Dunn Gardens

Few things are cooler than finding a ‘hidden treasure’ and that’s how I feel about touring Dunn Gardens.
Frederick Law Olmsted is my favorite historical figure and he helped design this space, the his private designed garden currently open to the public. Tours are infrequent and fill up — my family went on the last day I was in town visiting and the staff at Dunn was kind enough to add an extra your guide for the day. It’s $ 10^th pp for a 1.5 hour tour.
The tour is a mix of history of the space, the Dunn family and some tree/​plant facts. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable but was happy to admit when he forgot or just didn’t know a species, at which points other your participant happily chimed in.
The space is huge (100^th acres!) and beautiful (see my photos!). I’m not sure how the space changes in the winter but with mostly Northwestern plants it’s probably still a sight.
Make sure to be on the lookout for an open entryway between two houses. There is no sign advertising the Gardens so if you don’t know what to look for you’ll miss this lovely place!

The Dunn Gardens is a great and lovely surprise. It is tucked into a neighborhood and so is not advertised as many gardens are with a large sign. But it is well worth finding the big white gates and taking a tour — or going to one of the open days or fund raisers advertised on the Dunn Gardens website.
The Gardens were designed by the Olmsted Brothers and are the only private estate garden in Washington State designed by that firm to open regularly to the public. It is an undiscovered gem.

If you are interested in Seattle history, do check out this park! The park is open to the public for GUIDED TOURS ONLY– so call ahead and make reservations. It’s $ 10 for the tour.
I was invited by a friend to take the tour with her. It’s truly a stunning park! I cannot wait to go check out the other seasons. I learned more about what type of plants grow in the NW. The park does host events/​fundraisers during the different seasons. It also gave me ideas of what types of flowers/​plants I would like to add into my yard.
Pro: Beautiful park, great history, nice walk, educational
Cons: no dogs allowed