Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle: Photos, Reviews & Location

On the shores of Lake Washington, this 230-acre preserve features rare trees & a Japanese garden.

At a glance

#11 of 135 Tourist attractions in Seattle #2 of 10 Botanical gardens in Seattle

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.80

3.8 km from the center of Seattle

Rating breakdown

5 ★82%
4 ★14%
3 ★3%
2 ★1%
1 ★1%

Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Dr E, Seattle, WA 98112, United States

botanicgardens.uw.edu

+1 206-543-8800

Photos of Washington Park Arboretum (84)

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Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle – photo 1

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Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle – photo 11

Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle – photo 12

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Quick facts

What is the rating of Washington Park Arboretum?: Washington Park Arboretum is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 15,332 reviews.
How does Washington Park Arboretum rank in Seattle?: Washington Park Arboretum is #11 of 135 Tourist attractions in Seattle by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Washington Park Arboretum located?: Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Dr E, Seattle, WA 98112, United States — 3.8 km from the center of Seattle.
How can I contact Washington Park Arboretum?: Phone: +1 206-543-8800 · Website: botanicgardens.uw.edu

Reviews (8)

Angeline Merzier 2023 Sep 22

This park is enormous, you can easily get lost. Someone recommended to drop a pin where you park. This was a helpful tip. There are many walking trails and bike trails.
I really enjoyed my time here at the park.

devika shah 2023 Sep 03

Just explored the Japanese garden. It’s a pretty small area and feels to made up and not natural. There aren’t any signs to know about the plants/trees around.
We did find parking very easily. Felt the 10$ pp entry fee was a lot given the area of the garden and pretty much nothing to do

Derek W 2023 Aug 25

The best place to walk your dog, or take a psychedelic trip on a 3 day weekend, full of wildlife and wonderful views. Carefully curated scenes are full of hidden paths and plants from around the world. I went two days in a row and it wasn't quite enough to see everything.

Sara McAninch 2023 Aug 15

Trails are paved and unpaved with a lot of places to explore. It's easy to get lost in here since the signage isn't great. I highly recommend dropping a pin at your starting point (for me, it was my parking spot) so you can find your way back if you're not familiar with the park.

Sindu 2023 May 29

Went here once for an evening walk after work. It was lot bigger than I thought. It's a pretty park for walking or going for a bike ride. There are several places to park around this park. When you walk to the water, you can see that it's a good place to picnic.
Would recommend this park. It’s free to enter

Ruth RH 2023 May 28

The arboretum is a lovely and relatively flat hike. The variety of plants is very nice. I suspect I missed the peak of the flowers as I went in mid-May, but they were still quite nice. Do be aware that while the arboretum is free, there's a fee for the Japanese garden.

Justice Wilson 2023 May 18

This is an amazing place to visit if you're a nature lover. Even if you're not, it will make you a nature lover. The azaleas were so fragrant that you could smell them from a distance. It's free to go here but it's $10 admission for adults to get into the Japanese Garden (which I recommend).

Mere 2023 Apr 24

The arboretum is an absolutely wonderful place to come and take some really relaxing walks. The layout is very picturesque and the planting is extremely well thought out and looks lovely regardless of the season. It's recently easy to get lost though, because the signage is not stellar. Thankfully the parking lots are numbered which made it easier to find my way back to the car, and the restrooms are well kept at the visitor center for which I am always grateful. I look forward to coming back to watch the changing seasons.