In 1920, after a long and careful search, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss found their ideal country house and garden within Washington, DC. They purchased a fifty-three-acre property, described as an old-fashioned house standing in rather neglected grounds,
at the highest point of Georgetown. Within a year, the Blisses hired landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand to design the garden. Working in happy and close collaboration for almost thirty years, Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand planned every garden detail, each terrace, bench, urn, and border. The upper sixteen acres were transferred to Harvard University in 1940 to establish a research institute for Byzantine studies, Pre-Columbian studies, and studies in the history of gardens and landscape architecture.
Plan Your Visit
The garden is open Tuesday through Sunday. In 2019, the garden is closed July 4 (Independence Day), November 28 (Thanksgiving Day), December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1, 2020 (New Year’s Day). The garden may close in hazardous conditions.
Regular Season (March 15–October 31)
2:00–6:00 p.m.
Longer wait times can be expected during warmer months, and we strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance to avoid lines at the garden entrance.
Admission to the garden in the Regular Season is:
- $10 Regular
- $8 Military (with valid ID)
- $8 Senior (60+)
- $5 Students and Children (ages 2–12)
- Free for Harvard faculty, students, and staff (with Harvard photo ID)
- Unlimited access with a Season Pass
Winter Season (November 1–March 14)
2:00–5:00 p.m.
Admission to the garden in the Winter Season is free.
South Lawn
Orangery
