Open Days FAQ
What is the Open Days Program?
How Are the Gardens Selected for the Program?
How is the Open Days Program Organized?
How Do I know Where the Gardens Are?
Do I Have to be a Garden Conservancy Member to Attend?
Do I Need Reservations?
Is there an admission fee?
Do I Need to Purchase Tickets in Advance?
Are There Rain Dates Scheduled?
Are Rest Rooms Available at the Gardens?
Etiquette in the Garden
Admission - Where the Proceeds Go
Mission of the Garden Conservancy
What is the Open Days Program?
The Open Days Program is essentially a series of private garden tours around the country that begins in early spring and continues through the fall of each year. Each summer, gardeners are invited by local Regional Representatives to become Garden Hosts and agree to open their garden during a scheduled Open Day (or several days) in their area. The Open Days are self-guided tours. Visitors decide which garden they want to visit and in what order.
Our first gardens opened in 1995 when Garden Conservancy members and extraordinary gardeners Page Dickey and Penelope Maynard were inspired by England’s National Gardens Scheme and its guidebook, Gardens of England and Wales Open for Charity, informally known as the Yellow Book. They came to the Garden Conservancy with 110 private gardens in hand, including theirs, that would open that first year. The program was a resounding success. Since then, with the help of a network of volunteer regional representatives, the Garden Conservancy has expanded Open Days to the four corners of the country and has opened thousands of gardens. Each year, some 50 percent of the participating gardens are new to the program.
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How Are the Gardens Selected for the Program?
A group of volunteer Regional Representatives are hard at work year-round scouting and recruiting exceptional gardens for the Open Days Program. We also accept self-nominated gardens for areas where the program is already established.
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How is the Open Days Program Organized?
The Open Days Program would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. For over ten years, the Program has unlocked the gates to hundreds of America’s very best private gardens by working with volunteers coast to coast to coordinate schedules, collect information, and get it to you. Many of these gardens are rarely, if ever, otherwise open to the public. Each Open Day is organized locally by at least one Regional Representative who recruits private gardens and oversees the program in their area. Over the years, this roster of volunteers has grown to include nearly 200 men and women.
If you are interested in learning more about the organization of Open Days throughout the country and how you can become involved, please visit the Get Involved page of our website.
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How Do I know Where the Gardens Are?
The best way to find out about gardens participating in your area is through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Directory. This national publication feature a complete listing of Open Days and participating gardens with garden descriptions, open hours, and directions. There is also a listing of participating public gardens at the end of each state chapter. The Open Days Directory is FREE to all Garden Conservancy members but may also be purchased for $21.95 (includes shipping and handling).
If you would like to order an Open Days Directory, please click here. (Please allow for at least 7 business days to receive you order.) Please be sure to check the Garden Conservancy’s web site prior to your visit to note any last-minute schedule changes.
Many of the gardens listed in the Open Days Directory are available online beginning in April.
If you would like to receive e-mail updates a few days before Open Days in your region, click here to register to be added to our Email Reminder Service. We do not share, sell, or rent our lists with anyone. You may opt out of this service at any time.
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Do I Have to Be a Garden Conservancy Member to Attend?
No. However, the Open Days Directory is FREE to all Garden Conservancy members. Members also enjoy a 50% discount on books of admission tickets. Click here to join online..
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Do I Need Reservations?
No. Open Days are self-guided tours. Simply show up at the garden during the times indicated and pay at the gate. There are no rain dates for these tours.
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Is there an admission fee?
Yes. There is a $5 admission fee per person per garden that you may pay in cash or check at the entrance of each Open Day garden. Children 12 and under are admitted free. You may also purchase discounted admission tickets by calling our toll-free order line, 1-888-842-2442, or through our web site. Each booklet contains 6 tickets for the price of 5 admissions ($25); $15 for Garden Conservancy members. These tickets do not expire and can be used year to year. (Please allow for at least 7 business days to receive your tickets after placing your order.)
Admission fees to the public gardens listed in the Open Days Directory are indicated in their listing. Open Days tickets may not be used at public gardens.
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Do I Need to Purchase Tickets in Advance?
No need to purchase tickets in advance. You may pay cash ($5) at each garden you visit. However, discounted admission tickets are available and do not expire from year to year. Checks are also accepted. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
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Are There Rain Dates Scheduled?
Open Days are rain or shine. Gardens are beautiful in the rain!
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Are Rest Rooms Available at the Gardens?
No. Please plan your visiting accordingly.
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Etiquette in the Garden
Our Open Days Hosts spend countless hours preparing their gardens for your visit. Please reward their hard work by following these guidelines:
- Do not pick any plant or remove any part of a plant.
- Do not leave litter in the garden.
- Stay on the paths.
- Follow any posted signs or directions.
- Respect the privacy of the owners by not contacting them directly.
- Please leave all pets at home.
- Children must be supervised at all times.
- Park your car so others can enter and leave the parking area.
- Ask the owner's permission to take photographs; tripods are not permitted.
- Respect the listed dates and times of openings. To pursue special visiting arrangements, please contact the Garden Conservancy at (845) 265-5384.
Admission - Where the Proceeds Go
A $5 admission fee is collected at each garden. Cash may be paid at the gate or visitors may purchase admission tickets through the Garden Conservancy at a discounted price. Admission fees to the public gardens listed in the Open Days Directory are indicated in their listing. Open Days tickets may not be used at public gardens.
Proceeds from the Open Days Program support the national preservation work of the Garden Conservancy such as the rehabilitation of the gardens on Alcatraz Island, as well as local nonprofit organizations designated by our garden hosts. Click here to learn more about the preservation efforts of the Garden Conservancy.
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Mission of the Garden Conservancy
The Garden Conservancy is a national organization dedicated to preserving America's exceptional gardens for the education and enjoyment of the public. We seek to develop and deepen public appreciation of gardens as integral elements of our national artistic and cultural heritage. The Open Days program serves as the primary educational outreach for the Conservancy and is a major component of this mission. Click here to learn more about the preservation efforts of the Garden Conservancy.
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