The American Rose Center is now open for its 52nd blooming season! New hours of operation are Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission to the gardens is $5 per person. Peak rose bloom season is expected in April, May and June. Find us on Facebook for more details (www.facebook.com/americanrosecenter).
Throughout the year 2025, “America’s Rose Garden” will observe and celebrate our nation’s 250th Birthday! Our lineup for the first half of the garden season is exciting; we just completed our Easter Festival, and are readying the gardens for our visitors through the year.
April 11, 18 & 25: Guided tours of the roses will include stories of their histories and their amazing ability to enrich our lives. “All About the Roses” tours will be offered on a few select days: Saturdays, April 11 and 18 at 10:00 a.m., and April 25 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets should be purchased in advance and space is limited. Purchase tickets here: https://square.link/u/w9fvm5bO
April 25: Dinosaur Discovery Day at the American Rose Center. Bones-N-Roses Dinosaur Dig and Workshop for children ages 6 and up. Participants will learn about the study and characteristics of dinosaurs; learn how to dig like a paleontologist; and discover and create their own species. During the workshop, the class will be first to “discover” giant dinosaurs in the garden, created by Alexandria Artist and Wood Sculptor, James Smith, and to meet the artist. Parents are welcome to drop off, stay and play or take a guided tour of the gardens at 1:00 p.m. Dinosaur Discovery Day is from 12:30-3:30 p.m.; $30 per child – All supplies and snacks are included! Spaces are limited. Purchase tickets here: https://square.link/u/PEen9TM7
April 26: Reception for the Artist. James Smith, creator of a 16-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex and two other dinosaurs, will be on hand to talk about and present his unique and fascinating sculptures, on loan to the American Rose Center. Free and open to the public. Sunday, April 26th at 1:00 pm.
May 3: The Heritage Rose Foundation is sponsoring an afternoon of speakers at the gardens where you can visit with “famous” Peggy Martin, learn about her “Katrina Rose” and her ‘other’ roses; and take part in the final judging of the International Trial roses before the awarding of prizes. Also, see and learn about the valuable collection of Rambler roses that are being preserved at the American Rose Center. Tickets available here: https://www.heritagerosefoundation.org/event-details/hrf-conference-2026-may-3-shreveport-sunday-only
May 7: National Day of Prayer, being observed across the nation and at the American Rose Center. Please join us in the Never Forget Garden for public participation in prayer, remembrances, and special observance of the soon to be annual event. Free of charge. 10:00 a.m.
During June, National Rose Month, we will honor the Rose in its 40th Anniversary as our National Floral Emblem with a weekly Sunday Lunch & Learn series titled “The Awesome Power of Roses.”
• June 7: “The Inspirational Power of Roses” presented by Chris Van Cleave (America’s Favorite Rose Gardener) & Carrie Bergs (American Rose Society Vice President).
• June 14: “Creating New Roses, One Million at a Time”, presented by Will Radler (Creator of the highly successful ‘Knock Out’ group of roses).
• June 21: “Preserving Roses, An Heroic Mission”, presented by Claude Graves (Chair of the Save the Ramblers Initiative), Teddie Mower and Pam Smith (curator of our garden of Heritage Roses).
• June 28: “Roses as a Powerful American Symbol”, presented by Richard Azzaro (Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) and Marilyn Wellan, (Former American Rose Society President and Executive Facilitator for the new American Rose Center Corporation).
July 5: On Sunday, July 5, we will throw a huge party in celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday. It will be a day of exciting activities for the family, and will finish with fireworks! Watch for the amazing lineup of events to come.
There will be other fall events with more information to follow, and of course we will round out our year with the 43rd Annual Christmas in Roseland! Weekends beginning Nov. 27, 28, 29; Dec. 4, 5, 6; Dec. 11, 12, 13; Dec. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; And new this year – Encore nights after Christmas, Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Vendor weekend Dec. 11-13; Fireworks will be on Saturdays in December – 5, 12, 19, and final night before Christmas on 12/23, and again on the final night of the season, Dec. 30. 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. nightly.
We have added more roses, trees and other flowering plants throughout the property for our visitors to enjoy – that translates into about 6,000 rose plants and 5,000 other plants including ornamental trees. We invite you to come out and stroll our garden during open garden hours. It’s a great place for a morning walk for you and your friends, including canines.