The Japanese Garden is easily accessible on the campus of Normandale Community College, located at 9700 France Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Please see the Normandale Community College interactive map for driving directions. Parking information can be found at the bottom of this page.
The Garden is open Spring, Summer and Fall from sunrise to sunset. We ask that children under 12 are accompanied by an adult.
We offer informative group tours for adults, and fun-filled field trips for elementary-aged students. Please call us at 952-358-8145 or email us at njg.committee@gmail.com for more information.
Tours are free, but donations are encouraged. Tours can only be scheduled during times when the college is open.
Led by members of the Japanese Garden Committee, the tours can highlight any of the following:
Please call us at 952-358-8145 or email us at njg.committee@gmail.com for more information.
Field Trip and Program for grades 1- 6
Schools, Home schools, Scouts, Extended-Day, Release Days
The program includes the Japanese words and Kanji for the numbers 1-12, for Normandale Japanese Garden, for Koi and the word for dry garden. We can include more Japanese words and Kanji if you like.
Children are introduced to Japanese gardens through hands-on garden designing activities.
Each child designs a sandwich box sized sand garden using a mini rake and rocks. There is an option for child to make and take home a mini Japanese garden using soil, rocks, gravel and plants.
Origami Happi coats can be included as well. These programs are standards based and they emphasize how Japan's geography and cultural values of respect and love for nature shape gardens designed to engage the imagination.
Optional field trip gift items are available to prepare children and expand the learning.
Please call us at 952-358-8145 or email us at njg.committee@gmail.com for more information.
Visitors are welcome to visit the Japanese Garden every day from spring through fall from sunrise to sunset, including holidays. The Garden is closed during the winter season. Exact dates of closure are weather-dependent and will be posted on our webpage.
We ask that children under age 12 are accompanied by an adult.
No, visiting the Garden is free, though we encourage and appreciate your donations to help us keep it free for everyone.
Yes, there is free parking available in the College’s Parking Lot 3 next to the Partnership Center, which is located off of Collegeview Road. There are signs from there that lead to the Garden down a sidewalk.
If you are looking for a shorter or more accessible entrance, when the College is open, you can enter through the Partnership Building and Kopp Student Center entrance from Parking Lot 3. If you walk straight through this entrance to the exit doors on the opposite side, you will be closer to the direct entrance of the Garden. When the College is closed, this entrance is locked and will not be an option.
Food and drinks are not allowed in the Garden. There are outdoor patio tables and seating near the entrance of the Garden where you can enjoy food and beverages.
When the College is open, the closest restrooms are in the Partnership Center building. When the College is closed, there are porta potties near the sidewalk that leads to the Garden.
Only commercial photographers who are taking pictures they plan to sell, or that are part of paid photography sessions, are required to purchase photo permits. You can find the photo permit application here. To learn more about costs, you can find more information here.
Yes, as a commercial photographer, you are required to obtain a permit - you can find the photo permit application here. After you complete the application and submit your payment, you will receive a payment confirmation email that will serve as your photo permit. To learn more about costs, you can find more information here.
Casual videography is allowed and does not require a permit. Professional and commercial videography requires approval from the College. If you are interested in taking professional videography in the Garden, please email japanesegarden@normandale.edu with your inquiry.
Unfortunately, the Garden is not accepting reservations at this time, and it cannot be closed to the public. If you choose to have your wedding or event there despite this, please review our photo permit policy by visiting our photo permit application.
For additional questions, please email japanesegarden@normandale.edu.
Please see the Tour Options section above for further information and instructions regarding tours. Tours are free, but donations are encouraged. Tours can only be scheduled during times when the college is open.
The Garden is mostly wheelchair accessible, apart from access to the long bridge, koi feeding platform, and overlook area. The zig-zag bridge was recently redone to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility devices. However, we do warn that the pathway that leads into the Garden is quite steep, a 12% grade. We are currently working on ways to make the Garden more accessible for all.
There is free parking available in the College’s Parking Lot 3 next to the Partnership Center, which is located off of Collegeview Road with many accessible parking spaces.
In 2026, the cherry trees blossomed in mid-April. The cherry trees usually blossom between April and May and last about two weeks. The timeline varies year-to-year due to changes in the weather.
The Friends of the Japanese Garden volunteer group usually posts regular updates in spring to track the blossoming of the trees. That page can be found here: Normandale Japanese Garden Facebook Page.
Unfortunately, dogs and other pets are not permitted in the Garden in order to keep it as clean as possible. Additionally, our facilities staff uses toxic weed killer pellets to maintain the plants that can be unsafe for pets. Service animals are allowed.
No bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, or rollerblades, etc. are allowed in the Garden. Motorized vehicles are also prohibited.
Yes! You can feed the fish from May through October by purchasing koi food at the entrance of the Garden for 50 cents (quarters only).
Koi fish are cold-blooded and can stay alive in cold temperatures. Over the winter, their metabolism slows down, and they spend their time treading water at the bottom of the pond. Once the water reaches a certain temperature, they stop eating and they live off the fat their bodies have put on in the late spring and summer.
The pond water is murky for a few reasons:
To celebrate the Garden’s 50th anniversary, we are hosting a free cultural festival on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Please see our 50th Anniversary webpage for more details.
The Japanese Garden is easily accessible on the campus of Normandale Community College, located at 9700 France Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota.
There is free parking available in the College’s Parking Lot 3 next to the Partnership Center, which is located off of Collegeview Road. There are signs from there that lead to the Garden down a sidewalk.
If you are looking for a shorter or more accessible entrance, when the College is open, you can enter through the Partnership Building and Kopp Student Center entrance from Parking Lot 3. If you walk straight through this entrance to the exit doors on the opposite side, you will be closer to the direct entrance of the Garden. When the College is closed, this entrance is locked and will not be an option.
9700 France Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota
Hours: Open spring through fall from sunrise to sunset, including holidays
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