“stunningly beautiful”
The Japanese Tea Garden reopened in March 2008, with fanfare that included a serenade of Japanese songs by Tafoyalla Middle School Japanese students, keyboard by Carol Gulley, calligraphy and origami demonstrations, and an enormous Koi-shaped cake. The garden had been closed while the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and the San Antonio Parks Foundation completed infrastructure rehabilitation to the facility, to include walkways, piping, filtration, wall repairs, and pond sealing. The restored garden features a lush year-round garden and a floral display with shaded walkways, stone bridges, a 60-foot waterfall and ponds filled with Koi. The project cost $1,587,470 funded from public and private sources including the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Parks Foundation, and Friends of the Parks.Members of the Jingu family, which lived and worked in the Garden, in the 1920s, attended the ceremony, along with the descendents of Ray Lambert, the Park Commissioner who conceived of the idea of turning an abandoned rock quarry into a "lily pond," also attended.The Parks Foundation is pursuing its next phase of improvement that will add lighting to the lower garden. The Japanese Tea Garden features areas available for rent, which are ideal for small weddings, a memorial service, as well as an area for large corporate gatherings, not to mention the renovated Jingu House Café. Come visit one of San Antonio’s historical jewels centrally located, just a short distance from downtown.
Very pretty FREE park. Not that big but a nice place to get out of the car and explore for a bit. Paths are up and down so comfy shoes is a must. It is one of the few places that we found to be pet friendly.
Beautiful gardens. Free entry. Has a cafe/restaurant.
I have visited Japan a couple of times, and have to admit that i really fell in love with the Japanese culture from the very first moment. By most beloved part of the Japanese culture is the love these people have for nature, tranquility and gardens.
Therefore, i was extremely pleased when i found out about the Japanese Tea Gardens when i was visiting some friends in San Antonio, Texas. WOW! When you enter this beautiful organized area, you feel like being reborn with all the stress just leaving your body and a great sense of serenity overwhelming your body and soul! Pagodas, koi ponds, stone bridges and lovely waterfalls await you to let your senses free!
Just be aware that the place is under construction and is better to visit it after the autumn 2015! It is a pity that there are many negative reviews on the net about this place for people getting there and being disappointed after finding out that there are construction works and no water in most of the tanks. Just be patient for a year or so, and you will see a new stunningly beautiful place that will be one of the top tourist pole attractions for the city of San Antonio!
This was amazing to see, an oasis that was so unexpected. Free park, free parking. Definitely worth the stop.
Since, I'm half Japanese and have been raised in Japan when I was young, there are times that my family and I visited tea gardens there. And this one can be compared to the ones in Japan. The setting is great, you would really think that you are in Japan, also there are magnificent plants and the fish pond is just amazing! The staff there are also very helpful! Be visiting it again!
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Japanese Tea Gardens
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 6:00 am - 9:00 pm
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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Outdoor Seating
Parking, Dining
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