If you ever find yourself near Rockford Illinois, I definitely suggest checking out Anderson Japanese Gardens. I stopped by there with a friend and our kids one fall afternoon, and we all had such a great time!
You’ll find a huge variety of Japanese cultural and horticulture elements here unlike anywhere else in the area. It’s actually rated one of North America’s highest quality Japanese gardens. Admission is only around $12 and children under 5 can get in for free. Once inside you’ll find twelve acres full of waterfalls, koi ponds, and streams along well paved paths.
Once you arrive make sure to go to the visitor’s center to pay the entrance fee and check out the gift shop full of unique items. There’s also a restaurant that we didn’t end up having time to eat at but I did check out the reviews, and I will definitely plan on trying it when I am back in the area!
Once you’re exploring the winding paths, I would plan on spending around 2 hours exploring everything. It is a very large area with a lot of information about all the plants and wildlife so through the week they do offer paid tours if that’s something you might be interested in. There are plenty of benches and places to stop and take a break during all that exploring as well.
You’ll also come across a sukiya style tea house and the “Garden of Reflection” which is a contemporary Japanese-inspired garden filled with beautiful bronze angel sculptures.
The Anderson Japanese Gardens are beautiful any time of year, but I would recommend visiting in the fall to see all the leaves changing. There’s nothing quite like it in the area and and there’s so much you can learn about Japanese garden culture. I know I will for sure be back!
Written By Jodi Miller
Jodi is a stylist and content creator who believes in living life to the fullest and always doing what makes you happy.
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