Garvan Woodland Gardens

The gardens began as the personal project of Verna Cook Garvan, heir to a family lumber and business fortune, who bought this lakeside land and spent much of her later life designing gardens across it. Working over decades, she shaped the peninsula's slopes, water features, and plantings, developing an eye for how gardens could sit lightly within a native forest rather than replace it.

Before her death, Garvan arranged to leave the property to the University of Arkansas so that it would be preserved and opened to the public. The university's Fay Jones School of Architecture took a leading role in its development, and the gardens opened to visitors in the early 2000s, carrying forward Garvan's vision of a woodland shaped by a careful human hand.

The garden's signature structure is the Anthony Chapel, a soaring sanctuary of wood and glass that stands more than fifty feet tall amid the surrounding pines. Its slender timber columns branch overhead like the trees around it, and its glass walls dissolve the boundary between inside and forest, so that a visitor seems to stand within the woodland rather than apart from it.

The chapel reflects the influence of the celebrated Arkansas architect Fay Jones, whose organic, forest-inspired designs, including the famous Thorncrown Chapel near Eureka Springs, set the tone for a distinctly Arkansas style of sacred architecture. A popular venue for weddings, the Anthony Chapel is also simply a place to sit quietly and take in the light filtering through the trees.

Beyond the chapel, the gardens unfold across the peninsula in a series of distinct areas. A Japanese-inspired garden centers on koi ponds and arched bridges, waterfalls tumble down rocky slopes, and formal beds burst with tulips in spring and camellias in the cooler months. Native azaleas and dogwoods bring the woodland to life along the paths.

Trails lead out to the shoreline of Lake Hamilton, where overlooks take in the water and the surrounding hills. The paths climb and wind across the point, so a full visit involves a fair bit of walking, but benches and quiet corners invite you to slow down and linger over a particular pond or view.

Spring is the garden's showpiece, when tens of thousands of tulips bloom alongside azaleas and dogwoods and the whole peninsula turns vivid. Summer is green and shaded, with the lake breezes taking some edge off the Arkansas heat and water features at their most refreshing.

Fall brings warm color to the hardwoods and thinner crowds, a fine time for a quiet walk. Winter has become one of the garden's busiest seasons thanks to its elaborate holiday light display, when the trees, bridges, and chapel are strung with lights and the woodland glows after dark.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Garvan Woodland Gardens, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, are beautiful botanical gardens set on a wooded peninsula along the shore of Lake Hamilton, a stunning blend of cultivated gardens and natural woodland by the water. The gardens feature a variety of lovely display areas, including a serene Japanese garden, a spectacular chapel of glass and wood set among the trees, woodland trails, streams and waterfalls, seasonal displays, and gorgeous lakeside scenery. Operated by the University of Arkansas, the gardens offer a peaceful and beautiful retreat through the seasons. With its gardens and lakeside setting, Garvan Woodland Gardens offer a delightful destination in Arkansas.

You can stroll the beautiful display gardens, including a serene Japanese garden, see the striking glass-and-wood chapel set among the trees, walk the woodland trails past streams and waterfalls, enjoy seasonal blooms and displays, and take in the gorgeous Lake Hamilton scenery. The lovely gardens, the architectural chapel, the woodland trails and water features, and the lakeside beauty are the draws, offering a peaceful and scenic experience. The chapel and gardens are especially beautiful. With its gardens and setting, Garvan Woodland Gardens offer a rewarding visit in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Spring is spectacular, when the gardens burst into bloom with tulips, azaleas, and countless flowers, a highlight, while summer offers lush greenery, fall brings beautiful color to the woodland, and the winter holiday season features a popular light display, making the gardens rewarding in every season. Spring blooms are especially glorious. For the fullest blooms aim for spring, or visit at the holidays for lights, at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Arkansas.

Yes, Garvan Woodland Gardens are home to a striking and beautiful chapel of glass and wood, an architectural gem set among the trees, whose soaring design and use of natural materials blend it harmoniously into the woodland surroundings. The chapel, admired for its beauty, is a highlight of the gardens and a popular spot for weddings and quiet reflection. Its stunning design amid the trees makes it a memorable feature. Seeing the chapel is a highlight of a visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens in Arkansas.

Garvan Woodland Gardens are in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Lake Hamilton, within reach of Hot Springs National Park and Bathhouse Row, the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, the Mid-America Science Museum, the Gangster Museum of America, and the Hot Springs area. That makes Garvan Woodland Gardens a delightful stop to combine with Hot Springs National Park and the other attractions of Hot Springs on a visit to Arkansas.