The Sarah P. Duke Gardens cover fifty-five acres on the western edge of Duke University's West Campus — terraced lawns, a Japanese pond and tea house, an Asiatic arboretum, and several thousand species of trees and shrubs from every temperate region of the world. The gardens are free, open daily, and rank among the best botanical collections in the South.
The original Italianate terraces, laid out in the 1930s, are the photographic centrepiece — best in mid-April when the wisteria and azaleas peak. Allow at least two hours; longer if you want to walk the full perimeter trail. There is a good cafe and gift shop at the entrance.