Where is Rotary Botanical Gardens?

Rotary Botanical Gardens is on Palmer Drive in Janesville, inside the 164-acre Palmer Park. It covers 20 acres.

When did Rotary Botanical Gardens start?

The site was an abandoned quarry in 1988 when Robert Yahr took the idea to two Janesville Rotary clubs. Work on the original Japanese Garden began in 1989.

Does Rotary Botanical Gardens have a holiday light show?

Yes. The 2025 Holiday Light Show opened November 28 with 2 million lights and ran into early January. Check the gardens' site for 2026 dates and prices.

Rotary Botanical Gardens Janesville: Quarry to Garden

A 20-acre garden built on an abandoned quarry, with seasonal hours, the Holiday Light Show and three nearby stops.

Rotary Botanical Gardens began in 1988 as an abandoned sand and gravel quarry filled with debris, and the 20 acres that grew there are now a Janesville garden. Founder Robert Yahr, a Janesville orthodontist, took the idea to two local Rotary clubs, and work on the original Japanese Garden began in 1989.

This guide covers what to see, how the seasons change the visit, and three stops within a few miles: Palmer Park, Traxler Park and the Lincoln-Tallman Museum.

What the 20 acres hold

Rotary Botanical Gardens

The gardens sit inside the 164-acre Palmer Park, between the old Lions Beach and Kiwanis Pond. Themed areas include a Japanese garden, an English cottage garden, a children's garden, Hosta Hollow, a fern and moss garden, and a wellness garden with a labyrinth. The gardens' own site counts more than 4,000 plant varieties and nearly half a million blooming bulbs, and says the Japanese garden is among the Top 25 in North America. It also serves as a display garden for the Hardy Fern Society, the American Hosta Society and the American Hemerocallis Society.

An arch from the Parker Pen Company headquarters, built in 1919, was moved to the gardens in 1992. Reviewers describe separate sections that each feel different, seating in every garden, and a mix of paved and dirt paths, with some suggesting a picnic lunch. The visitor bureau lists wide, level paths and many benches, and says much of the garden is wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Hours, seasons and the Holiday Light Show

Hours change by season, so check the gardens' website before you drive. The visitor bureau's listing shows daily hours from late April through October, and shorter days with Sundays closed from November, then weekdays only from January to March. It lists no admission amount.

In summer 2026 the gardens added Gardens After Hours, a Thursday evening series from May 21 through September 24 with live music, food trucks and themed nights, and Pups on the Patio is the night dogs are welcome. Admission to it was included with a paid gardens ticket and free for members.

The Holiday Light Show is the winter draw: in 2025 it opened on November 28 with 2 million lights, ran into early January, and sold tickets at $15 online, $18 at the door and $5 for children. That year also added an indoor holiday market that visitors walk through to reach the show. This year's dates and prices are not confirmed here, so check the gardens' site before you go.

Three stops within a few miles

Palmer Park

Palmer Park is the gardens' neighbor, about 0.8 miles from the gardens listing, and calls itself a 164-acre park with a playground built to ADA standards, a wading pool, ball courts and picnic areas. Visitors mention a zip line, a big play structure and an easy stop off the highway.

Traxler Park

Traxler Park at 600 N Main St is a 27-acre riverfront park about 1.9 miles from the gardens, home to the Rock Aqua Jays water-ski team and a boat launch. Pets are welcome in the park from September 16 through May 14. Reviewers mention fishing in the Rock River, shade, clean restrooms and free summer water-ski shows.

Lincoln-Tallman Museum

The Lincoln-Tallman Museum is about 1.7 miles from the gardens. Local builder George Barnes built the Italianate house for the Tallman family, and Abraham Lincoln stayed overnight during a visit on October 1 to 3, 1859. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1970. The Rock County Historical Society says regular tours are paused for the season and resume in spring 2027, with a Holiday Tree Show planned for December 2026. Reviewers praise knowledgeable guides, and one who did not go inside still called the grounds worth a quick stop.

Where to stay and eat nearby

The gardens' own Explore the Area page lists Tru by Hilton, TownePlace Suites, AmericInn and Cobblestone for lodging, and offers visitors 10% off a Tru stay when booked through its link. Tru by Hilton and TownePlace Suites sit next door to each other on Pontiac Pl, about 3.2 miles from the gardens.

For the full lineup, the Janesville hotels beside the interstate and downtown are sorted by trip.

Between garden and park, a meal is easy to find among the restaurants across Janesville.

A longer visit can join the gardens to the rest of the river city. Begin at the gardens, then follow the river to the park and the Lincoln house, and the afternoon is planned.