The 15 Most Beautiful Rose Gardens In The South You Can Visit

Gardens of the American Rose Center

Shreveport, Louisiana

This 118-acre property is home to the headquarters of the American Rose Society. Cocooned by towering pines, the land showcases over 7,000 roses throughout 20 gardens.

Visitors can wander through pathways leading to different themed gardens like the Labyrinth Garden, the David Austin Rose Garden, and the Deep South District Knock Out Family of Roses Garden. The centerpiece is the picturesque Dudley Watkins Reflection Pool, offering a tranquil spot for reflection amidst the blooms.

rose.org, 8877 Jefferson Paige Rd, Shreveport, LA 71119

Ruth's Rose Garden

Lakeland, Florida

Ruth's Rose Garden at Florida Southern College is named after the late Ruth King Thrift, wife of former college President Charles T. Thrift, Jr. Today, the garden is overseen by Dr. Malcolm Manners, internationally renowned rosarian and Chair of Florida Southern's Citrus and Horticultural Science program, the garden still serves as an interactive learning opportunity for Florida Southern students.

The garden showcases approximately 350 rose plants from 250 varieties, many of them heritage roses. Dr. Manners says the garden is “one of the largest and most genetically diverse collections of roses in the Southeastern U.S.” 

flsouthern.edu/ruth-s-rose-garden, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr, Lakeland, FL 33801

Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden at the Ringling

Sarasota, Florida

The Mable Ringling Rose Garden, part of the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, is the oldest continuously maintained rose garden in Florida. Established in 1913 by Mable Ringling, the garden covers over 27,225 square feet and over 300 different rose varieties arranged in an Italian-inspired circular pattern.

Highlights include a rose named after Mabel Ringling herself. This historic garden sits on the opulent 66-acre seaside estate of the Ringlings and is just one of many formal gardens on the property.

ringling.org/bayfront-gardens, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243

Rose Garden at Washington Oaks

Palm Coast, Florida

Located within the Washington Oaks Gardens State Park in Palm Coast, Florida, this rose garden is a hidden treasure you’ll only stumble upon on a slow drive along Highway A1A. The park is known for its shaded paths, ancient live oaks, and limestone rock beach. The rose garden is a focal point of the state park. Visitors can smell hybrid tea roses blooming in spring and sometimes late fall, adding color and fragrance to this serene setting.

floridastateparks.org/washington-oaks-gardens-state-park, 6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137

Tyler Rose Garden

Tyler, Texas

The Tyler Rose Garden in Tyler, Texas, is one of the most extensive public rose gardens in the United States and a registered “national treasure” on the National Register of Historic Places. Spanning 14 acres, the garden displays over 38,000 rose bushes representing more than 500 varieties. Established in 1952, the garden celebrates Tyler's rich history as the "Rose Capital of America."

With a robust history in rose cultivation, Tyler once produced more than half the U.S. supply of rose bushes. The annual Texas Rose Festival in the garden is a testament to the community's deep-rooted love for roses. The Rose Garden is free and open to the public from dawn until dark, seven days a week. Roses are at peak bloom twice a year, in October and mid-late May.

cityoftyler.org/tyler-rose-garden, 420 Rose Park Dr, Tyler, TX 75702

Vizcaya Museum and Garden

Miami, Florida

Step overseas into an Italian villa estate at this historic garden and museum in Miami. The Vizcaya Museum and Garden features a magnificent Italian Renaissance garden with pruned rose bushes. Destroyed in a hurricane in the 1920s, the rose garden has since been revived and restored. Today, the garden is interwoven with fountains and classical European sculptures, creating a romantic atmosphere popular as a wedding backdrop.

vizcaya.org, 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129

Elizabethan Gardens

Manteo, North Carolina

Situated in Manteo, North Carolina, the Elizabethan Gardens is a living memorial to the lost colonists of Roanoke Island. These gardens, designed in the style of a 16th-century English garden, feature a stunning array of roses that bloom alongside other native plants. There’s even a small nursery on property. The gardens offer a unique blend of history and horticulture, making them a must-visit for rose enthusiasts.

elizabethangardens.org, 1411 National Park Dr, Manteo, NC 27954

Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Louis, Missouri

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis was founded in 1859 and is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States. The Gladney Rose Garden began in 1917 and features many Old Garden roses among its 900 roses. The newer Anne and John Lehmann Rose Garden is just as fragrant and features Old Garden roses alongside modern varieties and test breeds designed to thrive in the St. Louis climate.

missouribotanicalgarden.org, 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110

Oatlands Historic House & Gardens

Leesburg, Virginia

Loudoun County, Virginia, is home to this floral National Trust Historic Site. The former plantation is now a garden filled with trails and formal gardens, including a well-maintained rose garden. The rosary-design rose garden features a Dorothy Perkins varietal climbing against formal boxwoods. Its early 19th-century origins mean it features an impressive collection of heritage roses. You can even stay on a historic property in two cottages turned into cozy Airbnbs.

oatlands.org, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Ln, Leesburg, VA 20175

The Antique Rose Emporium Nursery & Display Gardens

Brenham, Texas

With free entry for visitors, this retail garden in Brenham, Texas, features antique roses and native Texas plants, perennials, herbs and wildflowers. Nationally known for antique roses, the Emporium propagates and sells a comprehensive collection of roses in existence as early as the mid-1800s.

Visitors can stroll through the 8 acres of display gardens or attend events like educational classes. The property is also home to a wedding and event venue that includes a chapel, covered outdoor pavilion, gazebo, and Victorian-style home.

antiqueroseemporium.com, 10000 FM 50, Brenham, TX 77833

All-American Rose Garden

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Also known as the Southern Miss Rose Garden, the All-American Rose Garden is located on the University of Southern Mississippi campus. With more than 800 rose bushes, the garden has about 36 varieties of roses on display. The park is pet-friendly and a spectacular sight during peak blooms, often coinciding with college graduation, making it a popular photo spot.

usm.edu/hattiesburg-campus, 118 College Dr, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Bellingrath Gardens and Home

Theodore, Alabama

Located near Mobile, Alabama, Bellingrath Gardens and Home is a 65-acre public garden that showcases a breathtaking variety of roses. Established by philanthropists, Walter and Bessie Bellingrath, in the early 20th century, the garden features more than 2,000 plants representing 36 varieties arranged in formal rose beds that peak in beauty each spring, bloom through summer, and peak again in the fall. If you time your visit right, you can enjoy the astounding azaleas in bloom too.

bellingrath.org, 12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd, Theodore, AL 36582

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta, Georgia

The Rose Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a stunning showcase of antique and found varieties of roses. Livin’ Easy® Floribunda Rose, with a fruity summery scent, is among the garden's standout varieties. The rose garden within the larger botanical property offers a tranquil retreat in the heart of the busy city.

atlantabg.org/rose-garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Charleston, South Carolina

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the oldest public gardens in America, dating back to the mid-1800s. The estate features 66 acres of planned gardens. Come here to see the Blush Noisette, the original breed of this rose class that originated in Charleston, South Carolina.

Today, the property is a living conversation of African-American and Lowcountry history, offering daily tours of the former rice plantation, telling the story of the people who worked in the gardens and labored in the house and rice fields.

magnoliaplantation.com, 3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29414