Bermuda Botanical Gardens

Bermuda Botanical Gardens — Park Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Set the scene for us: Where are we, and what can we see here? Just a few minutes' drive from the City of Hamilton, the Bermuda Botanical Gardens are a 36-acre park originally founded in 1898 to protect the island's endemic trees and plants. Thanks to that mission, this lovely green space is filled with tall Bermuda cedars and hearty palmetto trees, whose leaves were once used to make thatched roofs for houses and churches . The park is also home to tropical plants and trees from all over the world, including mighty banyans from India. There’s also a Japanese Zen garden with wooden footbridges over shallow sandboxes; meticulously manicured English gardens; and a sensory garden for the blind, which is home to braille signs and fragrant plants of all kinds. There are also wide open fields perfect for the littlest of explorers, so if your kids need to blow off some steam, you’ve come to the right place. Anything in particular we should check out inside the gardens? In addition to its budding natural beauty, the Botanical Gardens are where you’ll also find one of Bermuda’s best museums: the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, home to a dizzying collection of island-inspired artwork from 19th-century and 20th-century masters such as Winslow Homer and Georgia O'Keeffe. Look for the large, white building in the middle of the park—that’s Camden House, the formal residence of Bermuda’s premier. Directly behind it is the museum; out front is a cordon steel sculpture in the main courtyard. Called "Double Fantasy," the sculpture is a tribute to John Lennon—the former Beatle was inspired to write his final album, in 1980, after taking long strolls through these gardens. How easy is it to navigate? The park may be 36 acres, but it’ll be hard to get lost here. Most of the gardens are spread across wide open space, and finding shady benches and picnic-ready knolls is a breeze. It is, however, quite undulating, so wheelchair-users might need assistance. So why would you recommend this park to a visitor to Bermuda, and what for? If you’re searching for a quiet space near town for a picnic or shady stroll, there’s simply no better place. The Botanical Gardens are also a great spot to bring the kids—the banyan trees are a blast to climb on." - David LaHuta