One word ZEN!!! Extremely peaceful and relaxing place to enjoy your day or just a couple of hours. Well kept and maintained. Ponds stocked with big beautiful Koi fish and turtles and a fresh smell of Jasmine. ADA Accessible with plenty of sitting benches along the trails in shaded areas. I did not notice any restrooms but I was not looking for them but I’m sure they are available somewhere nearby. Definitely check out if you’re in the area!

The Japanese Garden is a gated section in Hermann Park by the shallow pool & fountain. It is a beautiful and serene oasis in the middle of the city. Prefer to go during the week as Hermann Park gets very crowded on weekends.It is an authentic traditional garden built as a gift from the Japanese govt.and landscaped by Japanese horticulturists. There are numerous bridges, ponds, rock gardens, flowering bushes, trees and even a koi pond. Great place to meditate or take a break.Appearance changes slightly as the seasons change. There was an educated park ranger working when we visited. She answered all our questions patiently and clearly. It was quite apparent she loved her job. We appreciate her expertise and help.Covid 19 still prevents entering the tea house on property. No large groups and some benches blocked off. There is a large group of huge, fat, red squirrels here and throughout the park. Beware: these are wild animals and they bite! Dont attempt to hand feed!

This little hideaway is one of the best places in Houston. The parkinglot is a bit difficult but today it was surprisingly easy. Very clean and everyone respected the 6 ft apart. There are little benches that are far apart from each other to just sit and enjoy the view, sounds, and smell. Once youve had enough peace you can walk to the park of Harmon park. Where you will find the water and people enjoying peddling the little boats. Youll find a trail to continue to enjoy the bird chirping and ducks quaking. Great place to just take it slow.

Peaceful, beautiful. Nice place for a walk. Beautiful scenery for pictures too. During the week is the best time to visit because theres not a lot of people walking around. Still respect masks and distancing protocol when you come here though.

Great calming Japanese garden. Very calming place to walk or sit. Lots of places to take pictures

So romantic and peaceful place. I often bring my wife here if it is just the two of us as a date, and she loves it here. A nice place to relax and enjoy the view without worrying a lot about the kids (however, she still mentions them sometimes). This is also a good place to appreciate Japanese landscape and culture without having to travel abroad. You have to visit here!

This was my 1st time visiting this Japanese garden. Upon arriving to the garden, your introduced to an open, clean, well-cared-for garden. They have benches both covered and uncovered. The water features include small waterfalls, lakes, streams and bridges to cross over three streams. Turtles, large white birds (dont want to call them by a wrong name) and I believe koi fish, large ones.The best part is that its all free to enjoy, quiet and you can hear the sounds of nature more than the sounds of the city life.

Its nice but it couldve been better. I can say that because Im from Japan.

Find tranquility here. Great place to walk for everyone.

Beautiful garden section within Hermann Park. I just wish the homeless were not allowed to sleep in the garden during their open hours. There are a lot of maintenance projects during our visit--a good thing--but it took away the specialness of the gardens beauty.

Stunning garden, perfect for an afternoon walk. Very quiet. Perfect place to relax as you enjoy the beauty of nature

A quiet and serene place to visit. Awesome place for a date our picnic. They really do a good job caring for this garden. Love how people respect the rules to help keep this place a gem. Water and greenery everywhere. There is no wrong place to take a picture outside. Love it and look forward to my next visit.

We loved the park. We had half an hour before we had to leave Houston and thought to stroll through it quickly. We were mesmerized. It was serene and like a painting. There were cod fish and baby turtles in the ponds. I will cherish that visit forever.

Celebrating or 2020 Graduate. Amazing place for pictures

The Japanese Garden is a lovely place to enjoy a space for quite reflections and meditation, to enjoy a relaxing stroll, spend a bit of quality time with a friend or lover, or to take those special pictures.There are several areas to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Unless there is something gping on at Miller Outdoor Theatre it is pretty peaceful.

My toddlers and I love the Japanese Garden. It’s very well kept, calming and relaxing, and the koi fish have gotten so big! It’s a fantastic spot to spend half an hour and an even better spot for photography. It might not be able to support all the most iconic Japanese plants, but it certainly has a different feel than the rest of Hermann Park. It continues to wow me year after year. Beautiful slice of Houston!

A jewel of Hermann Park. So nice and clean. The design is great. Definitely a place to visit and its always free.

Peaceful. Great for a short walk or sit by the pond and have a good talk. Brought the family for a picnic. Plenty of space, people practice social distancing and most people are wearing masks. Please wear yours.

You want a picture on that bridge? Then come here and check it out. There’s actually more ponds within the garden then what I last remember. They’re all really astounding with the presentation they show. Calm, cool environment to check out if your looking for a place to relax or gather your thoughts.

Quiet and relaxing. great place to enjoy with friends and family.

This is one of the most serene and calming places I have been in a long time. It is beautiful. If you get a chance just go there and take it all in....Gods green earth.

Very peaceful and quaint. There are a lot of hidden gems if you take the time to look.

Great place to go for a walk and see japanese plants...

Beautiful location. Lots of water and flowers. Great place to take pictures! Be aware of the hours as it isn’t open the same times as Hermann Park.

Nice small Japanese garden in Houston! You’ll see different stuff throughout the seasons. Entrance is free so get an advantage of that! In SF, you’ll have to pay for it so yeah come visit!

Clean & great vibes. To bad they dont keep their water clean. You would probably be able to really see the fish & turtles!

Really well-kept park. The weather was a bit bad; windy and overcast but the area is truly beautiful. Recommend a stroll anytime you are in the area.

Very serene. The park is kept clean and the landscapes are really nice. Great place for pictures! (Oh and its free!)

Beautiful place. It is very peaceful, serene, quiet and clean. A great place to get away, meditate, breath in fresh air and listen to the vast amount of birds in the park. The architecture is very interesting and the layout if the park itself, is really great. Its definitely someplace id like to come and visit again bc it feels like you arent even in Houston anymore

A very serene and calm location, it wasnt as filled as I expected, but even with the people who visit this place, there is a sense of calm and peace which everyone seems to respect. Youll find an abundance of wildlife here ranging from ducks, wild birds, turtles, squirrels, small rabbits, and an even wider array of koi fish with beautiful color patterns.

Great location to start your morning walk!

Very beautiful place to go on a nice romantic outing

It is a great place to calm down and meditate. It is free! Go there and enjoy this little beautiful garden. Iexpected some flowers or a lot of flowered trees when I saw it is Japanese garden, however it was a green vegitation. Anyway, it is very soothing great place to be and practice photography.

I came upon the Japanese Garden by accident while exploring Hermann Park, and what a nice discovery it was! So pretty and peaceful. Even my two young boys enjoyed strolling around.

Very p peaceful relaxing beautiful great for walks

Beautiful spot in the city to relax and be with nature.

It was a nice experience.

This place is Tranquil and Beautiful

Its a beautiful place to go to. Its calming and its a great place to meditate or relax.

Beautiful garden in Houston. I loved the pond and the ducks. Its obviously a well-known picturesque location - someone was taking maternity photos when I was there. Good place for a walk with your dog, or a romantic walk, or just a regular walk (whatever mood youre in) The garden house or whatever its called is a fake - just a couple of walls and paint put in place to complete the picture. Theres a couple of places that are dry that obviously should have had water - idk if thats a cost saving measure or that they just couldnt be bothered. Im not quite sure how authentic it is for a Japanese garden since Ive never been to one before, but I do know that its a beautiful garden.

Very beautiful, some wonderful examples of bamboo, maple trees, box woods, and pittosporum. Coy pond and bridges make a nice photo opportunity. Comparing these Japanese gardens to Ft. Worth, I think Ft. Worth is slightly better.

Absolutely stunning, peaceful gardens in the middle of Houston. Sense of peace and tranquility surrounds you.

Nice garden for a short walk in the morning with easy accessible within Hermann Park. If more funding available, it could be a lot better though. A few photos attached

Wow, what a surprise to find the Japanese garden here! Very peaceful place.

Hidden gem. This place is a must visit! Serene, beautiful grounds, calming place. I loved the Japanese Garden! Ill go back and have a picnic alone!

A great place for pictures and out door walk!!

Its a lovely quiet spot to think in...

Really enjoyed this beautiful garden! A perfect relaxing spot to enjoy nature after the chaotic parking experience and zoo trip with kids. Would highly recommend visiting for an hour if you’re in the area. This wasn’t up to the pristine perfection Japanese garden standards as I’ve experienced them in other places, but I believe a picturesque and free garden should never be judged harshly.

One of the most beautiful places in Houston. Truly a gem on all levels. Thank you Japan for this gift.

Walking along the Japanese Garden always brings me some peace! It’s such a beautiful place! I’ve seen lots of couples taking romantic walks and families enjoying the koi fish! Fun for all ages!

A lil piece of traditional rural Japan in the middle of Houston. Very nice, quiet garden with bunch of flowers, creek, benches, even some hills around. Very beautiful pieceful garden

This place is lovely and tranquil. This is an excellent excursions.

The Japanese Festival was amazing, learned so much and met a lot of wonderful people the venue was spectacular. The live performances were amazing as well as the Martial Art demonstrations. The food vendors were reasonavly priced and very kind!

Beautiful place, went there with my family, and my mom was on her electric wheelchair and she got around just fine despite some rough patches. There is this place near the end where there were carvings on the bamboo trees of peoples names that gave a romantic touch.

Great to walk around or just sit and relax, there are koi fish and turtles in the pond and I spotted a rabbit in the far end. Its a really peaceful place when its not too crowded.

Such a peaceful place.

One of a small peacefull place right between heart of Houston downtown, I visit in a bit of winter season but still saw some glimpse of flowering.A beautiful pound for turtles and koi fish however one of the pound was densed with algee and need some maintenance

Beautiful, calm and relaxing...best place to recharge. My kids loved the walk!

Very calming and beautiful place to visit!

A tranquil and unexpected place to visit in Hermann Park. Admission is free and the gardens are particularly beautiful in early spring when the Azalea bushes and red bud trees are in bloom. An added bonus is that the gardens have an entrance located right off the metro rails Rice University station stop.

Its an amazing little place. Not very big but great layout so it appears quite spacious. It has a great variety of fauna and is very cool and serene. Is also always atleast 5° cooler than immediately outside. Gets pretty crowded on a hot day. This particular garden appears to attact a lot of photographers too who dont seem to realize that the place it more than a back drop for just their shoot.

Pretty & peaceful. We discovered this on a Houston scavenger hunt game. Super fun!

Very pretty, I wont go in summer again, though, but in Spring or in winter (Houstons Winter) it has to be perfect. I wish that the mini train that passes by wasnt so loud.

Nice addition to an already cool park. Check it out!

There is only a Pagoda and nothing so special in the Japanese garden. The rose garden is beautiful though

Incredible moment of serenity in the middle of a great park for active youngfamilies!

Beautiful place, incredibly peaceful but can get a little noisy at times with the events going nearby like the Miller Outdoor Theatre and the little train from the Herman Park. Overall, a nice place to take a walk or sit and relax for a little while.

Very peaceful

What an incredible place to spend some time! Its a beautiful, well-maintained garden within Hermann Park.

A great place to read or take a break while enjoying peace and serenity of this beautifully landscaped Japanese Garden.

This is a great place for families and couples. A short trail leads you around a pond and temple winding through some pretty greenery and bridges. One of my favorites in herman park

Nice garden with plenty of space to Rome around and see wildlife

Love the garden and Hermann Park, and come here often. However, the guards are absolutely insane. The gates were wide open a little after 5 and I walked in to do a once-around. A guard screamed bloody murder after me and said to get out immediately. I get it dude, but you don’t have to treat people that way.

This was my second time going to the garden and its always a treat. It truly is a beautiful and peaceful environment.

I enjoy this serene gem any time I visit throughout the year. There are multiple spots to sit and enjoy the view. A consistent source of peace and replenishment. Immaculately tended grounds.

After taking a History of Landscape architecture course at A&M I wanted to find a Zen Garden close to home.From the lanterns to the cleansing stations everything is reminiscent of Japanese architecture. I do wish there was a sand tending portion to the garden, but I can understand the amount of maintenance that would go along with that feature.

Love it, would visit again

I Love it! The flowers are in season , which is spring , to bloom. I had an awesome time strolling around the walkways and bridges which it provided.

An early Spring in Houston brought beautiful early blooming to this fabulous Japanese garden. This is such a calming and peaceful place to spend an afternoon in one of our nations largest cities.

This is a rather large Japanese Garden! It is a great place for a day out and is free!

Very tranquil and peaceful place. Next time, I will be sure to take a lunch so I can enjoy a picnic while there.

An ideal place to have a walk with your loved one

Beautiful landscapes that we really enjoyed. Its a very relaxing and calm area to explore or take a walk in. The best part: Its Free!

Beautiful gardens with wildlife and lovely spots to relax.

Excellent relaxing place to sit and read or walk and think

Small beautiful garden very relaxing and beautiful. There is a pond and a model japanies house. Very scenic, better spot for photography. The garden is well maintained.Near the entrance you will find the restrooms. Free parking at Lot A and then 5-10 minute walk. Admission is free.

Nice place, we enjoyed walking around, clean and organize

Beautiful and peaceful. Also you can capture the sun perfectly here. Awesome for engagement photos.

What a wonderful place to go so peaceful

Good park to spend a complete day with kids and family

Very beautiful and peaceful.

The wildlife was so wonderful to see + photograph amid the beautiful gardens. A very calming, peaceful + meditative experience so needed in the hubbub of the city of metro Houston with so much brick, steel + concrete. Missed the exquisite designs and perfected upkeep of rock garden work by the original Japanese, but the growth of the gardens trees and plants through the years is so very Spiritual to take in.

Wonderful park to walk around. It is a very peaceful and beautiful part of the park that lets you escape the city life of Houston for a bit!

Came here for a volunteer mission with my coworkers to trim the azalea bushes. The garden is very clean, peaceful and beautiful. I would visit here again to enjoy it more and take pictures!

We loved it. An oasis of calm....just lovely and well worth a visit..Xxx

Serene, well done, its inside the park

Gorgeous views! Worth a visit

It is so beautiful and serene here. I love coming here for walks and to think. Parking can be a pain.

Not as nice, scenic, or as large as I was expecting. There wasn’t much Japanese about the garden minus some bamboo and fish. The garden is okay; not worth going out of the way for. There are other more scenic areas in Houston to see. Two stars because the garden is free.

Great place for a walk but the restrooms are horrible and not air-conditioned. Highly recommend you hold it if you can.