International Rose Test Garden

Gorgeous place to walk around. But I wouldn’t recommend going in the winter months. I expected roses blossoming but when we got there all the roses were deadheaded. I didn’t see any roses but the paths around the gardens were quiet and beautiful. It’s in the middle of town so good food is an easy thing to find.

Lots and lots of roses everywhere you look!
You can’t beat the free entry price to this place, and the view of all of the different types of roses in this garden. Take a look especially at the area that showcases the «Rose of the Year.»
I’m by no means a floral expert, but I can definitely appreciate natural beauty in a place like this. Parking is ample and come when the sun’s out on a cool day in Portland. You won’t regret it!

My husband and I aren’t really flower fans, but this place is quite beautiful! I never knew there could be so many different colors on roses & it’s really quite a sight to see them all over the place.
Parking is not the most convenient but luckily we found a spot that’s fairly close to the Rose Garden and also the Japanese Garden so we paid enough for all-​day parking and decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone! There’s also a shuttle that runs all around the entire park area so you can visit multiple attractions on the same day in the same area. Admission is free & you get to take many breath-​taking pictures so there’s really not much you can complain about!

Wow, there are a lot of roses here. I even visited in an off-​peak time (August) and still, lots and lots and lots of roses. Smelly roses, big roses, red roses, pink roses, tiny roses. The views of downtown and Mount Hood are amazing.
It is pretty easy to get to on the MAX light rail; the train will drop you at the zoo and there’s a frequent shuttle service to take you to the rose garden, the Japanese garden, and the other attractions up there.
My only gripe is that the map at the entrance to the park said that the darkest rose they have (as close to black as roses can get) could be found in a particular bed (I think it was D14; let’s just say it was). We looked all over for bed D14 and couldn’t find it; finally we did and, if I remember correctly, the roses in that bed were bright pink and yellow. We kept looking and couldn’t find that special rose anywhere. So either the darkest rose is not that dark, or their sign is out of date. A disappointing side note in an otherwise great visit.

I visited this garden days before the roses were to get pruned for the winter (November) so most of them were pretty much on their last stem. The beautiful smell was still lingering in the air and the garden just has this aura of peacefulness and tranquility. I would love to come here in the Spring and truly experience what this rose garden has to offer.

«Stop and Smell the Roses «
My wife and I visited the International Rose Test Gardens and Botanical Gardens in Portland, Oregon two weeks ago and had a nice time. The different varieties of Roses was amazing. Walking around the Gardens looking at the brilliant and vibrant Roses, the Sculptures, and Art Work, while looking down at the city of Portland, was very relaxing and peaceful. And with Free admission to see some of Best Roses in the world, it is definitely worth the visit. Check it out the next time you are in Portland, Oregon.

International Rose Test Garden says it all.
You are going to find a bunch of beautiful rose beds here. Great place for pictures or a walk after a big meal. The area smells fresh and on a nice day this place looks heavenly.
The best part is you don’t have to pay to get in and only have to pay for a parking sport which is relatively cheap. (A couple dollars)
Overall: definitely worth checking out once.

Incredibly surreal. Just sublime. The beauty in the roses, the art, and the grounds itself is simply breathtaking.
Take advantage and support the roses by visiting the gift shop. One w/​b amazed w/​all that a Portland rose can bring w/​it.
During the summer months movies in the park are offered.

Wow. It’s simply stunning.
Seriously, stop and smell the roses, because they all smell wonderful, and they don’t all smell the same.
They have a plethora of brilliant and vibrant colors, and the garden is big. There’s so many roses. They have walkways and statues and benches, and there’s a ramp to the garden for wheelchairs, walkers, or parents with strollers.
You could definitely spend a lot of time here, and the best part… it’s free! It doesn’t cost anything to go to the garden, but it does cost a little money to park in the nearby lot if you’re driving. Even so, it’s still worth it.
My friends and I went in the beginning of autumn, and I cannot imagine what the garden looks like in spring or summer. I’ll have to go back and see, but there were still many roses in bloom and each one I looked at was as lovely as the last.

Love!!!
Free entry and minimal cost to park. Such a beautiful garden with many, many varieties of roses! Each has its own unique smell, take it all in! Not to be missed!

Short Story:
A free place to see world renowned roses… what’s not to like?!
Long Story:
I came here with a group of friends on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty awesome! Rows and rows of all types of roses. All different shapes, sizes, colors… you name it! There were award winning roses and special sections to highlight and showcase them.
It’s free and an easy walk to do. It can definitely serve as a backdrop for photos as some people decided to do for the pre wedding photos. There are even special sections where you can sit and presumably have a picnic or something small.
Verdict: I’ll be back!

Cheap ass parking (literally under $ 2/​hour)
FREE gorgeous rose garden
Well maintained grounds, plus bathrooms, a little food shack, and a gift shop all on the grounds
I took about 2,000 pictures because every bush was gorgeous and unique! I was nervous since we went on a 95 degree August day that everything would be wilted or dead, but I was so wrong! It was just incredible.
You absolutely should visit if you’re in the area!

This is such a pretty place when in bloom. Luckily we came there at the right time. Unfortunately, my body has been changing and I had super bad allergies. I’m pretty much allergic to everything now. Haha.
The roses smelled lovely and my happiest moment was seeing all the cute bees!!! We tried to smell all the different types of roses but we ran out of time. At the end we skimmed through. It would be good to have a picnic or family outing. It’s a nice place to visit. It’s free. But I don’t think it’s a must if your in a pinch of time like we were.

*Painting the roses red, we’re painting the roses red!*…and yellow and purple and pink and white and any other color you can think of! Came here in June. OMG sooooo beautiful. It was like a fairytale. Archways made of roses, hundreds of varieties in rows upon rows. Just a wonderful place to wonder around. I loved seeing which roses were award winning and smelling all of them to see which one was the sweetest. Tiny roses, large roses, roses that are 3 different colors… simply gorgeous!
Getting here was a little iffy, I thought my GPS was crazy cause it sent me up some road that looked like there was nothing, and then all of a sudden I ended up by tennis courts. But the tennis courts had rose bushes near them so I figured… hmmm…I must be in the right spot. There is parking by these tennis courts, with electronic pay boxes, but we were lucky and didn’t have to pay since we got there so late in the day. My brother and fam met up with us and he parked further down the way closer to the main entrance of garden. I believe he said he had to pay for that parking.
But after paying for parking, you’re golden! There is no fee to visit the gardens itself. If you need a getaway from the city and want to just read a book or hang out somewhere that’s just full of life and beauty than this is the spot. Definitely a must see if you like flowers… or want an epic photo op place with your significant other ;)

I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden. The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin rosa.
When I told my kids that we were going to spend some time looing at the roses I was met with a unanimous chorus of NO. I stuck to my guns and made the International Rose Test Garden a stop in Portland we had to make. Call me old fashioned but I like roses they add an air of class that most other flowers do not possess. My front yard is adorned with the fragrant flowers.
I only wish my front yard had the bouquet that this park has.
So many varieties! Tea roses, heirloom, climbers, tree roses.
If you favor flowers come here in the spring or early summer to witness the fragrance and aural beauty that is the rose.
The kids actually liked the IRTD as its tiers and rows of flowers showcase an extremely large park complete with stage where an armature troupe was performing Shakespeare. I was never much a fan of the stuffy Englishman but it made for a fun stop in Portland.
Add this to you Portland travel experience along with the other local gardens. Free except for parking. This will open your soul and put a smile on your face.

An impressive array of roses on display for free!
This is an awesome place to kill an hour or two in Portland.
There are tons of annoying tourists here, just don’t be one of them.
Kick back and relax and enjoy all the pretty flowers.
You’ve got to pay for parking, but you’re still getting a good deal. Check it out!

Free parking after a certain time on weekdays. I got here around 6pm on a weekday, and I didn’t have to pay for parking! No entrance fee! It’s free!
After reading the reviews, I knew I had to stop by, especially on a warm summer evening. This place was filled with roses and beautiful flowers. As you walk around the garden, you smell the aroma of the flowers, which was great. I had a great time walking around and listening to the music (summer concert series). This was such a cool spot! Highly recommended!

The international test rose garden was absolutely stunning. It is located on the top of Washington hill park where you can pier out to view the beautiful city of Portland.
My friend and I were so happy to see that in addition to this gorgeous view, Portland locals were also enjoying the opera summer festival!
It was such a joy to be in the rose garden and listen to the opera :)

This is the best rose garden, dare I say, in the western U.S. hemisphere. Hands down. Probably because of all the water, and rain in Portland. Oh, what I would give to live near the Rose Garden.
We came during the rose festival and found the garden to be very impressive. The entrance to the garden is very intricate — it’s a little ways off, and kind of hard to get to, but the variety of the flowers is mesmerizing. Walking through the garden makes me feel like a fairy, albeit a chubby one. Cannot believe how well it’s maintained. They have certain areas labeled with roses that have received recognition, but it still gets kind of confusing. However, this is one of the best rose garden parks that I have seen which is open to the public. Well done!
There is a pretty cool shop where we bought some lip balm (which I would not recommend purchasing here as it is 2x more expensive than the ones in the airport) and some souvenirs. It is pretty neat, and smells enchantingly rose. There is also a playground for kids not far away.
Parking is available at $ 2 for a couple of hours, I think — can’t remember now. A must visit if you’re in Portland — will make you want to stay here forever. You have been forewarned.

Can this just be my own personal garden, please? This place is ridiculous! My grandmother always had a rose garden growing up, so maybe it was extra special for me to be able to visit this place, but wow.
We learned that during WWI the British were worried about losing their roses, so they shipped them off to a few places in North America (including Portland) so they wouldn’t be lost. Anyway, fun history fact, but that’s how the garden supposedly came to be. If the hybrids growing here can withstand the year — they are allowed to be recognized as a varietal and sold. Pretty cool, huh?
Anyway, there were some of the most picturesque, and most fragrant roses I’d ever seen! I mean some of them looked like the «Beauty & the Beast» rose, and then others smelled like you were sniffing a bottle of rose perfume! And the colors, oh my!