Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden now Open!

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is pleased to announce the reopening of the beloved Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden.

One of the most serene and treasured spaces at Como, the outdoor garden invites guests to reconnect with nature through a landscape shaped by stone, water, plants, and tradition. Visitors can stroll winding paths, pause beside the pond and waterfall, admire historic lanterns, and experience the beauty of spring emerging throughout the garden.

a stream with trees with white buds over it

The reopening comes as Como celebrates Earth Day this weekend with its annual Party for the Planet, a family-friendly event focused on conservation, sustainability, and appreciation for the natural world.

“Earth Day is about recognizing the beauty of our planet and the responsibility we all share to care for it,” said Erica Prosser, Director of Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. “The reopening of the Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden is a wonderful reminder that nature renews itself each spring, and that even quiet places can inspire connection, reflection, and stewardship.”

A Garden Rooted in Nature and Tradition

In preparation for the season, the garden’s pines have undergone their careful spring tending, a practice rooted in Japanese garden tradition. Selective pruning and candling help guide healthy growth, preserve their sculptural form, and allow light and air to move gently through the branches. This attentive care helps ensure their strength and beauty through the summer months ahead.

Across the garden, early signs of life are beginning to emerge. Buds are forming, and soon a quiet drift of trilliums will spread across the ground. These graceful woodland flowers, members of the lily family, are known for their elegant symmetry—three leaves, three petals, three sepals—and for the patience they require. Trilliums grow slowly, sometimes taking years to bloom, yet can return each spring for decades. Their seeds are carried and planted by ants, a subtle natural partnership that helps shape the rhythm of their return.

Designed according to traditional Japanese garden principles and adapted for Minnesota’s climate, the Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden also reflects the longstanding friendship between the Sister Cities of Saint Paul and Nagasaki.