Open Daily Dawn to Dusk   Park Rules (PDF)

Take a stroll through this 11 acre paradise (no admission fee) to view fountains, ponds and a variety of blooms year round.  Azaleas, dogwoods, wisteria, camellias and hardwood trees are among the treasures.  There are several named garden spaces including the Children's Garden and the Veterans Garden. 

Glencairn Garden began as the backyard garden of David & Hazel Bigger in 1928.  It later became the inspiration for Rock Hill’s annual Come-See-Me Festival, now a 10-day event, held in the spring.   

You can reserve an area of the Garden for your wedding.

The Glencairn Garden Learning Center, 825 Edgemont Avenue, has a community room which provides space for programs and meetings. 

What’s Blooming?

Spring (March – May) is a fairy land of color with thousands of azaleas in many varieties. Pansies, candy tuft, wisteria and periwinkle greet birds and butterflies. Double file viburnum is nestled beneath lace canopies of pink and white dogwoods. Redbuds, peonies, saucer magnolia trees, and flowering yoshino and kwanzan cherry trees complete the scene.

Summer (June – August) proves the living is easy with the beautiful bright blooms of crape myrtles providing the perfect backdrop for a picnic. Day lilies, hundreds of annuals, and a variety of hostas emerge from the shelter of large magnificent pine trees. Trails trimmed with liriope flower in the warmth of the lazy summer sun.

Fall (September – November) finds glorious sasanquas in perfect bloom while the hardwood trees are ablaze with color. Pansies accent tranquil fountains, footbridges, and meandering trails.

Winter (December – February) is brightened by the beauty and charm of camellias and scented with the aroma of winter honeysuckle. The mild climate also welcomes daffodils and Lenten roses.er free gardening seminars. The topic varies each month.

Garden History & The Bigger House

A gift of love, Glencairn Garden’s roots go back to 1928 when David and Hazel Bigger received a gift of a few azaleas from a friend. By 1940, the private garden at their residence, 725 Crest Street, was said to contain some 12,000 azaleas and camellias.

By 1958, Dr. David Bigger had passed away and his widow deeded Glencairn Garden to the City of Rock Hill. Then, under the expert direction of renowned landscape architect, Robert Marvin, Glencairn Garden was transformed into a botanical experience with thousands of azaleas, complete with a tiered fountain, Japanese footbridge, and trails passing beneath canopies of dogwood, stately oaks, cherry trees, Japanese maples, winding past camellias, crepe myrtles, day lilies, lily ponds and thousands of bulbs.

Refurbished in 2006, the Bigger House serves as the administrative office for the Come-See-Me festival and as an office for the York County Master Gardeners who offer garden services on Friday mornings during the warmer months of the year. For information on services provided by the Master Gardeners, contact Clemson Extension at 803-684-919, ext. 112.