Sarah Duke Gardens
A short 2 ½ hours from New Bern in Durham, NC, thrives a gardener’s delight. Named one of the top 10 public gardens in the U.S. by TripAdvisor and winner of the 2013 Horticulture Magazine Award for Garden Excellence, Duke Gardens is a stunning 55-acre public garden on the campus of Duke University and one of the premier university gardens in the country.
Dedicated in 1939, Duke Gardens is open 365 days a year, free to all, and it has earned top honors internationally. Among its many features are Italianate terraces, an Asiatic arboretum, a garden of native plants, a white garden, water features, and a SITES-certified organic food garden.
On the 55 acres of landscaped and wooded areas there are 5 miles of allées, walks, and pathways throughout the gardens. The gardens are divided into four areas:
The Historic Core and Terraces
The H.L Blomquist Garden of Native Plants
The William Louis Culberson Asiatic Arboretum
The Doris Duke Center Gardens
The gardens are a memorial to Sarah Pearson Angier Duke, mother of Mary Duke Biddle and wife of Benjamin N. Duke, one of Duke University's benefactors.
This is trip is worth the drive!
