What a beautiful place to visit. We decided to take a girls trip there for the day. Easy to find, make sure you grab some fish food when you check in. One downfall was that they only had two single bathrooms to use, so the lines were very long. Make sure to bring a camera. There are so many great spots to take pictures. The ducks and fish are a very popular attraction. The waterfalls were absolutely beautiful. Its a nice quiet peaceful relaxing place to visit and reconnect with the beauty of nature. We will definitely visit again.

For the people that never been to Rockford, Illinois, they have a beautiful Japanese garden called Anderson Japanese Garden. My wife and I have visited this place three times at different times of the year and it is amazing. Twice we have been here in the Fall and this year was the best, we got here just at the right time. I strongly recommend this place, don’t forget to bring your mask, they don’t ask you to use it in the gardens because they are outside but, you better do it since many people don’t know how to follow rules. They do have arrows to follow the path one way but as I mentioned, some people backup even when they are not supposed to, so to protect yourself, just use it.

Very beautiful grounds with beautiful manicured acreage done in the Asian style. Spend a relaxing and serene stroll thru pathways that lead around a large pond filled with magnificent koi. The Japanese structure beckons one to imagine the serenity this wonderful culture.The ground practices COVID responsibilities.I did however, imagined the acreage was more than it was. Great value for the price of admission.

Really pretty! The gift shop is worth a visit. Surprisingly affordable prices and genuine Japanese product. The gardens are beautiful. Only downside is that there were a lot of paths that seemed closed the day we went.

Absolutely beautiful park. My wife and I went on a gloomy day with the occasional shower. Even with gray skies it was a treat to walk the grounds. We also ate at the restaurant and it was a fantastic meal.

This review is written during the pandemic. Advanced reservations make for a smoother entrance. The garden is very popular on the weekends, and holiday weekends in particular can sell out. Dont delay and wait until the day of to purchase your ticket.There is a path that allows people to stroll with limited contact. I did feel comfortable taking my mask off at times when people were 15 feet away from me. There are many benches located throughout the garden to sit and take in the scenery. Allow for at least an hour to enjoy the whole experience.This is a place I cant wait to return to. I want to see the beauty in all four seasons.

Well worth the drive from Chicago (though I wish it was a tad bit closer). The price of admission wasnt too bad, though I wish there werent so many do not enter signs around, and I wish you could go inside of the houses. Lack of a gift shop was a little disappointing as well, unless I missed it, which is a huge possibility. Went on a nice Saturday afternoon and it was fairly crowded, though pretty easy to move around. The staff was friendly, and one of the members moved around so quickly, I could have sworn she had clones of herself making their way around the gardens. I would definitely come here again with a significant other to to just get away from the city and relax. Plenty of somewhat secluded places to sit as well, as long as there arent too many people around. Im not promoting any time of lewd behavior, just saying.

As always, it was a lovely walk. Everyone was respectful of space and photo opp spots. The kids had a blast feeding the fish/ducks. October is one of my favorite times to visit the gardens.

The gardens are beautiful!! They are practicing social distancing and requiring masks in narrow areas where social distancing will be more difficult. Staff are out watching visitors to ensure they are following mask policy. The gardens are a safe place to visit!

I always love the gardens! Very easy set up with proper social distancing. The do highly encourage online reservations but if they are not packed that day will also let you in. The setup in the gardens were awesome so you didnt get people going every which way. You do have to wear your mask in high traffic areas and there are a few sections in the garden wear they do require a mask(they posted those sections) but other than that if there is not alot off people around they allow no masks(unless you are in the required area again: those are posted) I love feeding my coy and duckies and am glad i got to!!!

Great getaway from noise and crowd to such a well maintained garden with strong life force. From friendly koi fishes eager to take the food and ducks and turtles stealing the same. While its known for colors in Fall, summer was great too.I congratulate management to have rerouted all unidirectional paths to maintain social distancing and made us as a family feel very safe. I liked sand art in Zen garden to portray square waves seen in tsunami which represents the chaos we are facing. All on all great outing and very serene experience.

Very lovely place. Chicago Botanical Gardens Japanese Garden is larger but this is nice as well. They give you fish food for the koi fish in the ponds but geese mostly get to most of them. Enjoyable place overall though.

Visited today (Aug 27, 2020). Due to current pandemic situation some sites inside the garden were closed and staff only allowed to enter. Still Good to see, More to take pictures! Kids will enjoy to feed ducks and fish.

We couldn’t have picked a better wedding venue! The experience we had at Anderson’s was incredible. The staff was friendly, helpful, and always in touch with us, as well as, the workers. The night went seamless thanks to the team of workers. The whole night I felt like I had a personal assistant by my side. Leah made sure that my dress, hair, flowers, etc. was perfect for every picture. She never let my dress drag while walking to different areas of the gardens for pictures. Once again, the experience was unbelievable. It was everything we had hoped for plus beyond our expectations!

Visited mid-September, so what little blooming plants around had already finished for the year, but theres no shortage of other beautifully manicured plants to look at. They closed a few of the tiny path loops to make a single one-way track to help keep people distanced during Covid-19, and it was very easy to follow. The entire place is very clean and tidy, exactly what youd expect from a Japanese garden. Large ponds have lots of koi and ducks. Please dont feed them bread, its not healthy for them. They have small bags of food for a $1 donation to use instead. Highly recommended garden as a whole, I will return.

Nice to walk around for an hour or so. Had fun feeding the koi and ducks. Restaurant had good food. Hope it fully opens and we will come back for tea time.

Very nice walk. Got pretty water fall. I took a lot of pictures. Ducks were very tame and not afraid of people. They will stand right next to you. It is good to spend a couple of hours . I can’t wait to go back there when it is peak fall color.

Really interesting variety of settings along trail. Also had interesting donated items from Japan that added to the authentic ambience of the garden. The docents also added to the experience with their stories and knowledge.

Amazing beautiful place! Will definitely come back.

Beautiful well taken care of grounds. Would give it five stars but they didnt accept our reciprocity from the Morton arboretum. Some of their covid distancing and crowd control measures also seem a bit backwards. But it is a beautiful garden! :)

Beautiful place, lots of opportunities for stunning photos. Never new this existed in Rockford. I wish there was more to see as we were able to see it all within 2 hours. I would be back to bring other family members but not just to revisit as again wish there was more to do there. Other than that, easy online reservations that need to be done ahead of time and we enjoyed very much feeding the koi fish along the trail. Dont need to feed them all in the beginning, so hang on to that food.

I love feeding the ducks. They are so comfortable with visitors that they eat from ones hand and some allow you to pet them. The whole circuit is absolutely gorgeous!

Beautiful garden and friendly staff. Worth a visit if you appreciate meticulous landscaping or japanese store gardens. Not as expansive as the Chicago botanic gardens which has multiple areas but Anderson has much fuller and better growth of what is there. Many places to stop and sit and take it all in.

I saw this place listed as a destination to visit in my AAA magazine and decided to check it out. I wasnt disappointed! So much beautiful and tranquil scenery, and cute ducks! I was able to take so many beautiful pics. I would love to visit the gardens again!

Staff were friendly and helpful. Koi food is available for purchase but ,would recommend saving it since there are more ponds deeper into the gardens for you to feed more fish. If you dont have the patience to take your time to see what the garden has to offer this might not be for you. Also take in consideration what the weather is like the day you go.

Wonderful oasis in the middle of Rockford. Great gardens, meticulously maintained, several large ponds to explore. Plenty of huge Koi to watch and feed, they do sell Koi food to feed the fish if you want to purchase it. Well worth the visit, we will return some day!

Every view is a beautiful pairing of art and nature. The fall colors are stunning - well worth the visit. The path is one way so easy to remain physically distanced.

So much beauty and great fall colors! And that massive waterfall is gorgeous and awe inspiring. I cant wait to return again!

Beautiful fall day to enjoy the exquisite scenery. Amazing Japanese horticulture incorporated into this lovely nature walk. Awe struck with this scenery during our peaceful walk.

Looking for beauty, peace and serenity?Look no further, plan your visit to Anderson Japanese Gardens today.

Excellent place to visit. Reminds me of our trip to Japan. Must see in Fall for beautiful colors.

Beautiful gardens. I can’t wait to be back here in the fall The staff is so helpful! My sister lost her glasses in the pond and they were so kind to help her get them back.

It was a fun relaxing trip! So beautiful. Would definitely come back!

Wonderful place, really quite and beautiful. Perfect spot to refresh some energy after busy week.

Beauty in my own back yard. Easy pathways to meander around, not too busy Thursday morning. Would have enjoyed going around again to the reverse direction as you always see something differently when you go back the opposite way you came

Really pretty! Can feed the koi and ducks.

Beautiful place. Great way to spend some relaxing time.

Gorgeous place to spend a day with family. During COVID time, it is recommended to make timed reservations. Yellow signs have been put up around the gardens to guide you along the way; just keep following them. There’s a gift shop and a cafe inside with a lovely view of the gardens. Got to see some fall colors as well. You can pick up a packet of fish food (with a suggested donation of $1) and feed the fishes in the koi pond. There are ducks and geese as well. It’s a fun activity to do, if you have kids. The entire walk around the gardens may take you about 1-2.5 hours. There are some lovely photo spots around the gardens too. The entire place is maintained very well and clean. Restrooms are available.

Great place to walk around, enjoye greenery all around you. Not many people and enough space to keep social distancing. Place is very nicely maintained and organized. And if you up to finding some fish...there is plenty of koi fish in the pond.

The gardens are well maintained. Its beautiful. Very tranquil. We loved feeding the koi fish. Well worth the ticket price.

WoW, I think we went to the place at the perfect time for the fall. So beautiful and lively. I wish they would open up more so we can went up into the hill and see more. This is a much see location if you are in the neighborhood.这个公园很漂亮。十月的风景实在是太美了。Highly recommend.

Amazing Japanese Garden in Rockford. Well maintained, very friendly and helpful staff. They have also implemented COVID-19 safety precautions and signage in the garden. Great for a day trip with family and friends. Loved the Fresco restaurant in the garden premises as well. Highly recommend this place.

Absolutely gorgeous location. Making online reservations and making restricted walking paths aided immensely during this time of Quarantine. It is a beautiful spot During a time when nowhere is open. I only wish I was able to stay in the gorgeous guest house on the property. Feeding the koi fish is definitely is a highlight, as they appear at multiple spots along the trail and are beautiful. The only thing more beautiful than the fish is the waterfall on the property. I look forward to being able to walk directly underneath it once restrictions are lifted

Beautiful place. This year I am missing. Very beautiful garden with Traditional Live Music, Dance, Martial arts, Magic..many Entertainment activities for kids and adults. Beautiful flowers, plants, trees, waterfalls..love this place..wish I will go there again next year!!!

Great place to explore a beautiful park. Just remember to bring water to stay hydrated in the summer.

Very Serene and picturesque. A great way to spend an hour or two.

This place is beautiful! But be warned it is still crowded even though they are doing timed entry and they are not enforcing the one way path or masks. Due to the paths, we were constantly trapped in a tight bottle neck with people going the wrong way and not wearing masks. It was very uncomfortable.

Beautiful and tranquil. Looking forward to visiting again in the Spring.

Beautiful little garden that takes about an hour to get through. Everyone who works here is very helpful and knowledgeable. This is the perfect place to have a little fun

Loved wandering around for an afternoon. the koi ponds and waterfalls are beautiful. such a zen place to go and decompress

Nice and beautiful place for spending a whole day good for photo shoots and wedding shoots

Relaxing, soothing trees and plants obviously Nice restaurant to grab a quick bite and refreshments. A gift shop to pick up some Japanese Garden decor items. Lets not forget the gold fish and the other variety of multicolored fishes that I dont seem to remember their name.

Great place to go for a date. If you go during the summer, I highly recommend carrying water bottles and a fan. You will be walking in the shades most of the time but when i went in June there was no breeze so it was hot and humid. Though I was wearing a light fabric long dress, towards the end I was sweaty. Maybe carry an extra clothes too if you plan to go somewhere afterwards.

Its absolutely beautiful place .we loved it here. Completely worth for a drive.

Cant wait to go back when there isnt stuff closed because of social distancing.

Pretty scenery. Staff was friendly and helpful. They currently have staggered arrival times and require masks in small areas. Otherwise its up to you to be responsible for keeping a safe distance from others. It was a very pleasant experience.

Wonderful gardens. The grounds are very well kept by the gardeners. Its beautiful in any season. Theres no better way to spend a few hours than walking around Andersons. The docents are knowledgeable and ready to share information and answer questions. The facilities are very well kept. Always a pleasant experience.

Very beautiful and peaceful especially with the fall colors

Wonderful place to relax and look at things from a different perspective. Staff are great !

Fantastic place to visit. It was calm and quiet. Listening to the water moving through the entire garden was so soothing. All the sound of the birds added to the experience too. The staff is super friendly and its fairly easy to navigate the paths.

This place is really nice i never been before and everything was really fresh.

Well worth a visit.. immaculately maintained. Very pretty fall colors, cool crisp day.

Absolutely stunning. We went on a tour of the wedding areas and I was blown away by the beauty it literally brought tears to my eyes. Leah was so great and informative as well. Impeccable customer service. I cant wait to have my wedding there next year!

One of the best Japanese Gardens in the world. Their restaurant is lovely too!

Nice place to walke and relax. Natural sounds all around. Beautiful place. One thing you should know there are a gravel walks so think about your shoes. No kids scooters allowed there as well.

We really enjoyed visiting. It was a bit warm the day we went but the staff did an amazing job to help direct us. There were some parts that were closed due to covid but we had a nice time seeing the nature and fish. Also bring small bill cash if you come (like 1 dollar bills) so you can buy the fish food at the entrance.

Beautiful and peaceful place. The gardens are the perfect get away for some meditation or walk, leaving you feeling refreshed both body and mind.

Absolutely beautiful and tranquil space. My photos dont quite capture the fabulousness! Well worth the trip!

Nice relaxing place. If you like nature this is a place to visit.

Nice peaceful place. Good to kill an hour or two. CDC COVID guidelines are implemented.

Beautiful location. Definitely one of the best Japanese garden in the nation. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. The Kois are hugeeeeee feeding them is quite fun.

A hidden gem! Serene and calming experience. Nice quick getaway for family and couples.

Awesome place worth checking out.

Well maintained Japanese garden , with bamboo fountains and rock structure. A good place to spend time. They have a good cafe as well inside the campus

Its really an amazing place. Its a place of serenity.

Service was slow. Food was too expensive. I ordered a medium well done burger and it came well done. Fries tasted good but werent cooked completely.

The garden is a must see, best Japanese Garden in U.S. and our hidden treasure, but the usually superb Fresco at the Garden restaurant highly disappointed me on my birthday in service, pricing, value and quality of meal. This was my choice and I regret it very much.

Great place for a day outing. Lots of colorful fishes and nooks to click pictures !

A beautiful place, with great views, lovely landscaping, and a very nice restaurant and gift shop. Unfortunately, the paths around the garden are not paved, but are crushed rock, which is not friendly to wheel chairs or electric mobility scooters like mine, at least when it has recently rained. I couldnt get around a lot of the garden, and this is the reason I gave it only 4 stars out of 5.

This a wonderful resource. Anderson’s Japanese Gardens was named finest Japanese Garden in the country in 2007. One of the most beautiful gardens my wife snd I have ever visited. Definitely worth spending a day. They have a great restaurant serving breakfast and lunch - open until 2pm. You can tour the gardens then stop back at the drink bar for latte, espresso or handcrafted fruit drink.

This is a beautiful, restful place. We enjoyed feeding the koi.

Beautiful! Thank you for staying open one more week! See you next year.

Beautiful garden with wonderful photo opportunities! Will be back next Spring!

Nice place to spend a quiet day exploring the gardens and water features. Theres a great restaurant open for breakfast and lunch, along with a gift shop, and most evenings there is some form of entertainment along with food vendors.

My favorite Japanese garden. Beautiful. Peaceful. Serene. A perfect place for contemplation and a day retreat. The strolling pond is breath-taking. The restaurant excellent and the gift shop delightful.

Love this place so peaceful and everyone was very helpful

One of my favorite day time getaways from Chicago. Beautiful and relaxing.

Simply beautiful. Waterfalls, bridges, ponds, teahouses.

Great place to go with your family and feed the fish and turtles or go to relax. A real hidden gem. The pond, river, landscaper was a genius.

Great place to go during this pandemic. Had fun feeding the koi fish.

Enjoyed the walk and beautiful sceneries, very relaxing!

Went with some friends and one of us needs to be in a wheelchair. We were the only group that had a wheelchair. Was told the day after that they have maps that show paths to take for wheelchairs. Was not given that map. I trudged through path after path on gravel. Parts were closed. Many parts. Why are they still charging full price for half the experience. Rip off.

Amazing place. Very relaxing and beautiful sights. You can donate to get food for the fish which I would highly recommend.

Very peaceful place to enjoy even by yourself. Worth it for about $10. Quick stop too, 20 minutes - 1hr depending on how many pictures you take/how long you sit and listen to the water

Absolutely beautiful. Definitely worth the trip. Planning to go back in the fall. Ate at the restaurant and service was extraordinary. BEST omelette ever.

The garden is totally amazing. I have visited several gardens in Japan and this is the real thing but in Rockford! The koi pond with willow tree, waterfall, tea house, and sculptures are special places.

Andersons Japanese garden is very nice, but can be far from city. Many beautiful locations and amazing shots that can be taken.

Very peaceful place ...koi pond where we can feed the fish and the little ducks..a safe haven for all the little animals who live there.

Beautiful and well laid out. Magical every few steps a new treasure. Get the Koi food at the entrance, best $1 I have spent in a long time. The beautiful Koi and the baby catfish will love it. And we had 2 turtles joining the show.

More pictures from the gardens. Lovely place to go.