Charging out-of-town visitors for entry to part of Hamilton Gardens will kick in from 18 September, with Hamiltonians retaining free access.
The $20 entry fee for out-of-towners will help take the financial pressure of running Hamilton Gardens off ratepayers and create a more self-sustainable visitor destination.
People who live in Hamilton, Hamilton City Council ratepayers, and all under 16s will still be able to access the 18 themed Enclosed Gardens for free.
Hamiltonians and Hamilton ratepayers will need to provide proof of address and photo ID for free entry, at least for the first visit. They can then apply for a MyGardens Pass which will allow them unlimited visits, or opt to show proof of address and ID each visit.
The decision to charge an entry fee for visitors was confirmed by Hamilton City Councillors during the 2023/24 Annual Plan, following public consultation.
Its costs around $6 million per year to operate and maintain the Gardens. Until now, that cost has fallen largely on Hamilton ratepayers despite an estimated 60% of visitors coming from outside of the city.
Over 10 years, around $10 million is forecast to be recovered from entry fees, with all of it ringfenced for the running of the Gardens.
Council’s Deputy Chief Executive Sean Murray said the charge only relates to the themed Enclosed Gardens which make up just 10% of the 50 hectare site.
“We appreciate not everyone wanted to see the charge, but Council has huge budget pressures, as do ratepayers. Council decided it cannot continue to lay the financial burden of the Gardens solely on our ratepayers. That’s not fair.
“The Gardens are also some of the best you’ll see in the world, the charge recognises their value.
“Everyone, no matter where you live, will continue to have free access to the Hamilton Gardens Café, rose gardens, Rhododendron Lawn, Camellia Garden, children’s playground, Turtle Lake and parking.”
Comparatively, a standard adult entry at Kew Gardens in London costs $40NZD and $41NZ for Hunter Valley Gardens in Australia.
Annual passes will cost $39 if purchased before 31 December, which is less than the cost of two single visits, or $50 from 1 January next year.
SuperGold, student ID and Community Services cardholders receive a 10% discount on entry fees.
Earlier this month, Hamilton Gardens was once again named in the top 1% of things to do in the world by Tripadvisor. Between July 2023 – July 2024, a record 537,584 visited the Enclosed Gardens which include the Indian Charbagh Garden, Surrealist Garden, Ancient Egyptian Garden, Chinese Scholars’ Garden, and the Italian Renaissance Garden.
More information about the changes can be found online at hamilton.govt.nz/mygardens
Additional Hamilton Gardens facts for media:
- Hamilton Gardens is the city’s premier visitor destination and was rated as the “Best of the Best” on Tripadvisor for the past two years.
- Hamilton Gardens’ main feature is its Enclosed Gardens – a series of 18 conceptual gardens that explore the history and meaning of gardens through different times and places in the world.
- It is internationally recognised for its unique concept and is the Waikato region's most popular tourist destination.
- The Visitor Entry Precinct Project is part of the Hamilton Gardens Development Programme which also includes four new gardens: the Ancient Egyptian Garden which opened in May 2022 and the Medieval, Pasifika and Baroque Gardens which are currently under development.
- The Medieval Garden is currently in the final stages of fundraising through Momentum Waikato with a hopeful opening date in Spring 2025.
- Hamilton Gardens is 50ha which is almost the same size as Lake Rotoroa in Hamilton (54ha).
- 90% of the Gardens will still be open to everyone. The Enclosed Gardens is only 10% of Hamilton Gardens.
- Hamilton Gardens has almost 3000 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor.
Click here to access a suite of Hamilton Gardens imagery. Any images used must credit Hamilton Gardens.