Sarah P. Duke Gardens opens its renovated Garden Gateway entrance on April 8, capping a $30 million project that rebuilt the arrival area and added a visitor lobby, cafe, gallery space, and classrooms.
The entrance on Anderson Street had been parking lot and a single building since 2000, when the Gardens drew about 150,000 visitors a year. By 2024, attendance had reached 620,000. On the busiest cherry blossom day during construction, roughly 20,000 people showed up.
- The new Barnes Welcome Center is named for a $7 million gift from the Durham-based Barnes Family Foundation. Visitors now pass through the center to enter the Gardens rather than bypassing a standalone building.
- A former parking lot has been converted into an event lawn with capacity for 2,000 people and a courtyard. The redesign also adds ADA-compliant access throughout the entrance area.
- The renovated Doris Duke Center now includes a larger indoor event space, an expanded catering kitchen, and an outdoor patio. Events revenue was one of the primary drivers behind the redesign.
Weekday parking, which had been limited to weekends since early 2025, resumes April 8. The cafe opens the same day with hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Garden admission remains free, with daily hours from 8 a.m. to sunset.