A terraced amphitheater-style garden built by the WPA in 1937 containing over 3,000 rose bushes of 250 varieties. The semi-circular terraces frame views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. A redwood pergola crowns the upper level of the garden.
Photography Guide
Best Time
morning
Crowds
Moderate
Shot Types
detailportraitlandscapewide
Best Seasons
springsummer
Practical Tips
Peak bloom is typically May through June. Limited street parking; arrive early on weekends. The garden is free and open dawn to dusk.
Is it a good day to go?
7-day outlook
Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.
Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.
Gallery
Terraced rose beds fill the foreground, with pink, white, and yellow blooms leading down to a long redwood pergola and scattered visitors walking along the paths. Tall trees frame the garden, and a bright hazy sky opens the view toward the bay in the distance. Photo: tbo47 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0A wooden bench sits on a leaf-covered path in the rose garden, rendered in infrared so the surrounding grass and foliage glow pale while the bench appears dark. The composition is a close detail shot, with the curved arm and slatted backrest standing out against the textured ground. Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Terraced rows of rose bushes and curving WPA amphitheater steps fill the garden, rendered in infrared so the foliage glows pale white against a dark sky. A redwood pergola and railing trace the upper terrace, with distant hills faintly visible on the left. Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Infrared view of the Berkeley Rose Garden with pale, glowing rose bushes filling the foreground in terraced layers. Beyond the garden, Mount Tamalpais stretches across the horizon under a dark sky with a few thin clouds. Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Terraced rose beds fill the foreground beneath a large tree canopy, with the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across the bay in the distance. The infrared black-and-white look gives the garden and hills a bright, surreal contrast against the dark sky. Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0A close-up of a pale pink rose in bloom, its layered petals centered sharply against a soft blur of green leaves and deep red new growth. A closed red rosebud hangs at the lower right, adding contrast to the delicate blossom. Photo: Georges Seguin (Okki) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0A close-up of a peach-and-pink rose bloom with layered, ruffled petals, surrounded by several unopened buds and dark green foliage. The soft background blur makes the flower stand out sharply in the frame. Photo: Georges Seguin (Okki) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Sunlit terraced rose garden with clipped hedges, stone stairways, and a long wooden pergola draped in white blooms. Tall evergreens rise behind the amphitheater-style beds, and a few visitors are scattered among the colorful rose rows. Photo: Jef Poskanzer from Berkeley, CA, USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Terraced rose beds fill the foreground with pink, red, and pale yellow blooms, while a redwood pergola stretches across the middle terrace beneath a tall evergreen. Bright morning light and a clear blue sky open the view to hazy hills in the distance. Photo: PigeonChickenFish / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Terraced garden beds descend in long geometric rows, with a few people walking along the concrete paths and tall evergreen trees rising behind them. Warm low sunlight and a pale winter sky give the scene a quiet, late-afternoon glow. Photo: EstabanMiranda / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
