Name of Garden:
Gardens at Duke
History and Description:
In 1964, Doris Duke completed one of her life's ambitions when she opened a splendidly enchanted acre of land on her expansive Somerville estate for public visitation.
Visitors to Duke Gardens marvel at beautiful exhibitions of plants, landscapes, and architecture as they would in a fine arts museum. These are display, not botanical, gardens, and the thousands of species from all earthly climates are without labels, constantly- but invisibly- manipulated by a staff of fifteen full-time gardeners, to provide a palpable elation with nature and a unique aesthetic appreciation of world history. Each chamber is a portrait of an entire cultural environment, painted with plants, earth, and sculpture. The more you look, the more you see, and the perspective of so many extraordinary formulas for beauty helps one understand what it really means to be in a garden.
Address:
The gardens, located on Route 206, 1 3/4 miles south of the Somerville traffic circle, are open Wednesday through Sunday, October 1-May 31. Because the houses can easily reach 90 degrees in warm weather, the facility is closed between June and September.
Contact - 908-722-3700
Admission and Hours:
To visit the gardens call 908 722-3700 weekdays between 9am-4pm to reserve a time.
$10.00 General Admission
$8.00 Seniors (62+) & Youths (13 to 17)
Website:
http://njskylands.com/atdukgar.htm
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