The National Rhododendron Gardens are host to brilliantly coloured blooms of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, cherries and daffodils. Seasonal changes ensure the gardens are a delight all year around.

When not in bloom, you can still soak in the beauty of rich bark textures, seed capsules, foliage shapes and beautiful fragrance as you stroll through the grounds.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.

Before you go
Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website.

Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.

Cancellation and booking policy

Garden Explorer mini bus offering 20 minute tour of gardens can be booked by groups. Garden Explorer ONLY operates mid September to mid November. For more information contact us.

Local directions

The Gardens in The Georgian Road, Olinda, are just an hour's drive from the heart of Melbourne (Melway ref: 66 K6). Visitors can travel by train to Ferntree Gully and bus to Olinda, and the Gardens are just a short stroll from the centre of this quaint hills town.

Facilities

Activities

Opening hours

Daily
10:00am -5:00pm

Disabled access

Contact operator for further details.

Additional business information

Heritage
Some members of the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society formed the Australian Rhododendron Society in 1960 and approached the Forests Commission for a suitable site to establish a rhododendron garden. A 20 ha site, extended to 40 ha in 1975, was selected from the Olinda State Forest on the eastern ridge of Mount Dandenong. In 1995, the National Rhododendron Gardens came under the management of Melbourne Parks and Waterways (now Parks Victoria). The gardens are a combination of individual gardens and spaces, each different. Each area, however, contains rhododendrons chosen for their growth habit and their ability to fit in with the other plants of that garden.