Presby Iris Gardens - Montclair, New Jersey

Burt S.

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is one aesthetically beautiful experience. With 14,000 different varieties of irises available for viewing over some 30 beds, this garden offers a cornucopia of colors for visitors' visual pleasure. The irises are arranged by their different categories and labeled for visitors' information. It is well maintained, and at literally any time of the day, you can see both landscapers and volunteers working to keep the grounds and plants in great shape. The one sad thing about these beautiful plants is that their peak bloom season only lasts a little less than a month. Best time to come in Mid May to Early June. Bring a camera, take plenty of pictures, and enjoy the flowers' beauty year round

cdk007

A nice little park 11 months of the year transforms into an iris wonderland in late May.

Don’t plan to go just once. Depending on how warm the spring was the blooming can shift by more than a week. Different varieties also bloom at different times, so a week later you’ll see a completely different garden. Finally the light of the day changes how you see the colors.

Try to avoid mid afternoon on the weekends. It’s just too crowded. Early evening on a weekday has low crowds and fantastic light.

Finally let’s talk bathrooms and parking. On street parking quickly fills up. Be prepared to walk if you’re there on a weekend. Consider parking on the street above the garden. Few know it’s there. There are usually two portable bathrooms in a corner of the garden, so fear not.

Pack some bug spray and turn your stay into a picnic on the hill above the garden. People watching can be as interesting as the irises.

Jess P.

So beautiful the flowers are so pretty they have a great variety and species going back a century. It’s truly amazing and you have to check it out. We went during the week in the evening a week after peak and it was gorgeous out.

Irina R.

Aboulutely gorgeous park with a huge variety and colors of irises. It has an intetesting story . We visited it on Sunday,and there was a band playing jazz. It was a nice addition to a beaufiful day at the gardens

Karl G.

There’s no garden like this in the spring! Hundreds of bearded iris with some dating back over one hundred years will captivate and inspire your soul. Late May is peak bloom!

Alissa M.

Beautiful gardens! Impeccably maintained. Some of the Irises are over 100 years old, and all are labeled with the variety and year. Peak bloom in May.
It's a public park, but they take donations. There is only parallel street parking. But I've never had an issue finding a spot.

Ingrid H.

I was there past peak but still took hundreds of photos! The iris were simply amazing. What a joy this garden is. Must see while in bloom. End of may is best.

Keerthy V.

Well maintained gardens with nice benches to sit and relax. We spent close to two hours lounging here while our kids played and ran across the garden and had great fun. There is also a nice play area right across the road.