David Peri

Review of Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Pa...

This place boggles the mind. If only there were mo...

This place boggles the mind. If only there were more places like this in the world.

Every time I visit this place I always find something new. I am awe struck at the original vision of Michael Bonfante and his love of trees and horticulture that he had the vision and means to invest to dream and build such a wonderful place. And the creative landscape architect Karen Bernosky from Karen Aitken and Associates he hired in 1981 and worked with him for the next two decades in planning, designing, building such a beautiful and unique experience. What a park! What a destination. Such a wonderful experience.

If you have not yet visited what is now Gilroy Gardens DO IT NOW! If you love Nature, botany, color, water and surprising environments which delight the eye and heart, you owe it to yourself, your family and friends to experience this most wonderful place at least once.

There is so much - but particularly wonderful is they saved the famous and nearly lost forever circus trees by Axel Erlandson. Also wonderful are the historic rides they bought from the famous Elitch Gardens before it moved. To save those historic rides and change oh-so-subtly with Nature themes just shows the deep thought that went into making this place so special.

Being devoid of Hollywood movie artifice and the superficial nonsense so common elsewhere, this is a showcase of, by and for the beauty of Nature herself. That Michael Bonfante would spend so many scores of millions creating this wonderful place, and that Karen Aitken & Associates could spend decades making it real so that even in today's form as Gilroy Gardens tens of thousands can enjoy this respite from the 21st Century pablum is a joy.

Forgive the length of this post. I got carried away. But if it moves you to come and appreciate this vision and decades upon decades of hard work - then it was worth it. Go - visit - and if you ever come across Michael or Karen or anyone who created or operates this wonderful place - let them know if you enjoyed your visit.