Normandale Japanese Garden

I can’t believe I didn’t know there was a Japanese garden in the Twin Cities metro area until recently. After learning about this garden on TikTok, I knew I had to make the trip to Bloomington to check it out.

I love that it’s a free activity with ample free parking and nestled in a quiet part of Bloomington. The short walk to the garden through the Normandale campus is lovely, and I enjoyed the sculptures I saw along the way. The garden is so serene, well-maintained, and unlike anything else in the area.

I adored the waterfall, different tree varieties, koi fish, and bridges. Twin Cities air quality was awful today, so I didn’t spend a long time here, but under different circumstances, I could’ve stayed for a long time. It’s small but spacious garden, and there are plenty of spots to relax.

Would 100% recommend a visit!

The Japanese Garden is truly a hidden gem! This enchanting little oasis took our breath away, and we had such an incredible time exploring its beauty. Every corner was a delight, making our visit unforgettable!

Beautiful place for a quick walk! Great accessibility for people with mobility issues. Lots of benches and places to rest. Shady areas. Very peaceful and quiet. In the shelter just inside the main entrance, there are brochures that highlight some of the main features of the garden. Loved it!

Finally made it to Normandale Japanese today!
We’ve always seen this place on the news or social media feeds but agree that it was worth the drive.
Smaller than I thought but still very peaceful and serene place to walk around.
.50 to feed the Koi fish was a cool experience. Very quiet and no admission charge, only a free will donation at the gate.
Many benches and places to rest during your walk around the pond.
Cool buildings and well manicured trees and bushes. Great views from the bridges.

Small garden path and bridges over a water feature pond. Bring two $.25 quarters so you can buy fish food to feed the giant coy. Also a waterfall. Japanese art features, benches, some shaded seating areas up sets of stairs, entrance has steeper hill to get down to garden area. If guests have mobility problems, they should bring assistive devices, canes, walkers, etc. Lots of parking in school parking lot, informative signage to tell you where to park, there’s a porta potty at edge of parking lot. Short walk to garden behind school has prairie type wildflowers, statues/art pieces, and benches and sitting areas.

Very calm and peaceful place to walk around. The greenery is unique, and it feels like you are in Japan. We got there around 11AM, and there weren’t that many people there. We spent about 45 minutes walking around and enjoying the peace and quiet, but as time went by, more and more people showed up and it got a little crowded. I do recommend visiting the place to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy some quiet and peaceful time by yourself. Maybe you can bring a book and read it laying under a tree. I will revisit.

Gorgeous and superbly kept landscape. Very serene and peaceful to stroll the grounds. Loved the waterfall and the Koi pond.

Much smaller than the pictures and reviews lead you to believe. It’s still a nice place to visit, just don’t expect to be there long. You also can’t really take pictures; it says amateur/professional photogs must pay…not sure if its for like graduation/wedding/etc pics. There is fish food you can purchase. Water looks a bit murky too.