Offering a spectacular view of the “City of Roses,” the International Rose Test Garden (IRTG) in Washington Park is one of the largest and oldest rose test gardens in the country. The Rose Garden Gift Shop (adjacent to the rose test garden) offers many rose-related items. There are also two other major rose gardens in Portland: Peninsula Park Rose Garden, a formal sunken garden located in North Portland at the intersection of North Ainsworth and Albina; and Ladd’s Addition Garden in the historic southeast Portland neighborhood of the same name.
More than 10,000 individual rose bushes bloom in the garden from late May through October, representing over 610 different rose varieties. The majority of roses in the Garden are commercially available. About 10 to 20 varieties are replaced each year with some of the best new roses released onto the market. Roses bloom from late May to October depending on the weather.
The primary purpose of the Garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. In the beginning, while World War I was raging, hybridists sent roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing.
Accessible Parking
Accessible parking is located on SW Rose Garden Way and SW Kingston Ave. Visitors may park in these spaces and follow signs to the ramp access into the garden.
Note that parking is very limited in Washington Park on sunny weekends and most days during the summer months. About 40% of all visitors skip the parking and arrive by rideshare, walking, biking or using TriMet transit service. The Washington Park free seasonal shuttle is fully accessible and connects to the Washington Park TriMet MAX Station and various parking areas in Washington Park.
