My favorite thing I did in Portland. I went in early October. I was a little worried when I first got there because some roses were dead, but plenty were alive. I took hundreds of pictures. The gift shop was less expensive than most places. It’s free so if for some reason you don’t like it then no harm no foul. I LOVED it though!

As far as really neat places in Portland, Oregon go (and it’s not called the City of Roses for nothing), this one really takes the cake (proverbially speaking). Basically, the International Rose Test Garden is what I’d call a highly awesome place to go — especially for those who want to stop and smell the roses from time to time, and for those who are photographers and have a liking for nature photography and capturing nature on film. Plus, the really neat thing about the International Rose Test Garden is that it's free (which makes it different from the Japanese Gardens, although the Japanese Gardens are quite nice in their own way as well). Located in Washington Park, this place really helps when it comes to inspiring people and showing them the beauty in nature. There are so many roses of every color and size that it can be hard to take them in all at once. So, it is best to take it in one step at a time. Also, those who are photographers will really take a liking to this place, as they will find plenty of photo opportunities when it comes to the roses. 😇😎 In conclusion, I highly recommend the International Rose Test Garden for anyone who loves nature, photography or both. Also, I give it five stars (although ten stars would be even better). 😎

Plenty of roses are blooming at the beginning of June, so visitors can see (and smell) buds and flowers in every stage of blossom. While rose aficionados will enjoy learning details and exploring the entire garden, the casual visitor will enjoy roses near the entrance. We did have to go down some steps from the street to the garden; handrails are present.

This is FREE to visit, and is absolutely breathtaking. Pictures don’t even come close to capturing how pretty it is! Even if you have to park far (we did) there are beautiful maintained trails up through forest that make the walk short and enjoyable. Visit the Japanese Garden while you’re here too!

Some of my friends live just outside of Portland, and they recommended this garden to me. This garden was large, but it did not go on indefinitely. It was free to access this garden, and this park contained metered parking spots, but I parked just outside of this park in the daytime for free. There was a gift shop, a food truck, and a restroom. I saw every color of flowers with regard to the large rose bushes. It was very scenic.

We had planned to go to the Japanese Garden but looked at the Rose garden while we waiting for it to open. We ended up enjoying the Rose Test garden so much that we passed on the Japanese Garden to explore the roses more! Beautiful atmosphere and a sensory delight! There was a musician playing, which added nice soundtrack to our visit. We enjoyed reading the names of the roses, and the “fragrant” markers on the most fragrant roses. The award winning roses were marked and easy to find. There were public restrooms, paved paths and the ramps had the angles written out, along with directions to a less steep ramp if needed. We didn’t do a guided tour, but I’m sure that would be great too. It’s worth the visit!

The International Rose Test Garden is a true gem! The vibrant colors and delightful scents are amazing, and it’s a fantastic spot for snapping some memorable photos. It’s easy to get to with plenty of parking, making it a relaxing and enjoyable place to visit.

What a lovely place to wander around, either briefly just to appreciate the gardens, or you could spend ages finding out about all of the different roses being grown. There are hundreds of different roses in every colour imaginable, laid out and maintained beautifully. A really nice place to spend some relaxing time. Personally I could have done without the buskers though. Note: There are various car parks within Washington Park. The one closest to the Rose Garden is very small but a parking ticket covers all of them, so you can move around.