Keukenhof

What is Keukenhof?

Keukenhof is a 32-hectare flower garden in the Dutch town of Lisse. Visitors walk through sweeping beds of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, irises, and orchids. The gardens include winding paths, a walled historical section, a nature garden with shrubs and perennials, and a Japanese-style area. There are also four pavilions with changing floral displays. The park is known for its colourful, carefully arranged bulb plantings that bloom in spring.

The history of Keukenhof

The grounds of Keukenhof were once the kitchen garden for a 15th-century castle, providing food and game for Countess Jacoba van Beieren. In the 17th century, the estate was expanded with a manor house. The landscape was redesigned in the 19th century in the English style by Jan David Zocher and his son. Keukenhof as a public flower garden was established in 1949 by bulb growers and exporters to showcase their flowers and support the Dutch bulb trade. The park opened to the public in 1950.

What there is to see

Each autumn, a team of 40 gardeners plant about 7 million bulbs, donated by over 100 growers. Planting starts in October and finishes by early December. Bulbs are layered so that as one finishes blooming, the next begins, ensuring continuous colour during the eight-week opening. The gardens are planned so that different flowers bloom throughout the spring season.

When to go

Keukenhof is open to the public for eight weeks each spring, from mid-March to mid-May. Visitors come to see the tulip displays at their peak in April. The grounds are also used year-round for private events and festivals, and the castle hosts concerts and fairs. The park is a major tourist attraction, drawing people from around the world.

Parts and collections

Keukenhof features several themed gardens: an English landscape garden with winding paths, a walled historical garden with old bulb varieties, a nature garden mixing bulbs and perennials, and a Japanese country garden. Four pavilions host rotating flower shows, including orchids and lilies. Each year, the displays and themes change.

Why Keukenhof matters

Keukenhof is a symbol of Dutch horticulture and the international flower bulb trade. It is known worldwide for its spring tulip displays and attracts over a million visitors each year. The park was created to promote Dutch bulbs and remains a showcase for growers. Its location in the "Dune and Bulb Region" highlights the area's long history with flower cultivation.

The flowers of Keukenhof

RoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursOrchidA vast family of colourful, often fragrant flowers found almost everywhere on earthTulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursLilyTall bulb flowers with large, colourful blooms in many gardens and culturesNarcissusSpring-flowering bulbs with trumpet-shaped blooms in white, yellow, and orangeDianthusA group of frilled, often pink, flowers grown in gardens and bouquets worldwideIrisA large group of perennial flowers with striking, six-lobed bloomsCarnationA fragrant flower with ruffled petals, grown worldwide for decoration and meaning

Traditions that use it

Plan a visit

🇳🇱 Lisse · Mar to MayKeukenhof in tulip seasonA woodland park in Lisse planted each autumn with millions of bulbs and open for about eight weeks in spring.

Questions people ask about Keukenhof

Good reading and sources

• Official websiteOfficial site

• Keukenhof on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data