Though the gardens were an original part of the design for the Arboretum in 1937, they were not actually constructed until 1959 due to a sizable donation. The original hand-constructed teahouse from Japan was a gift from the people of Tokyo. It burned down in 1973 abd was rebuilt in 1981. The current entrance was built in 2009. The gardens are dense at first, but open out into beautiful fields to seat guests at various events throughout the year and an expansive Koi pond.
There are beautifully sculpted trees and plants throughout the park, along with various Japanese style benches and sculptures.
The Koi pond, to me, was the most interesting part of the gardens. There are occasionally ducks in the pond, which are not an uncommon animal in the area. More interesting is the colony of turtles that inhabits the pond. At first I thought they were bronze statues, until they started moving. Even more amazing are the enormous Koi that live in the water. All in all, if you're visiting the Arboretum, or just bored, it might be worth the $5 entrance fee.
