Tour the Internationally Recognized Rose Garden at Colonial Park

The public is invited to tour the internationally recognized Somerset County Park Commission Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden located in Colonial Park Gardens, Parking Lot A, 156 Mettlers Road in Somerset, (Franklin Township) New Jersey.

The Rose Garden is in full spring beauty in May and June when thousands of varieties of roses of both modern and historic significance are in peak bloom.

Tours for individuals and families (Please, no organized groups) will be led by the Colonial Park Gardens Rosarian or designated staff on Thursday, May 30 at 6:00 P.M. and Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 P.M.

Fee is $5 per person and pre-registration is not required. Please meet at the entrance of the garden.

The garden can be reserved for group-guided tours by permit. For more information, please call 908-722-1200 ext. 5721.

The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is one-acre in size and contains more than 3,000 roses of 325 varieties. The garden was named in honor of Rudolf W. van der Goot, the first horticulturist with the Somerset County Park Commission, as a tribute to his efforts in designing and developing the garden.

From late spring through fall, the roses present a kaleidoscope of color, form, and fragrance. Visitors can view popular modern hybrids, species, and various classes of Old Garden Roses. All roses are clearly labeled for easy identification and only roses that thrive in central NJ are kept in the rose collections.