McGovern Centennial Gardens

This place is amazing! You should definitely take a walk through here when you are at Hermann Park.

I come here all the time with my nanny-​kid. We volunteered this week (Wednesday’s from 9−11am) and the coordinator set us up with harvesting beans off the vine from the family garden. So fun for a 3 year old. They even gave us a squash at the end! And it was great for her to hands on learn about volunteering and donating while having such a chill, tactile experience. The coordinator was super sweet & made us feel welcome & helpful.

I’m loving this place! It’s so cute! The gardens during this time is in full bloom with cute pink flowers and it looks so romantic and scenic. I definitely want to come back to take pictures and wander around some more. It was raining so I had to turn in early, but I’ll make sure to come back when it’s sunnier.
I would recommend coming here on a little date or a cute little romantic walk. It’s such a cute area. There’s so much to see besides the garden too. Make sure to come out and enjoy this place!

Instantly fell in love with this place! No doubt that this is the perfect place to bring that special someone and have a picnic or just stroll the magical garden. I would also recommend this as background to anyone who needs to get their pictures done.
There were two gardens: rose garden and farmers garden.
The rose garden
— very Tumblr
— smells AHHHMAZING
— cute photo background
The farmers garden
— herbs and vegetables are planted here
— it’s educational (they have gatherings to learn how to plant and grow certain plants)
— well managed
In addition, they have seatings, restrooms, and vending machines at the back. Definitely a great place to read while your kids run around the place.

I had some free time one day with nothing to do, so I wondered over to Herman Park and then to McGovern Centennial Gardens. They have done an incredible job and created a beautiful, diverse space. I found a bench in a shaded area and just sat there for an hour and just enjoyed nature. The gardens are an oasis in the city.

Super pretty park! Parking is free and it is so well maintained. It’s pretty where you can go on picnics with public restrooms. I love the spiral object you can climb to see the view down below. The park is free and includes a Japanese or Chinese garden as well. It is well worth a visit when in museum district or at Herman park

I LOVE that this park exists! I was looking for a low-​key place to enjoy the weather with my bf, and this park has been bookmarked in my Unilocal app ever since it opened. I’m so glad we went, because we were pleasantly surprised by all of the gardens and greenery that we could just gaze at. My bf likes to build models and was able to take in some inspiration from the gardens. His sister-​in-​law saw our pictures on facebook, and commented that she wanted to visit when they’re in town. There’s a beautiful rose garden where they can take pictures of their new daughter. This area is a great setting for natural pictures, as we saw LOTS of photographers out taking engagement photos, etc. We were able to walk over to the Miller Outdoor theater, zoo and Japanese gardens from this park.
If you haven’t been to this park yet, GO!

This is such an improvement on what was here before! The gardens are BEAUTIFUL. Grab a book and read in the chairs on the far side the hill or bring a blanket and read or hang out on the lawn closer to the hill, and don’t miss walking up the hill to experience the view! Stunning gardens! Do NOT miss it when you visit Hermann Park!

Its a good thing Houston has lots of parks that you don’t have to pay for. I always like it like that. Whenever I think of parks, I always think of how it helps the environment and the ecosystem. call me a tree hugger. and don’t care. We are connected as a family to benefit from each other: the plants give off oxygen so we can breathe in and we release (other than raw air from our bodies) carbon dioxide that helps the plants survive in their natural habitat.
I definitely like this park mostly because it displays a lot of what I like which is gardens. I took my boyfriend here because we both love gardens and have a passion for botany. he immediately fell in love with this place.
The maintenance guy that works here is pretty cool; he always tries to take your picture while you are viewing the family garden (that’s the one with all the vegetables and fruit trees), I honestly can’t remember his name right now, but will leave it as a tip when I think of it. He also has a garden himself.
The thought that they actually had another underdeveloped garden here before doesn’t ring a bell to me, but I’m sure glad they decided to build this one up and create a space for it.
Its so peaceful here well when it isn’t hot or humid.
The only thing I don’t like about this park is the fact that the plants don’t have name-​tags to them; you can’t identify the name of the plant, so if you wanna plant some in your own personal garden. They are wonderful to look at, but without having a name to the face. it pretty much disappoints me.
If you enjoy walking, nature, and gardens you will adore this park. The parking is pretty convenient though I can’t promise that you’ll park under a shade tree.

One of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to!
It’s open to the public and feel free to bring friends, family, or possibly your cute date. Take a step back and really and enjoy the nice weather, the green grass, and the plants all around you. There’s a hill that spirals up and you can seriously see part of Houston from that view.
It’s right next to Hermann Park and there’s just so much to see and do. So many people of all ages come to just relax and enjoy the park.

Located directly across the street from the Museum of Natural Science, the Centennial Garden is a tranquil get away from the city.
This garden has so much character. I didn’t quite get to explore the entire area due to limited time (and the rising temperature), but each area of the garden has a different attraction. From statutes to sculptures to fountains, there are plenty of things to see.
I saw people of all ages enjoying the garden, particularly the «mountain». There are lots of shaded benches located throughout the park and restrooms located at the back of the park. I noticed there was an event center as well and I would love to attend a private event here. I’m sure it’s absolutely beautiful at night.
If you haven’t visited this garden yet, definitely go. A weekday evening would be ideal, as there aren’t nearly as many visitors.

This is a great date spot, meditation place, people watching place all rolled into one. I think in the future as all of the landscaping matures this place will be gorgeous ! This is a beautiful place and I loved seeing the diverse groups of people here to enjoy this lovely space. I can’t wait to go back.

This place is super awesome. It’s surprising that Houston actually has something as beautiful as this place. Although the scenery is artificially made, I think it’s worth enough to be photographed for a magazine cover. On the gorgeous day that I went, there were people everywhere just strolling up the hill, taking graduation pictures, and even having a little picnic. It’s a very nice addition to Herman park.
The actual size of this garden isn’t too big. You may end up spending about 30 – 40 minutes here.
The only negative is finding parking. You can take a chance parking at the zoo for free, but on the weekends or holiday, it gets packed. I was stuck in that New York style traffic jam parking lot for almost 30 minutes. My advise is to park far away and just walk to the park. If you don’t mind paying a bunch of money, you can park in the Science Museum parking lot.

This place is super awesome. It’s surprising that Houston actually has something as beautiful as this place. Although the scenery is artificially made, I think it’s worthy enough to be photographed for a magazine cover. On the gorgeous day that I went, there were people everywhere just strolling up the hill, taking graduation pictures, and even having a little picnic. It’s a very nice addition to Herman park.
The actual size of this garden isn’t too big. You may end up spending about 30 – 40 minutes here.
The only negative is finding parking. You can take a chance parking at the zoo for free, but on the weekends or holiday, it gets packed. I was stuck in that New York style traffic jam parking lot for almost 30 minutes. My advise is to park far away and just walk to the park. If you don’t mind paying a bunch of money, you can park in the Science Museum parking lot.

Awesome addition to the park scene in Houston! Its nice to see a huge parking lot for the location as well. One of my biggest issues with going to Herman Park is the lack of parking. The address is tricking to locate, Ive found its best to get directions to Plaza Museum District apartments, and the parking lot is right in front of the apartments.
The park itself is decent size, the main attraction obliviously being the round mound with spiraling walkway. When you get to the top, its a decent view.
I cant wait to see the garden in a years time. There are several places where baby vines are growing, and in some time, they should be covering many of the arches, and even the sides of the mount.
There are a bunch of tables for you to come enjoy lunch, a book, or conversation with friends. The gardens can also be reserved for wedding ceremonies.

The development of Hermann Park continues to impress me. I am partial to this space since I live about a mile from it. The McGovern Centennial Gardens is a spectacular addition to the growing number of sites in this park.
I love approaching the gardens as I run through the dark canopied Tolkien-​like path of Hermann loop. In the distance you see this perfectly shaped mound bathed in light. As you get closer, you realize there are dancing fountains and a long sparkling rectangular pool beckoning you to approach the hill. Getting nearer, you hear the soothing cascade of a waterfall originating from the summit.
A spiral path allows you scale the mound to the pinnacle. The views from the top are lovely.
The best time to go is early in the day so you can steal a solitary moment atop of the mountain, a mini Olympus if you may– A chance to collect and form your thoughts, above the ground and reality, while enjoying the serenity of the scenery and listening to the tranquil falling water.

My wife and I walk Herman Park trails regularly and were big fans of the old rose garden. So I was a skeptic when they tore out the rose garden and started construction on the Centennial Park. I was prepared to hate it. But boy was I wrong! What a great addition to Hermann Park!
The 30 foot Garden Mount with cascading waterfall provides a visual focal point and destination. Climbing to the top on the circling path allows you to cross the waterfall several times. The sound of the waterfall and the panoramic view of the park both are calming and uplifting.
Back at ground level there are 15 gardens (including a rose garden!) to meander through and enjoy. On a recent visit the place was full of activity but didn’t feel at all crowded. Parking in the new lot is convenient and offers many more spaces than the old lot.
There is something for everyone here in this new addition to Hermann Park. Hats off to the Hermann Park conservancy for their wisdom and commitment that made this spectacular park possible!

«Gardens are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let’s stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another.» Raver
What a great addition to the city of Houston and Hermann Park! We found this hidden gem during the ’15 kite festival. We decided to talk a short stroll through the new garden — which turned into a three hour journey.
Centennial Gardens is home to at least 10 different gardens that each serve a different purpose. We spent most of our time on the green and in the family garden. The family garden is an edible garden sponsored by HEB.
Centennial Gardens is a great way to leave Houston without ever leaving Houston.

It is a cool park but the two main problems with it are too many people and much too limited hours to fully enjoy the space.
It is a chill place to camp out with a book, your school work, or your iPad if you time it exactly correct when you can snag a table. This is almost always impossible since there are too many people. Too many people means it is no longer peaceful with the gurgling water since the various shrieks of children and people talking far too loudly for a peaceful environment wrecks shop on the intended serenity. Then of course you need to contribute to the noise yourself by repeatedly Frank Costanza-​ing «SERENITY NOW!!!» to the world.
With less people, or more white noise to envelop the tables this park would be better as far as serenity goes. With less people, or many more tables possible to grab for a study sesh this would be better as far as a non-​coffeeshop second study spot about town.
I climbed the thingy in the park and the view was neat. I recommend doing that whether or not you intend to stick around to read/​study/​think about life.

Being a big fan of the old Garden Center with the flowers, I was not happy when I saw that the park was closed and under construction. It turns out that the Hermann Park Conservancy knew what they were doing and the new Centennial Gardens is absolutely beautiful.
You can have a great view if you go up the little mountain or just relax around the park. Having gone up there 3 times in one setting, I can tell you that it’s actually quite a bit of a workout so if you have elderly or out of shape people in your group, you may want to take it slow.
The only negative I have is a lot of photographers seem to act like they own the place and plop their tripod right in front of hill and block the view of other photographers trying to take pictures. It seems a bit hypocritical for me of all people to say that since I love photography but common courtesy of just taking your picture and getting out of the way seems lost on many.
Continuing with putting my fellow photographers on blast, I think that a lot of professional wedding and portrait photographers are also abusing the courtesy given to them and taking up a disproportionate use of the park for their business and blocking the pathways and sooner or later they shouldn’t be too shocked if professional photography is either banned or requires a permit. It always starts out being open until people start abusing it. Just sayin’.
Oh, and watch out for unruly children running down the hill.
But anyway, don’t let that get in the way of your enjoyment. It’s a beautiful park.

What a beautiful addition to our city! Modeled after the Tuileries park in Paris, this place lives up to the hype. The centerpiece is a hill you can climb up (by climb, I mean walk on a wide, freshly paved sidewalk) and get a nice view of the city. It’s a little gimmicky, but it’s a nice spot. The paths are paced with a mix of sand and gravel, so mindful that rain has carved out little drainage pathways, as rain does, and the path might be uneven in spots. I almost ate it in one spot.
One one side, there are gardens that are nice to stroll around in and become reacquainted with the statues in their upgraded digs. On the other side is a lovely community garden that is committed to reusing rain water to grow organic produce.
Restrooms are in the white building near the parking lot. It looks like there are also open conference areas to hold meetings or events. If you’re looking for an outdoor location to hold an event or a wedding I would definitely look into booking this place!

This is a lovely addition to Houston and Hermann Park. It’s right across the street from the Museum of Natural Science, and you can enter the parking lot near the Health Museum.
It’s an absolutely gorgeous space with a giant lawn, community gardens, tables and chairs, and of course the mound you can’t miss. You can walk on up to the top (both wheelchair and stroller accessible) and see some great views of Hermann Park and the Museum District. Great photo location as well! I imagine this will be a great place for weddings, engagement shoots, and events throughout the year.
This was well worth the wait and I suggest you come and check it out! Great place to picnic or bring the family.

The first time I tried to come here, it was actually closed =(
I had to wait a few months before it was open to the public to visit it. They are still finishing it up and it won’t be complete for awhile, but until then it is at least open to the public. The views are wheelchair/​stroller accessible. It’s located right across the street from the museum of natural science just in case GPS acts up.
Once inside, the main attraction is the spiraling hill. You do have to make circles up, there is no shortcut, but as you walk up you get to see all of your surroundings. This park is beautiful and now there is another way to get up to see it from high above. I cannot wait for the greenery to grow upon the canopies along the sides. It looks like they are going to have a space for food service and potentially for weddings and events?!
If so this will be my location of choice if it’s within budget!

I was once told that the 3 hardest things to say are: I’m sorry, I need help, and I love you but… not with the McGovern Centennial Gardens, it was love at first interaction and easy for me to confess my love for her.
Now, I first noticed the rennovations taking place of this place a few months back while I was at the Shark Exhibit at the Musuem of natural science and couldn’t wait for it to open. This place is done right and was well thought out and executed! Spiral pathed hill with a waterwall and great observation area at the top, which would be great to view at night or on a date. Gravel path walkways are lined around the gardens along with concrete ones too. There’s plenty of seating throughout the area and green space to layout and read or have a picnic. I really liked the area in the front that had colorful chairs and tables with a shaded area and a great view of the hill and the water spouts. I actually sat here for an hour and took in the view while soul searching.
There is a free parking lot with plenty of parking and of course street parking too. Great job Houston for adding this piece to Hermann Park making it even more attractive than it already is! I know I’ll be frequently visiting this place in the very near future. * Applauding the city*

It’s finally open!
After driving by construction for what seems like forever, the gardens opened on Dec 22, 2014 and should be open 9−5pm starting January 1, 2015!
It’s definitely a serene part of the park (way better than the reflection pool in my opinion) and I could see myself wasting away an entire afternoon just taking it all in. I stopped by on a pretty ugly winter day (hence black&white photos) but I could definitely see how nice it could look on a nice autumn/​spring sunset.
Free admission and pets allowed (so long as they are leashed!)

Wanna know where you can find the highest hilltop point in Houston? Check out the city’s newest garden and event space, McGovern Centennial Gardens.
It’s a 15-​acre park complete with a 30-​foot mount overlooking the Med Center and Museum District, rose gardens, herb gardens, fountains and sculptures, and even an area where weddings and other ceremonies can take place. …They already have 60+ events scheduled for the new year. And the entry pavilion was designed by architect Peter Bohlin, the famous designer of Apple stores. He was actually in attendance at the Hermann Park Conservancy members event.