Sherwood Gardens

This is Beautiful place in the middle of Baltimore, past JHU campus. The area is very open. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here. I saw people picnicking, taking photos, sitting on the benches, and just walking around. Will visit again when the tulips are in bloom!

Nice open area great for family picnics, photos or playing games. There are tons of tulips and there is a guide telling you the names of each type. Had a great time walking around with my family and playing tag with my kids. Unfortunately no restrooms so had to leave earlier than we wanted.

Beautiful park nestled in the neighborhood of Guliford. Me and my daughter brought our dog for a bucket list. She unfortunately is sick so trying to do special things with her before it is her time..

This is an actual neighborhood garden. Beautiful area. Very neat and well-kept! 🪏 🪴 🌲 🌼 🌺 🌱

Beautiful, well-kept gardens. There are lots of tulips blooming in mid-April. Great place to picnic.

Gorgeous hidden gem of a park/arboretum a little past Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. It is a small, privately owned park but free and open to the public. The park is very clean and well managed. There are no public bathrooms, trash cans, or sidewalks, and the pastoral lands look more beautiful and clean for it. Even when visiting out of tulip season April-May, there were still many gorgeous trees to look at, as well as admiring the historic buildings on site and bordering the park. The place is very ideal for a quick walk or sunny picnic day out. Highly recommend

Finally enjoyed tulips in bloom! Beautiful area to walk and enjoy a picnic. Free!

Wonderful garden inside a nice neighborhood. Well maintained, neat and clean!

Perfect got a picnic. No trash cans, which is nice because it keeps it natural. Remember to bring napkins for your picnic!

April is one of my favorite months to be in Baltimore simply because of Sherwood Gardens. I can't believe how popular this spot has gotten and yet so many of my friends have still never been! I came by on a lovely Spring evening to enjoy a little picnic. The garden was popping this day! Everyone and their grandma was there. Despite it being busy, there was still plenty of room to lay out a blanket and chill - and the people watching here is unmatched. I would recommend planning your visit with mid to late April for prime bloom enjoyment. Don't forget to bring your camera for plenty of great photo ops. I would also recommend bringing a tarp or yoga mat to put under your blanket if we've recently gotten rain as the garden can get quite muddy in some spots. Our blanket was absolutely covered in mud and super damp after just a few hours. Parking is free but not necessarily ample since it is a residential area but I've always gotten lucky and have never had to park super far. I will always make a point to return to Sherwood Gardens. It is a truly magical place!

Sherwood gardens is a beautiful hidden gem in Baltimore. You drive through a beautiful residential area to get to it. In spring, the flowers are blooming and there's tons of people out reading or having a picnic! We went on a sunny April afternoon and had a picnic. It's a perfect oasis in Baltimore that should be a must for a warm day. Do be aware that there are no facilities or bathrooms here though.

It's a large lawn with many different selection of flowers. A few benches are placed throughout the garden for basic short term sitting. Surrounding the garden is a bunch of impressive large historic storybook homes.

Stunning stunning little garden nestled in a very nice residential area. I can't believe it's taken me almost six year to visit this garden -- to be fair, I always thought it was a proper garden with an entrance and everything but it's like going to a neighborhood park. It seemed like I was the only one that didn't get the memo to bring a picnic. I got lucky and went during tulip bloom and it's spectacular. I can't believe this little oasis exists in Baltimore. I felt transported to the Keukenhof in the Netherlands (not as big obviously) but so special with a variety of tulips. There's a lot of parking, and a lot of green area to picnic and settle down with a blanket. There weren't any bathrooms nearby, so plan for that but otherwise a little gem of haven in Baltimore with the best tulips around.

One of my favorite places in the city to have a picnic and enjoy the beauty scenery. It's very peaceful & calm. Perfect for meditating and enjoying nature

My wife discovered this place on Google Maps while we were looking for things to do while on an impromptu roadtrip to Maryland. This was a highlight of our trip, especially since we showed up during the peak of tulip season. We were fortunate to find parking, the people were friendly (though I think this is a MD thing), the place was clean, and it wouldve been a perfect place to have a picnic. Leashed dogs are allowed too, so our border collie had a lovely time too.

After much anticipation and years of wanting to visit but somehow never making it, I finally visited Sherwood gardens!! And wow, they did not disappoint. A group of us had a beautiful picnic back in April, just in time to see all the tulips! Situated in a beautiful historic neighborhood, it's def a hidden gem! You can take public transit and walk a few blocks down, and there is street parking available as well. Overall, I highly recommend and would definitely go back !

We went pretty late in the season so not all the tulips were out and it was still so amazing and there were still so many amazing flowers. My only regret (besides not going earlier) was not bringing stuff for a picnic!

We went to Sherwood Gardens on April 11 and were delighted to see most of the tulips in bloom. The range of colors are just amazing. It was nice to see families, couples, and individuals strolling thru the gardens even if it was an overcast day. I only wish the azaleas were in bloom as well. We come every year to see the tulips - it has been our family tradition since I was a little girl. If you live in Baltimore or are here for a visit, Sherwood Gardens is a lovely spot to enjoy beautiful flowers and shrubs.

Gorgeous hidden gem of a park/arboretum a little past Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. It is a small, privately owned park but free and open to the public. The park is very clean and well managed. There are no public bathrooms, trash cans, or sidewalks, and the pastoral lands look more beautiful and clean for it. Even when visiting out of tulip season April-May, there were still many gorgeous trees to look at, as well as admiring the historic buildings on site and bordering the park. The place is very ideal for a quick walk or sunny picnic day out. Highly recommend

Gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy the spring flowers. The houses around the park are amazing and I like to dream of one of them being my house. Maybe some day! Come in the spring to enjoy the tulips and daffodils.

Beautiful flowers to see and stroll around the area!! Peak bloom seems to be in mid April and they have various colors of tulips plus some other flowers. The area is also really good for picnics, painting, etc. Note: parking is only street parking but towards the afternoon, it can get quite busy so I definitely recommend coming earlier in the morning to see the beautiful flowers!

I love nature. A place of peace. Nice to meditate in God's creation. I have not been able to attend the night events so will try to do so in a future

What impresses me the most, this garden is in the middle of Baltimore City! It's absolutely gorgeous! Being surrounded by beautiful houses, this garden stands out. So many different colors of Tulips and other flowers amongst lush green lawn. Perfect for a picnic, a simple lay on your blanket enjoying the Spring weather. Love! My hope is more Baltimorians take the time to enjoy this spectacular spot!

My daughter knows I'm crazy about flowers, gardens, and parks and so she brought me to Sherwood Gardens a spectacular garden of tulips and other flowers so gorgeous. I was lucky to see this spring beauty. Here is the info on this beautiful park The property where Sherwood Gardens is now located was originally part of the estate of A.S. Abell, the founder of The Sun newspaper. The site contained a pond and adjacent greenhouses. The Abell estate was sold to the Guilford Park Company in 1907 and shortly thereafter Guilford Park merged with the Roland Park Company, The Roland Park Company intended to develop the estate as a carefully planned suburban community, and the Olmsted firm was engaged to design the Guilford development. As part of the Olmsted plan, three community parks were planned. One located at Greenway and Stratford Road was named Stratford Green. Following the Olmsted plan, selected old-growth trees were retained in a natural setting, and planting areas were defined for the introduction of new trees, shrubs, and perennials. On several parcels adjacent to Stratford Green, John Sherwood, a Baltimore businessman, philanthropist, and pioneer in the petroleum business, built as his home a large Georgian revival house modeled after the Westover James River plantation. He then turned his attention to the grounds and the creation of extensive gardens. Sherwood was an amateur landscape designer who employed a cadre of gardeners to help create the gardens and maintain the property. Sherwood continued the rolling lawn of the adjacent Stratford Green and as well retained many of the forest trees. In addition, he collected evergreens from every country and transplanted many English boxwood specimens from southern Maryland properties. He was particularly attracted to spring bloom and the gardens were planted for maximum springtime effect. Each October one hundred thousand tulips were imported from the Netherlands and a few weeks before their bloom, "ten thousand specially grown pansy clumps are planted." For added color and delight Japanese cherry, crab apple, pink and white dogwood, blue wisteria, and masses of azaleas were planted by Sherwood. Eventually, his plantings spilled into the adjacent Stratford Green. It is reported that one Sunday in May 1930 John Sherwood was surprised to see many uninvited guests enjoying the splendor of his garden. Shortly thereafter he opened it to the public and thousands of visitors came each spring to experience the spectacular sight of Sherwood Gardens. The Gardens were featured in the National Geographic magazine in April 1941 and May 1956 and in Great Gardens of America and many other publications. Sherwood died in 1965. His will left funds to plant the gardens one last time. To assure that the Gardens were preserved as an asset to Guilford and for all to enjoy in the future, the Guilford Association raised funds to purchase the site, consolidating it with the Stratford Green community park. The entirety is now generally known as Sherwood Gardens and is owned and maintained by Stratford Green, Inc. With the assistance of the Guilford Association the spring bulbs are planted, trees trimmed, and replaced when necessary, lawns groomed and summer flowers added. No City or public funds provide financial support for one of the most highly visited green spaces in the area. Care of the gardens depends on donations from friends of Sherwood Gardens. If you are in Baltimore this is definitely a must-see in springtime.

I love this garden for mid day hangouts PROS: -a small community garden so it doesn't get overly saturated outside of their events that they host - great location and background for personal photoshoots - parking is plentiful -People use it for weddings (i have caught a small ceremony) CONS: - None really!

Came here to settle down on a picnic blanket and read, and to get some nice pictures of the flowers. Gorgeous views, flowers everywhere! It was slightly crowded with lots of others wanting to hang out and take pictures, which wasn't disturbing at all because there was still plenty of space to relax and get nice pictures of flowers.

This is such a beautiful and peaceful place, that I'm surprised I haven't been here sooner. Nested in a picture perfect neighborhood, is a gorgeous garden and green space. Great for families, dates and singles looking to relax. The tulips were in full bloom (April 24), so you have to go soon in order see the flowers. I can't wait to come back!

Stunning! Doesn't look like much when you initially drive by, but once we started strolling through the park we were very impressed by how big and well maintained this place is. Tulips of every color in full bloom. Grass carefully trimmed. Plenty of space for a spring picnic. Street parking can easily be found in the surrounding residential streets. What a beautiful, peaceful garden space in Baltimore!

Wow! I've lived in Baltimore for years and I'm just now finding this beautiful garden! I came here to have a socially distanced picnic with my girlfriends, and I was so impressed by the nature and ambience present. I feel peace here. I hope you can too! Pro Tip: It's mostly street parking here, so be prepared to put that parallel in park!

A beautiful garden in a very nice neighborhood. We went three years in a row and loved it. Even though tulips are only on view for one to two weeks out of a year. Other times you can enjoy some other flowers and have picnic on the lawn. Everything is open to public and you can get a pamphlet on the different kinds of plants they have. Parking is pretty easy. I believe they do sell their tulips at the end of their blossom for about 1 dollar a piece. Overall, a great local garden to enjoy some sunlight and great tulips with your friends and family!

2019- I went on 04/21/2019 and the tulips were in full/peak bloom. 2018- I went on 4/22/2018, tulips are in full/ peak bloom at Sherwood Gardens in Baltimore. It's a hidden gem in the heart of the city surrounded by beautiful house.

Don't make excuses and come bring ya body over to Sherwood Gardens. It is a very beautiful garden/park where describing it with words will not do it any justice. You can take a look at all the photos you want but I suggest getting out from the comfort of your home and take a look at the real deal. I have only been during the spring so I can't say what it is like during other seasons but I'd say its the best season to go. Surrounded by beau monde homes, not bad to look at too, plots of vibrant colored tulips and floral trees make this the perfect picnic spot, long stroll with your S.O. or yourself, or even a photo shoot. Yes, I'm looking at you, selfie queen. Take a break from the city. The park will not disappoint.

Every year at this time I start reminiscing about my wonderful visit to Sherwood Gardens in Baltimore Maryland. Picnicking amongst the blooms bursting into color reminds me of how wonderful life can be.

My favorite time to year is of course when the tulips are blooming... but it's a great garden throughout the year! Tucked away in a beautiful historic neighborhood. Free entry. Does allow, on leash. Please clean your dogs poo

Beautiful, well kept, quiet, and dog friendly! I happened to be in the area conducting business, my dog was along for the ride. It's a beautiful day, so I searched for nearby parks, and here we are. Dogs and people are friendly, but are social distancing. Tulips are my fave flower and they have tons of them that bloom each Spring. The flowers in bloom are a variety of pretty, vibrant colors. There are benches throughout and plenty of grassy areas to roll out a blanket or beach roll for a picnic.

Here is a decision tree to decide if you should go to Sherwood Gardens: Are you Dutch? / \ YES NO / \ Go here. HUP! But do you still like tulips? / \ Yes and puppies too. NO / \ Go here, bring your fedora, Stop reading this pack a picnic, and drink out of mason jars, you hipsta. When I read about Sherwood Gardens, me and my nature fanatic friends rushed out here to get some photos, and have a picnic (by picnic I mean grabbing bbq and eating them on a bench). You may want to start planning your trip now because Sherwood Gardens has always been at its best toward the end of April and beginning of May. What's so spectacular about this park? Approximately 80,000 tulip bulbs are planted annually along with other spring flowering bulbs. Gorgeous flowers everywhere. Every corner you turn, there's going to be another flower bed of bright unique flowers. This goes on for six acres!!! When I came here, I had secretly hoped to capture a great picture of my pug running through flowers like this one that won major photography awards: http://i.imgur.com/oiEomEQ.jpg. Unfortunately, the best shot I got of the day was me tackling her in a bed of tulips when she tried to run away with a bag of bbq meat. So let me explain what you'll find on a beautiful day in this hidden gem of a park: The seersucker wearing young crowd, wearing fedoras, vintage outfits, brunching outdoors, and probably taking pictures for their blog. Lots of happy puppies. Some engagement photo shoots. Families. Amateur photographers. Everyone is enjoying the flowers. So just note typically peak bloom occurs the last week of April through the first week in May. It's in a residential neighborhood so there is a ton of free parking. I highly recommend taking a stroll through Sherwood Gardens now that glorious spring weather is upon us also remember that going here is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day.

Located in the tony neighborhood of Guilford in Northern Baltimore, Sherwood Gardens is an Olmsted designed local park, known for the fleeting time when its tulips are in bloom. It's dog friendly--on leash and pick up after the pooch, of course-- and filled with people taking photos, picnicking, and just enjoying the flowers. If you want some of those beautiful tulips for yourself, the Gardens host a "Tulip Dig." This year it's on May 26th, from 7-11 am. Cost is 30 cents per bulb. And, while I'm no expert, as of today, May 1, the tulips are most likely past peak but still beautiful.

Baltimore has many gorgeous spots where you can grab a seat, pour a drink and sit with nature. I was recently challenged by Roland Park Place - a continuing care community - to think about my favorite spot for a picnic. I knew my answer immediately. I would go to Sherwood Gardens; it's my favorite spot in the entire city. Well, my favorite spot for sure without a water view. Back in the 1800's the space was owned by the founder of the Sun Paper - A. S. Abell. In the 1900's, the area developed, and part of the Community Park became houses - except for the six acres of what is now the Gardens. It is actually one of the most famous tulip parks in the country, named after the original planter, John W. Sherwood, who imported tulips from the Netherlands. When he passed away, he left money to continue the tulip scape for a year. Thankfully, the Guilford Association has taken on the project and continues to plant approximately 80,000 tulip bulbs annually. If you love tulips as much as I do, you should know about the tulip dig - one of the main fundraisers - new tulips are planted ever year, so "the tulip bulbs are available to be dug and purchased for a nominal cost." Although, this makes April the best time to visit the area, the beds are continuously covered with "masses of annuals and perennials."

Lovely little garden in a gorgeous, quiet neighborhood. It seems like the best time to come is in spring when the tulips are in bloom, but even now in the blazing heat of summer, it's still a lovely oasis to get away from the city, wander through the grass to check out the pretty flowers, and sit under the shade of one of many large trees to listen to all of the neighborhood birds sing and watch the fat squirrels dig through the grass to find food. There was plenty of parking (I'm assuming summer is a slow time in Baltimore), so I know I'll be coming back soon for a great place to relax, meditate, or read out in nature.

Beautiful garden. Very peaceful in a quiet old neighborhood. This a nice spot to meet for a small picnic.

I was not ready for such a beautiful place. Gorgeous colors and a lot of fun to be at. And it wasn't even the spring (Can't wait for the spring to come here, I was told it is twice as beautiful). Parking lot was almost empty, tells me even more what is the potential of this place during the spring. Make sure to check you know its exact location so you will be able to find the place easily. Will update around March when the colors will be doubled.

A nice prize in the city of Baltimore....Look forward to this time of year, little early but I'll be back!

80,000 tulip bulbs on six acres averages to ... well lots and lots of colorful beauty per square foot, I can assure you. (0.31 bulbs/sq ft, I think - thanks Google calculator!) A privately-owned, glittering gem of a green and often multicolored space hidden in the heart of tony, old-money Guilford in North Baltimore near to the Loyola University campus, the Sherwood Garden is really unique and posses a fascinating history. The non-profit organization and community volunteers who maintain these gorgeous grounds have created a thing of beauty that is open to the public to stroll, photograph, and just commune with nature amidst the multi million dollar restrained real estate splendor of one of the city's best and most exclusive 'hoods. Of course, the "crowds" (such as they are) are thickest when the famous tulip beds are in bloom, but in principle there is no bad time to come here. The landscapers add late spring and summer plants when the tulips fade away, and the azalea bushes for which the city is also famous explode in color earlier in the year. Since so many of the locals who love this park take superb care of their own lawns (or pay others to do so), you can also enjoy the fruits of their labor while touring the surrounding streets. Note: there is lots of street parking for two hours without residential permits. This place is the best park in the city - small but good!

We make this a yearly visit to get there at the peak of tulip season. You can tell how hard the volunteers work to make really dense beds of tulips, and generally keep the grounds clean and pruned. I can't imagine the time it takes to do this--I really appreciate it! What ruins the experience are the young families that let their ill-behaved brats climb the trees, pick flowers, and stomp around in the tulip beds so that they can get pictures of their priceless children. I enjoy reminding them that it is public park that everyone should strive to preserve.

stop and smell the flowers. why? they just smell like... flowers... i'm not much of a flower person, but visiting this 6 acre open space filled with a HUGE variety of tulips was a great experience for me. a really great place if you want to come for a walk, take some artsy instagram picture, or a small picnic (make sure you throw away your trash) it's free too! a hidden gem in northern baltimore. a short walk from hopkins campus too. just make sure you come during tulip season which is around the spring time. plus, check this link out if you're curious of the different types of tulips http://www.guilfordassociation.org/uploads/files/tulip_guide_2014.pdf

This garden is a little secret of Baltimore! Absolutely beautiful! When it blooms, it's filled with people taking photos, families spending an evening at the park... but even when it's not blooming, it's a wonderful park! *dog friendly too!

Found out about this place from a Yelp search (go figure) and came out today for an outdoor photoshoot and loved it. Very beautiful place, clean and calming.

We had a really difficult time finding this place. It's not a full-fledged attraction with a dedicated parking lot. Instead it is a large park in a swanky residential neighborhood. We had to park a block or so away from the park and I had just as much fun looking at the huge houses that surround the park. The people that live near here definitely aren't hurting for money. We were lucky enough to be there when the tulips were in full bloom and it was beautiful. They separate the sections into different colors so it's just an uninterrupted sea of one or two colors. The gardens are obviously well maintained and many people were there to enjoy them. I definitely didn't think that it compared to spectacular gardens I've been to such as Butchart Gardens or Bellingrath Gardens. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit just Sherwood Garden, but if you're in the area it's definitely worth checking out.

Visited 6/6/18 from out of town. Very sweet lady at the counter was very informative about the facility. I enjoyed touring and viewing the beautiful garden. I look forward to my next visit when the tulips are in full bloom.

Beautiful. Beware though: on a nice day you should be ready to watch yuppies take cheesy engagement photos

My favorite place to have a picnic and enjoy the scenery!! Tons of children running around and dogs on walks. Love it!!

Beautiful place to take photos! Easily accessible, and a pretty extensive garden. Will definitely be back.

Such a beautiful park nestled in a fabulous residential neighborhood of old-money homes. I came once in the summer a few years ago when it was blistering hot and few people were around. I managed to make it back here mid-April this year for the tulips. This time around there were lots and lots of families with small children enjoying the beauty! I almost felt out of place without an infant or tot in tow. The best thing was that most people were being respectful of the grounds although I did see one little girl walking back to the car holding a tulip and my instant reaction was, "I hope her parents didn't let her pick that!" Cool history behind the park and it's a nice free thing to do for a few hours once a year.

My version of heaven in the spring time. The tulips are breathtaking. I get the pleasure of living close by so I see the garden throughout the year and every morning during my walk. I got married here. It holds a special place in my heart. Avoid the crowds in spring by coming during the week for a lunch time picnic. It's worth a sick day :-)

Absolutely gorgeous! The amount of tulips in this park is breathtaking and it was well worth the side trip after brunch. We got some beautiful pictures and while my nose and eyes hated me a little after this pollen filled jaunt, I am happy I went.

Pretty. Small. The neighborhood itself is worth a see. Okay as a short side stop but not a destination in itself. Maybe tack on to a day at the zoo.

Totally worth a trip when the tulips are in bloom! Bring your comfy blanket and a book and enjoy some time out on the gorgeous grounds. There were a ton of photography sessions going on. Everyone was very friendly and the neighborhood is SUPER fabulous! Amazing Houses and landscaping. There is only street parking(parallel) available, but I had no problems finding a space. There are not any public bathrooms so keep that in mind and go easy on the liquids!