Find a Bonsai Garden
Near You
At one time, not so long ago, finding a bonsai garden outside of the Orient would be a rare thing. The number of public bonsai exhibits is growing rapidly. Some of the bonsai tree gardens on this site you will recognize; others are less well known.
You may be pleasantly surprised at the quality of even the smallest display. Bonsai tree types in these displays extend from exotic species to the more recognized bonsai juniper, pines and bonsai Ficus. Before visiting any of the exhibits, please check for hours and any possible entrance fees. The exhibits are listed in no particular order, however, first on the list may be the most famous.
Washington, D.C.
The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum was established in 1976 and is located at The United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. (It is not in the downtown area. Be sure to get directions in advance.) Bonsai and non-bonsai visitors from all over the world consider this a ‘must see’ display.
It is more than American, Chinese and Japanese bonsai exhibits, it is truly a museum.View just a few of the magnificent specimen bonsai and penjing in this
National Arboretum slide show.
There are many reasons to visit our nation’s capital, be sure to include The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on your list.
When making plans, consider a spring or fall trip. (I was born and raised in D.C. and the summer heat and humidity can be oppressive!)
Florida
Sarasota
Marie Selby Gardens
was voted one of “America’s Top Ten Botanical Gardens” by Country Living Gardener Magazine.
Throughout the grounds of the historic Selby estate there are many distinct gardens. The bonsai garden is he fairly new and its story could be called "the little club that could!"
Read how the
Sho Fu Bonsai Society of Sarasota Bonsai Exhibit
came about.
Delray Beach
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
4000 Morikami Park Road. The bonsai garden is arranged in the beautiful parklike setting. Some of the
collection can be seen here.
If you're an orchid lover,
The American Orchid Society
is conveniently located on a nearby property.
California
Northern Exhibit
The Golden State Bonsai Federation maintains two amazing bonsai collections. In Northern California the collection is the
Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt
666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland CA (Kathy Shaner, curator.)
Southern California
The GSBF exhibit in Southern California is
The Huntington - Bonsai Exhibit
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA (Ben Oki, curator.)
The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens
is a treasure where you can spend several days and never see it all.
More Than Bonsai …
On a visit to the Huntington, I was thrilled to see the beautifully displayed originals of Blue Boy (70” X 48”) and Pinkie (57 ½” X 39 ½”) and was surprised at their sizes.
Then, in a side hall, I was face to face with a much smaller portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
Massachusetts
The Larz Anderson Collection
is located at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 125 Arborway, Boston, MA The collection was begun in 1913 by former Ambassador to Japan, L. Anderson.
Many histories of bonsai in the U.S. claim the 1940s as the arrival of bonsai.
For the complete story read this indepth article regarding
the history of this important collection.
Have A Great Bonsai Garden I Missed?
Do you have a favorite permanent bonsai exhibit? Share it! Be sure to include an address, photos if you have them and tell what you like best about it.
Read Other Bonsai Garden
and Exhibit Reviews
Click on the links below to see some great reviews of other permanent bonsai gardens and exhibits. They were also written by visitors to this page.
North Carolina Arboretum
Not rated yet
The bonsai featured by the North Carolina Arboretum, Ashville, NC have a regional flavor.
But the Exhibit area, which was completed about 4 years ...
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