A garden built as a memorial
The Elizabethan Gardens is a project of the Garden Club of North Carolina, created as a living memorial to the English colonists who settled this same ground more than 400 years ago — the "Lost Colony." The 10-acre grounds sit within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, right beside the outdoor drama that tells that colony's story each summer.
Dapple-shaded paths wind past Italian Renaissance statuary, a soundfront gazebo, a sunken knot garden, and a 450-year-old live oak stretching across the Great Lawn. Plant collections include native species, azaleas, camellias, magnolias, crepe myrtles, hydrangeas, and seasonal blooms that keep the gardens colorful nearly year-round.
What's there
🦋 Butterfly Center
A dedicated space celebrating pollinators, with butterfly releases held from spring through fall.
🚢 Children's Discovery Cottage
An outdoor play area built around a large play ship echoing the vessel that carried the colonists — plus swings, slides, a koi pond, sandpits, and a fossil pit.
🐦 Birdwatching
Part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, with birdwatching opportunities from February through December.
🎄 WinterLights
A seasonal holiday lights display, roughly November through January, transforming the grounds after dark — one of the most popular events on the calendar.
Hours & admission
| Adults | $10 |
| Youth (6–17) | $7 |
| Children (2–5) | $3 |
| Under 2 | Free |
Prices are pre-tax; group rates apply for parties of 20 or more. The gardens open at 9am seven days a week most of the year, shifting to a 10am opening in December and January. Closing time varies seasonally. The gardens close entirely to the public each February for maintenance — plan your visit around that if you're coming in the off-season.
Good to know before you go
- Pet-friendly and wheelchair accessible throughout
- Pair it with next door — Fort Raleigh Historic Site and The Lost Colony outdoor drama are steps away
- Plan 1–2 hours to walk the grounds at an easy pace
- Gift shop sells "living souvenirs" — plants grown from cuttings taken from the gardens themselves
- About an hour to hour-and-15 north of Avon by car