Derek W.
Yelp
Is it a Japanese Tea Garden or a Chinese Tea Garden?? Either way, it's a tea garden that shouldn't be missed whenever you're in San Antonio!
The reason for my intro is because at the entrance, it says "Welcome to Chinese Tea Garden". I don't know the reason for the nationality change, but try not to be thrown off when you see Chinese at a Japanese Tea Garden.
The Japanese Tea Garden is located at Brackenridge Park right off the 281 just on the other side of Alamo Stadium. The parking lot closest to the entrance of the tea garden is pretty small, so don't be surprised if it's full at any given time. However, there is a larger lot by Tuesday Musical Club and Augie's Smokehouse that I recommend parking at. It's not that much longer of a walk to the garden, so don't fret!
Admission to the tea garden is free, so there is no need to purchase tickets at the front gate. After entering through this gate, you go up the stairs where you'll enter a pavilion next to a Japanese eatery called Jingu Grab & Go. I didn't go inside Jingu, so I can't comment on if the food there is good or not. At this pavilion, you can take one of three routes. Let's call them left, straight, and right.
If you go right, you won't have a long walk ahead. You simply cross a bridge, and at the end, you'll arrive at a Japanese hut with open windows on three of the sides. You'll get nice views of Brackenridge Park from there, though I do recall seeing a Zumiez sticker on a nearby structure. Really?
If you go straight, you'll have a much longer walk ahead, and the path is narrower. The path runs parallel to Alpine, ending at the roundabout at the San Antonio Zoo. You'll encounter various shrubbery and flowers along the way, and you'll go through a narrow gate about halfway down that path.
If you go left, you went the right way. No, not that right! lol but rather, I meant you'll get to see the beauty of the garden with a koi pond and even a waterfall! There are various walkways all around the pond and even on an island in the middle of said pond, but please watch your step! No seriously, I was genuinely afraid that I'd trip on a rock and fall right into the water, which I sincerely hope doesn't happen to anyone, especially if they're posing for photos.
The day I went, there must have been a graduation because I saw several students dressed in their caps & gowns walking about the garden. They were posing for photos around the pond, and the Tea Garden provides a variety of different backdrops for photos. As beautiful as these backdrops were, it was kind of annoying to have to keep an eye on other people taking photos. Sometimes, you'd have to wait for them to finish taking their photo(s) before moving on because the walkways are pretty narrow as well.
I saw a couple of kids mention to their parents a secret path up some rock steps. I didn't bother to look, but if you're curious, by all means.
You'll get lovely views of the pond from just about every angle possible. Even looking at some of my photos, I was surprised at how high up I was above the pond! There's also a pollinator garden on the island, which makes for good photo ops as well. And if you're tired, you might find a couple of benches to sit on while you admire your surroundings. The pond was a little filthy in some places, however.
On one of the walkways from the island, there's a sign reminding visitors to not mess with the fish in the pond whether it's feeding them or releasing them.
As soon as I left the garden, I saw a Tesla alongside a sign saying, "Experience Tesla Today". Seems out of place to be advertising Tesla vehicles at a place where you're supposed to enjoy the beauty of nature, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the Tea Garden. Great spot to unwind after a tough week of work, but I wish the first two paths were more scenic. Also, I didn't remember seeing any reading material about the history behind the tea garden except maybe a plaque. That would have been nice to see.
