Baguio Botanical Garden
The Baguio Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Baguio, Philippines, located on Leonard Wood Road between Wright Park and Teacher's Camp.[2]
| Baguio Botanical Garden | |
|---|---|
 An overview of the gardens | |
| Type | Urban |
| Location | Benguet, Cordillera, Philippines |
| Nearest city | Baguio |
| Coordinates | 16°24′52.42381″N 120°36′47.49145″E |
| Owned by | Land Management Bureau[1] |
| Visitors | 100,000 monthly[2] (in 2022) |
| Open | 6AM-6PM |
| Status | Open |
| Collections | Dahlia, cactuses, and succulents |
Names
The garden goes by a few different names,[1] including:
- Botanical & Zoological Garden, the former name for the park when it was a zoo
- Centennial Park, for being "the Summer Capital" of the Philippines for 100 years
- Igorot Village, for the culture-inspired carvings, sculptures, and huts scattered around the park
- Imelda Park, for the former first lady
History
The garden, which was previously a zoo,[1] was renamed to the Imelda Park by Ferdinand Marcos for his wife in 1970.[3]
The park closed for ten months in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] During that time, it underwent a renovation which made the park more aesthetic and added ramps.[4]
Features
The park has art galleries provided by the Baguio Arts Guild, and sculptures displaying the culture of the Igorot people. A statue by Ben Hur Villanueva commemorating the people who built Baguio can also be found.
The park also contains a friendship garden featuring the countries United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Thailand, which contain elements of the country's culture, such as temples and statues. It also contains a sunflower farm and gardens spotlighting Dahlia, cactuses, marguerites, orchids, and succulents.[4]
One of the garden's main attractions is a 150 m (490 ft) long tunnel which was dug out by Japanese Imperial Army soldiers during World War II for use as storage, treatment, and a bunker.[2][5]
References
- "Baguio Botanical Garden – Go Baguio!". Go Bagio!. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- Ergino, Jervis (2022-12-24). "Baguio Botanical Garden Complete Guide". Hike To Mountains. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- Aaron, Jerome (2015-10-27). "From Imelda Park to Botanical Gardens to Centennial Park". Cush Travel Blog. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- M, Lea (2022-03-19). "Botanical Garden Baguio City Travel Guide". Baguio City News. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- Agranum, May (2016-09-05). "Revisiting the Botanical Garden of Baguio City". Jeffer's Odyssey. Retrieved 2023-06-27.