Will Rogers Gardens

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

---

Will Rogers Gardens in Oklahoma City is a historic 30-acre park originally developed on land purchased in 1912 that was once a dairy farm.

The garden’s design was shaped in the 1930s through collaborative work by the City Parks Department, the National Park Service, and labor from the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration. It features the Charles E. Sparks Rose Garden, a 7-acre arboretum, and the Ed Lycan Conservatory, which hosts a significant collection of cacti and succulents.

The gardens include specialty beds for roses, iris, daylilies, peonies, and herbs, along with a rock garden and a peony garden among others. The park’s design emphasizes naturalistic landscapes with small lakes, rolling hills, and red sandstone structures, many of which remain intact from the original WPA era.

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is known for its seasonal blooms, peaceful walking paths, and ongoing horticultural education and community involvement, making it a cherished local green space.