Gilroy Gardens reopens for spring season

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park reopened to the public on Saturday, March 28, starting its 2026 season in Gilroy after the park’s winter closure. (gilroygardens.org) The official reopening announcement said the park returned with rides, gardens, educational experiences and more than 10,000 trees, including its Circus Trees. (gilroygardens.org) Gilroy Gardens’ calendar shows the park operating on select spring dates, with regular 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours on weekends in April and bonus weekday openings on April 9 and April 10. (gilroygardens.org) The park is not a standard amusement park. Gilroy Gardens says it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution built around teaching families, especially children, about horticulture and trees. (gilroygardens.org) That mission shapes the park’s layout. Gilroy Gardens says it spans 28 acres with six themed gardens, more than 40 family rides and attractions, and features inspired by local agriculture and history. (gilroygardens.org) The best-known attraction is the Circus Trees collection, a set of living trees shaped and grafted by Axel Erlandson starting in the 1920s. Gilroy Gardens calls them a botanical attraction found only there. (gilroygardens.org) The park’s ride lineup still includes the Garlic Twirl, one of several attractions tied to Gilroy’s farming identity. Gilroy Gardens says olive trees more than 125 years old surround that ride. (gilroygardens.org 1) (gilroygardens.org 2) Single-day admission is listed as starting at $65, while a 2026 Premium Membership is listed at $104 and includes unlimited visits, parking and access to signature events. (gilroygardens.org) The spring reopening also sets up the park’s next seasonal push. Gilroy Gardens says its new Voyage to the Islands event begins May 2, and its Cherry Jubilee festival returns June 5 through July 5 after winning an International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Brass Ring Award. (gilroygardens.org) (gilroydispatch.com) For South County families, the new season means the same mix Gilroy Gardens has leaned on for years: a regional theme park where the trees are part of the attraction, not just the shade. (gilroygardens.org)