Leonard J Buck Garden - Far Hills, New Jersey

Alicia (. B. S.

This is an enchanting formal garden with many different areas to explore. It is beautiful in any season and is extremely well kept up. I always visit as often as I can.

Margaret B.

Such a beautiful place to take a hike. You can choose the steep path or a more level one. There are plenty of places to just sit and enjoy the beauty of nature here. Bring a book and stay a while!

Nick V.

Very calming and enchanting place. The road noises in the background really keep this from 5 star. But the folks who maintain the gardens are top notch. No garbage lying around, we'll kept paths. Highly recommend.

S. C.

Beautiful designed and maintained garden with may layers and levels of pebble paths. Ponds and gazebos and bench sewting galore on the premises. Neat and informative visitor's center with restroom. Lovely place. Will visit again during different seasons.

Leann D.

An epically beautiful little gem. It is a glacial rock garden in a tiny gorge that has been cultivated for decades. It is the most beautiful small garden I have been to. A definite must visit.

Individual C.

It’s a beautiful garden with a large variety of plants and flowers!

It’s a great place to relax and has such calming vibes!

This garden is worth coming back to and has nice walking / hiking trails and places to picnic.

A hidden gem of Somerset County, New Jersey

Nancy W. S.

Visiting at the Leonard J Buck Garden was beautiful and peaceful. Walking around, there is plenty to see between the different flowers, rocks garden, small bridges, Lily pads in the water, a distant fountain, and plenty of opportunity to sit on a bench or grass to take pictures or sit quietly to listen and look around.

If you have any questions, there is an information desk when you walk in. The information center gives the history of who Leonard J Buck was, clean bathrooms, and air conditioned inside if you take a quick look around. This might be really cheesy, I thought the toilet was so cool. Basically, it's an environmentally efficient port a potty. The bathroom is well maintained.

The entire garden had short walking distances, and the grounds itself is well taken care of to keep it in the respectful space it is. There are no garbage cans around. You take your trash with you if you decide to eat at a bench or have a picnic.

Parking can fill up quickly in the small parking lot. We parked a little further and attempted to stay under the shade. The distance isn't far. Just be careful crossing the road.

We'll be back again soon. What a great place to be walking around outside.

David H.

Owned by Leonard J Buck and designed by Zenon Shreiber, this exquisite garden is a mere 2.5 miles detour from I-78 off I-287. It's a quick excursion under an hour. It's a must on a nice weather day if your road trip passes through this section of I-78. There are ponds, bridges, streams, hills, rock gardens, a water fountain, a gazebo, well maintained trails, and of course, flowers and plants throughout the garden. The garden also sports a variety of terrains, many ups and downs, meadows and hills. My favorite spot is the bridge by the lilies right off the Lower Lot Path, and the nearby redwood tree. I'm not a fan of the water fountain though in the Lower Pond; I thought it's too low and utilitarian looking.

Parking is very limited. There is a lower lot for additional parking but that's also very limited. On the day of our visit, we had to resort to roadside parking. Admission is free but donation is suggested, $6 per adult and $3 for seniors and students. Definitely bring insect repellent. Sun protection won't be absolutely necessary as there are lots of shades. I brought a sun umbrella on this bright sunny day but didn't end up using it.