Fuller Gardens, North Hampton

Fuller Gardens is a seaside public botanical garden located at 10 Willow Avenue in the town of North Hampton, New Hampshire, United States, in the historic area known as "Little Boars Head". Developed in the early 20th century, the gardens are set on three acres (1.2 ha) and feature formal rose gardens, a Japanese garden, English perennial borders, a tropical and desert conservatory, tulip and annual beds, a hosta garden and a dahlia display area. The gardens are open to the public daily from mid-May through mid-October.

The gardens were created as an ornament to the grand summer estate "Runnymede-by-the-Sea" by businessman and Massachusetts governor Alvan T. Fuller. The original design was by Arthur Shurtcleff and built in 1927. Shortly thereafter in 1931, Alvan Fuller contacted the Olmstead Firm to redesign the grounds. The gardens were expanded to include the recent purchase of an adjacent property and was to include formal rose gardens rather than cutting gardens as was included in the Shurtcleff design. The Olmstead design was in the Colonial Revival style and includes many statues and fountains that were collected by Fuller during his travels through Europe.

The summer estate was removed in 1962 due to the wishes of Fuller, so that visitors to the gardens could have an unobstructed view of the Atlantic. The Fuller Gardens are now run as a non-profit organization by the Fuller Foundation of New Hampshire. Daily admissions and a large member base help support nearly half of its operating costs. The gardens are characterized as a "tucked away seaside gem", a beautiful seaside oasis that nearby residents are sometimes not even aware of, making this destination even more of a unique place. There are many social and horticultural events throughout the season.

There have been five garden directors since the creation of the Fuller Gardens, with Jamie Colen holding the current and longest tenure of 21 years.

Put Fuller Gardens into our North Hampton attractions planner to see other points of interest to visit during your vacation in North Hampton.
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