Tyler Rose Garden: Free

Tyler Rose Museum: $3.50 per person

The Rose Garden Center and grounds are perfect venues for weddings, reunions, meetings, and more, offering a picturesque backdrop for your special occasions. For more information on reserving an area in the Rose Garden, Rose Garden Center or any of our other facilities in the Tyler Rose Complex, click here. 

Do we sell roses?

No. The Tyler Rose Garden is a viewing-only garden. We do not sell single-stem roses or rose bushes. For a list of recommended nurseries and vendors, click here. 

Are the roses blooming?

Peak season for roses in Tyler is April and October, weather depending. However, the Tyler Rose Garden has 14-acres to explore with many varieties of other plants and flowers that bloom throughout the year.

Can I host a private event in the Garden?

Yes! We rent the Queen's Court and several other areas of the garden for private events. Please contact us at (903) 531-1212 for more information about private event rentals.

What should I bring with me to the garden?

During the warmer months, we suggest comfortable, breathable clothing and a hat. Sun protection like sunscreen is suggested. During the cooler months, we suggest warm, comfortable clothing. Wind protection like a jacket or a hat are suggested. You may also want to bring a refillable water bottle. 

Are food and snacks available for purchase?

There are water fountains inside the Rose Garden Center, and there are sodas, waters and snack items available for purchase inside the Rose Garden Museum Gift Shop when open.

Can I bring food into the garden?

Yes! We encourage visitors to pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic on the lawn or one of the many picnic tables in the garden or on the patio. Please throw trash away in a waste receptacle. 

Can I cook or grill in the garden?

No. Open flames, including candles, are prohibited at the Tyler Rose Complex. 

Can I smoke in the garden?

Smoking in any Tyler area park or within 20 ft. of a public building is prohibited. This includes vaping and e-cigarettes.

Are wagons and/or strollers permitted?

Yes! Both wagons and strollers are welcome in the Rose Garden. 

Can I bring my pet?

Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome in the garden. Please pick up your pet's waste and dispose of it properly. Unfortunately, only licensed service animals are permitted inside the Rose Garden Center. 

Can I take wedding/celebration photos in the Garden?

Personal photography is allowed in the Rose Garden, as long as no private events are in the area. 

What if I leave something behind?

To reach our lost and found, please call (903) 531-1212. However, please note items left over 90 days will be donated, and items with personal information will be shredded to protect our guests.

Additional information:

• Please do not stand or walk in garden beds or climb on trees or shrubs.
• Do not pick flowers.
• Do not take or harm any of the wildlife (this includes feeding squirrels).
• Please do not play in the water features.
• Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

The property that is now home to the Tyler Rose Garden was first purchased by the City of Tyler in 1912 for the construction of a park and fairgrounds. After many years and at the urging of former American Rose Society President Dr. Horace McFarland, an application to the Works Project Administration (WPA) was made in 1938 to fund the construction of a municipal rose garden. The $181,255 federal grant was thought to be the largest municipal park and rose garden project approved by the WPA in that era. It was used to construct a stone picnic pavilion, balcony, stairs and other garden features. 

Keith Maxwell, the WPA landscape architect, drew the plan for park and rose garden. The plan was ultimately revised by Henry Thompson, a local nurseryman, who laid out walkways, planted trees and shrubbery. Thompson would later be killed while serving as a fighter pilot during Word War II. The garden would eventually be dedicated in his memory. 

Development of the gardens was suspended during WWII because of Tyler's vigorous war effort. Following the war, Robert Shelton, Jr. became the Superintendent of the Parks and Recreation Department in 1950 and made it his top priority to complete the garden. 

Before the first rose could be planted, extensive work had to be done to transform the red clay soil to create an environment conducive for growing roses. Using a cemetery backhoe, 36 inch wide beds were dug and back filled with topsoil, sand and sludge. In 1952 the Tyler Rose Garden was officially opened. The roses in the first garden were donated by local nurseries with the intent of creating a living catalog of roses produced by the Tyler rose industry. Nearly 3,000 rose bushes were used in the first planting.

In 2018, The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden as one of the 2018 Great Public Spaces in Texas. This recognition is part of the APA’s Great Places in Texas program that recognizes and promotes streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces that “exemplify exceptional character”.

After a two-year-long application process, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden was officially recognized as a “national treasure” on the National Register of Historic Places, at a ceremony in October 2019. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the country’s historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden joins other Smith County landmarks, such as the Azalea Residential Historic District, the Blackstone Building, Carnegie Public Library, Cotton Belt Building, and others.

In 2023, The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden was honored with a Lone Star Legacy Park designation. It is classified as a park that holds special prominence in the local community and the state of Texas.  To qualify for consideration, the park must have endured the test of time and become iconic to those who have visited, played and rested on its grounds. The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden was one of seven parks and open spaces in the State of Texas to receive this designation in 2023. Lone Star Legacy Parks must be at least 50 years old, open to the public and have a significant role in the community history. This will be the 11th year for the Lone Star Legacy Park program. After the Class of 2023 parks are added there will be a total of 72 Lone Star Legacy Parks throughout our great state.

Looking into the future, the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Department plan to renovate the inside of the Rose Garden Center update the aesthetics to better compliment the rest of the Tyler Rose Complex. In addition, we continue to plan ways to enhance the garden while maintaining the rich history of this living catalog of roses and other flora and fauna.

Smith County Master Gardeners conduct tours of the Tyler Rose Garden and Tyler Botanical Garden all year long for groups of 10 or more. Tours can be reserved with 30 days notice by emailing Smith County Master Gardeners or calling (903) 590-2980.

Step into the story of Tyler’s rose legacy at the Tyler Rose Museum, where history and pageantry come alive. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop for a memento of your visit. Admission of $3.50/person. 

Hours:

Tuesday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Closed Sunday & Monday, January through March.

There are two designated parking lots for the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden. One located in front of the Rose Garden Center just off Rose Park Drive and the other inside the garden. For individuals with mobility issues, we recommend parking in the garden if you are touring outside and in front of the center if you are touring inside the center. 

Tour Buses

Bus Loading/Unloading

Large vehicles and buses may use the yellow designated areas to load/unload visitors within the Tyler Rose Complex. Buses are prohibited from pulling to the parking lot of the Rose Garden Center and/or parking in the parking lots at the Rose Garden Center & W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. Illegally parked vehicles are subject to towing. 

Bus Parking

Buses and Large vehicles can park in the South parking lot near the CHRISTUS Rose Stadium after unloading passengers.

Prohibited Vehicles

RVs and 18-wheelers are prohibited from parking overnight at the Tyler Rose Complex. ATVs and other small off-roading vehicles are also prohibited. 

Event Parking

If you are attending an event at the Tyler Rose Complex, please park in the appropriate designated parking area and carpool whenever possible. Our facility hosts multiple events daily and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Valet and shuttle services are available for events at an additional rate, please ask your booking team for more information on these and our other services.

Tyler Azalea & Spring Flower Trail - held the end of March through early April when the Azaleas are blooming. 

Rose Sunday Celebration and Kick-off - held the last Sunday in April

Art in the Garden - May

First Tuesday in the Garden Series - September through November

Texas Rose Festival - held in October

Holiday Lights in the Garden - December from 5-8 p.m. daily (Closed Christmas Day and Christmas Eve)

Texas Rose Festival 2025

The City of Tyler is proud to be the home of the 92nd Annual Texas Rose Festival! Next year's festivities will take place from October 16 - 19, 2025 at various venues throughout Tyler. 

Events at the Tyler Rose Complex

Tyler Rose Museum

Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sunday from 1:30 - 5 p.m. 

CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY - JANUARY THROUGH MARCH

Rose Presentation Display

Ribbon Cutting - Thursday, October 16 at 10 a.m. , Rose Garden Center Atrium 

Thursday, October 16 - Saturday, October 18 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday, October 19 from Noon - 4 p.m.

Tyler Rose Garden Center Atrium

Palette of Roses Art Show & Sale

Thursday, October 16 - Friday, October 17 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, October 18 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Tyler Rose Garden Center Exhibit Area

Rose Festival Parade

Saturday, October 18 at 9 a.m.

Tyler Rose Complex & CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium

Rose Festival Queen's Tea

Saturday, October 18 at 1 - 3 p.m.

Tyler Rose Garden Queen's Court