Will Rogers Gardens

These historic gardens provide serene settings and dynamic programs for casual park visitors and experienced green thumbs alike. 

Park Amenities

• Charles E. Sparks Color Garden
• Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum
• Ed Lycan Conservatory
• Will Rogers Garden Exhibition Center

Programs, Classes & Camps

More than a city park, the Will Rogers Gardens provides hands-on gardening and horticulture classes throughout the year for visitors of all ages. Programs focus on simple "how-to" instruction for gardening and home landscape maintenance. Special events, holiday and family-friendly workshops and classes add to the fun. Each class is taught by an experienced horticulturalist. 

In addition, Gardens staff work with horticulture educators from the Oklahoma State University County-Extension Center to provide Master Gardeners the opportunity to hone their skills in a real-life garden setting. 

Camps

For youth, the Gardens hosts multiple family classes as well as spring break and summer camps where children get hands-on experience learning about nature and the outdoor world. 

Visit our program calendar for current programs.

Education Programs

Whether you're an experienced green thumb looking to enhance your skills or a weekend gardener who wants to learn the basics, the Will Rogers Gardens offers a variety of easy-to-follow gardening classes and family programs to help you get started.

Classes change each season and are taught by an experienced horticulturalist. Advanced registration is required. 

• Basic floral design
• Bonsai
• Holiday décor
• Garden-to-table programs
• Plant ID and pruning know-how
• Specialty art programs
• Terrarium building
• Vertical gardening

Third Thursday Series
Join us the third Thursday of each month for our new floral arranging series. Each month, you'll learn a different technique to turn your backyard blooms (or cut flowers from the store) into tabletop masterpieces.

Fairy Discovery Tour
Join us on a trek of the Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum as we venture out in search of fairies. Along the way, learn about trees and plants that would grow well in your own garden. FREE for all ages. Advanced registration required.

Fairy Gardening
Discover the world of miniature as you plant a sprite-sized garden to attract faeries into your life (legend has it they bring good luck). A pot, starter soil, plants and an accessory are supplied, but participants are welcome to bring trinkets to personalize your garden. No experience required. For all ages, but a parent or guardian must accompany children under 10. Advanced registration required. $25 per garden.

Find upcoming programs and register online by visiting our calendar.

Rentals

The Gardens make a spectacular setting for weddings and special events with prices that are affordable for almost every budget. Visit our rentals page for more information. 

Will Rogers Gardens Ordinances and Rules

To preserve the historic and natural beauty of Will Rogers Gardens and to make the park experience more enjoyable for all of our visitors, we ask everyone to abide by the following rules and ordinances:

• No fires (Municipal Code 38-90).
• Smoking or use of any tobacco products are prohibited (Municipal Code No 30-471).
• No fishing or hunting.
• No swimming or wading (Municipal Code No 38-145).
• Releasing of animals is prohibited (Municipal Code No 38-93).
• Feeding of wildlife is NOT allowed.
• Pets of any kind must be leashed.  
• Weapons of any kind are prohibited, except those firearms as permitted by state law. (Municipal Code Article X).

About the Gardens

The historic Will Rogers Gardens is located within one of Oklahoma City's oldest parks.

Land for the park was purchased by City leaders in 1912, just five years after statehood. Before that time, the land was used as a dairy farm. In 1932, City Horticulturalist Henry Walters began to develop the northern portion of the park into the 30-acre garden visitors experience today. 

Walters designed the Gardens' ponds, plant beds, overlooks and other structures. The red rock walls and several other park features were built in the 1930s under the Federal Works Projects Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) programs.

The park and Gardens were originally named Northwest Park since the park was located along the northwest corner of the Grand Boulevard loop, which was the City's original outer transportation route. It was renamed in 1936 to honor humorist Will Rogers, one of Oklahoma's favorite sons.

Ed Lycan Conservatory

The jewel of the Gardens is the Ed Lycan Conservatory, a glass-enclosed Lord & Burnham greenhouse inspired by 19th-century Victorian architecture. The greenhouse was first installed inside Douglass Park near NE 10th and Eastern Avenue in 1924, on what were the grounds of the original State Fair park. It was moved to the Will Rogers Gardens in 1936, and later named after Ed Lycan, the Parks Department's first employee.

For many years, the Conservatory served as a popular venue for flower shows and gardening exhibitions. A 2013 renovation project revitalized the historic structure, and the Conservatory now houses one of the state's largest permanent collections of cacti and succulents. It is also available as an event hall for weddings and other celebrations.

Charles E. Sparks Color Garden

The 2-acre color garden, nestled between the Gardens' two ponds, bursts with seasonal blossoms planted by Gardens staff as well as Master Gardeners with OSU-OKC. The Garden was originally built in 1938 by the Oklahoma Rose Society. It served as a dedicated rose garden and testing garden for a large variety of roses, featuring nearly 3,000 rose bushes during its peak. It is named after former Parks Superintendent Charles E. Sparks.

A recent rose blight forced park horticulturalists to re-design the Garden beds with a variety of Oklahoma-proven perennials and annuals, giving homeowners the opportunity to see how different combinations of plant materials can have a dramatic effect in a home landscape.

Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum

The rolling ten acres of the Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum features hundreds of varieties of trees, including Oklahoma native species as well as specimens rarely found in the state. The oldest trees in the arboretum were planted by horticulturalist Henry Walter in the 1930s. In September, 2009, the arboretum was renamed the Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum to honor the local philanthropist and gardening enthusiast who dedicated her many years to beautification projects on public lands in Oklahoma City. Thanks to a generous gift from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, the arboretum now features an ADA accessible trail, plus new entry portals on the north and south side of the garden.

Will Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center

This 1960s building of late mid-Century design features an atrium lobby and three meeting spaces. The Center is the historic home for the Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs and hosts meetings for garden clubs as well as local non-profit hobby groups for a nominal fee. 

Art in the Garden

Mother and Daughter, bronze

• Artist: Unknown
• Location: Charles E. Sparks Color Garden

This 6-foot-tall bronze fountain is said to depict a mother's struggle to keep her daughter from crossing the threshold into adulthood. The sculpture was donated to the Parks Department in the 1930s by J.J. Culberson Jr., a local art collector who purchased the bronze from Munich artist Richard Aigner while on vacation in Paris, France.

Will Rogers Bust

• Artist: Tenny Stevens
• Location: West-facing red rock wall on the east side of Gardens' east pond.

The bust was commissioned by the DeMolays of Tulsa and dedicated in 1955.

Seed, 2016

• Artist: Jonathan Hills
• Location: Northwest corner of Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum, near NW 36th Street.

The growth and vibrancy of the Will Rogers Gardens served as inspiration for Seed, a 10-foot metal structure set atop a 3-foot concrete base. Artist Jonathan Hills says the form is meant to "represent a seed or pod which holds the potential or remnants of grow, beauty or transformation." Seed was installed in April, 2016 and was commissioned by the Oklahoma City Art Commission through its pre-qualified artist pool.