Fifty acres of lush formal gardens hug the shores of Lake Rowena in this urban display of botanical diversity.
The center of it all is the Leu House, purchased by Harry and Mary Jane Leu in 1936 – now a house museum – around which they developed their gardens.
Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Orlando
Trailhead: 28.567584,-81.355375
Address:
Fees: $15 adult, $10 ages 4-17. Free admission offered once a month, check their website for dates.
Land manager: City of Orlando
Phone: 407-246-2620
Open 9-5 daily with early closures for special events. No pets permitted.
Directions
From Interstate 4, take Exit 85, Princeton Street. Follow it south and follow the signs.
About the Gardens
Bringing back plants from their worldwide travels, the Leus were on a mission to beautify Orlando and gave many cuttings away to friends and neighbors.
Over time, they developed the largest camellia collection in the United States outside of California, and Florida’s largest formal rose garden.
In 1961, the couple deeded their home and gardens to the City of Orlando, and it remains a horticultural showcase.
Modern plantings include a lush tropical stream garden, a butterfly garden, and a garden of palms, bamboo, and cycads, all set beneath towering cypresses, oaks, and elms along the lake.
More than 3 miles of pathways wind through the many gardens and natural areas. At the gardens entrance, the Garden House provides space for community meetings, educational displays, and a colorful gift shop overflowing with books.
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos of Leu Gardens
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Mead Garden
A 47-acre urban preserve, Mead Garden is a pleasant place for a forested walk of less than a mile in Winter Park, hosting many special events under its canopy of oaks.
Cady Way Trail
An urban bike path, the Cady Way Trail follows an old railroad line to connect Orlando and Winter Park neighborhoods to neighboring Seminole County
Carl T. Langford Park
A maze of paved trails provides an urban hike through hammocks of ancient live oaks and vast green spaces at this City of Orlando Park.
Bill Frederick Park
Inside the city of Orlando, the urban Bill Frederick Park has a wild side, too, with more than 2 miles of trails to meander through scrub forest and along Turkey Lake.