up into smaller groups of 25 or less.

Duke Gardens runs our own programs in addition to conducting horticultural and maintenance work. We may be using some Gardens locations when you arrive, or we may need you to move in order to do our work. Please follow any instructions given to you by Duke Gardens staff or volunteers.

Everyone must stay on paths (typically gravel or stone) or mowed grass lawns, and out of garden beds (typically topped with mulch or pine straw). There are often plants just off the path that can be damaged by being stepped on; please be careful! Do not pick any parts of plants or remove anything from the Gardens.

If you’ll be gathering together to sit, please find a mowed grass lawn with enough space to accommodate your group. Do not block access to any paths for other visitors. We recommend:

  • the South Lawn (named on the Gardens map)
  • the lawn next to the Butterfly Garden (near H14 on the Gardens map)
  • the lawn around the dawn redwood (near H3 on the Gardens map)

The lawn behind the visitor center (D4 on the Gardens map) is part of our event rental space and generally not available for gathering.

TIMING

Duke Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. You can use this website to check daily sunset times. Your visit must happen during this time, including any aspects before and after the gathering itself.

Many people visit Duke Gardens to enjoy its various areas. Please allow other visitors to access locations you may be spending time in.

NO COMMERCIAL USE OR CHARGING FEES

No commercial use of Duke Gardens is allowed.

Even for non-commercial use, you cannot charge a fee for any gathering or visit that takes place in Duke Gardens.

CLASSES, TOURS & OTHER INSTRUCTOR-LED ACTIVITIES ONLY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DUKE GARDENS

Classes, tours and other instructor-led activities are not permitted in Duke Gardens without pre-approval. Some activities may require a formal partnership with Duke Gardens. Partnerships are formed on a case-by-case basis that depends on multiple factors, including whether a group and activity are aligned with our mission and whether we have the capacity to take on a new partnership. To learn more about approval and partnerships, including how to request one, click on the appropriate link below.

If you would like to take a tour offered by Duke Gardens, please click here.

GETTING HERE & MEETING

Be sure to communicate your meeting time and location with your group ahead of time, as well as contact information so that participants can reach you in case they have questions. Duke Gardens cannot provide support in checking people in or helping them find you beyond giving directions to a location named on our map. Participants must know the name of the Gardens location in order for us to provide these directions.

You cannot place signs about your gathering in or around Duke Gardens.

We strongly encourage walking, biking or taking shared transportation to get to the garden. Information about all of those options is available here.

Parking at Duke Gardens is often extremely limited and cannot be guaranteed. If anyone will be driving to the Gardens, please know that Duke University Parking & Transportation charges $2 per hour for parking (no Duke permits are eligible for parking in these lots). They can pay by credit card through the PayByPhone app or website on your mobile device, or with cash at the payment station in the lot. More information about parking at the garden is available here.

Duke Gardens cannot provide parking support beyond the information on that webpage. If you have problems or questions about parking, we encourage you to contact Duke University Parking & Transportation at (919) 684-7275 or tranpark@duke.edu.

GROUPS ARRIVING BY BUS OR SHUTTLE

All groups coming to Duke Gardens on a bus or shuttle must get in touch with us at GardensEducation@duke.edu. If you have any accessibility questions related to bus drop off, please include them in your email.

Drop off

Buses/shuttles that are 16-seater or smaller may drop off passengers in the lane in front of the visitors center (google maps pin here). No larger buses/shuttles are permitted to use this lane.

All other buses/shuttles must drop off passengers from the bus lane in Parking Lot 1 (see Parking Lot 1 on the Duke Gardens map here; google maps pin here).

Buses/shuttles are not permitted to drop off passengers on the driveway that connects Anderson Street to the parking lots.

Parking

Only buses/shuttles bringing a group for a program or tour that is led by Duke Gardens may park at Duke Gardens, as capacity allows. If this applies to your group, you will recieve parking instructions during registration.

All other buses/shuttles must park at 200 Oregon Street (<1 mi away; google maps pin here) after dropping off passengers. The bus/shuttle will need to remain at this parking lot until the visit is finished and it is time for them to pick passengers back up at Duke Gardens.

BRINGING FOOD & OTHER SUPPLIES / MATERIALS

If you will be having food, you must bring it in yourself. Catering and delivery are not allowed. Cooking and alcohol are not permitted.

You may bring blankets or mats to sit on, as well as any personal items. Materials and equipment that are not allowed include tables & chairs, mics & speakers, signs, decorations like balloons/banners, confetti, and games/sports equipment. You may bring in your own portable chair in the case of accessibility needs.

Duke Gardens does not provide mobility assistance devices for visitor use. For more information about accessibility at Duke Gardens, click here.

Duke Gardens is not an appropriate location for field days or playing games like Frisbee, spikeball or soccer. Please find another lawn on campus or a city park for these activities.

Duke Gardens cannot store any personal items for you, including luggage.

You must collect all waste and take it out with you or place it inside a recycling or trash can (please do not leave anything next to a can).

Do not dump any ice or drinks onto the ground, including on grass or gutters, or into sinks in the Gardens. This damages plants and can disrupt the functionality of our infrastructure.

Duke Gardens cannot provide any support in transporting materials or disposing of waste for your gathering.

GATHERINGS FOR PRIVATE OR CLOSED GROUPS

Duke Gardens is open to the public and not an appropriate location for gatherings that require strict privacy or confidentiality. Other people may come through the area your group is meeting in at any time, or they may be gathered nearby.

If strict privacy is not a concern, you may have gatherings in Duke Gardens that are only for a particular group, such as friends, family or an interest group. However, know that other visitors may be curious about what you’re doing and try to join or talk with you. 

Weddings are not permitted. Please see our rentals page for wedding information.

Classes and other instructor-led activities are not permitted in Duke Gardens without an approved partnership with us. Please see the information on this topic above if you’re interested in this option.

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS

People come to Duke Gardens for many kinds of experiences. This is a shared space with many other people from our community. Please enjoy your time here and be considerate of those around you.

Amplified sound is not permitted.

PAINTING & OTHER ART ACTIVITIES

You and all of your supplies, including easels, must be on paths or lawns and not in garden beds.

You cannot block path access for other visitors.

Be careful not to get any paint or other materials on any plants, including grass, or on paths or structures. Do not dump paint, water or other materials onto the ground, including grass or gutters, or into any sinks at the Gardens. Any small materials you drop must be picked up and removed from the garden.

PICNICS

You must bring any food in to the Gardens yourself. Catering and delivery are not allowed. Cooking and alcohol are not permitted.

You may bring blankets or mats to sit on, as well as any personal items. Materials and equipment that are not allowed include tables & chairs, mics & speakers, signs, decorations like balloons/banners, confetti, and games/sports equipment. You may bring in your own portable chair in the case of accessibility needs.

Collect all your waste after you’re done and either place it inside a trash/recycling can or take it out with you if the can is full. Do not leave any waste next to a trash/recycling can. Do not dump any food, drinks or ice onto the ground or into sinks or gutters. 

Do not feed any wildlife in Duke Gardens, including the ducks and koi, as this is harmful to their health.

The maximum group size in the garden is 25. If your group is larger than that, you must split up into smaller groups of 25 or less.

If you’ll be gathering together to sit, please find a mowed grass lawn with enough space to accommodate your group. Do not block access to any paths for other visitors. We recommend:

  •  the South Lawn (named on the Gardens map)
  •  the lawn next to the Butterfly Garden (near H14 on the Gardens map)
  •  the lawn around the dawn redwood (near H3 on the Gardens map)

The lawn behind the visitor center (D4 on the Gardens map) is part of our event rental space and generally not available for gathering.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE FROM DUKE GARDENS

Feel free to use any of our self-guided materials during your visit! Many are available online here for you to download or print at home, and others are available for pickup in the visitor center.