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Hamilton Gardens

MyGardens Passes

A MyGardens Pass is the best way to get unlimited access to the Enclosed Gardens. Hamiltonians can register and get in for free.

If you live outside of Hamilton, an entry fee will applies to the Enclosed Gardens.

More information about the MyGardens Pass and who qualifies can be found below.

Live in Hamilton?

Get your free MyGardens Resident Pass and enjoy unlimited access all year round.

Live outside of Hamilton?

A single entry ticket will cost $20 for non-Hamiltonians, or you can buy a MyGardens Annual Pass for $50 - and unlock unlimited entry to the Enclosed Gardens all year round!

Live in Hamilton?

Anyone who lives or pay rates in Hamilton can sign up online for their free MyGardens Pass now!

It’s quick and easy to register and you can get your MyGardens Pass validated next time you are at Hamilton Gardens.  

How to get a MyGardens Pass:

  1. Sign up register your details.
  2. Turn up to the Gallagher Visitor Centre with your Hamilton proof of address and photo ID.
  3. Receive your MyGardens Pass. This can be saved in a smartphone. Physical passes will be available on request.
  4. Use your MyGardens Pass to come back and visit the gardens again and again.

Visitors under 16 years old can be loaded onto an adult's MyGardens Pass or get a free ticket on the day.

Proof of address can be:

  • a Utility Bill, or
  • a Bank Statement, or
  • a Hamilton City Council rates notice

Everyone who lives in the Hamilton boundary can get a free MyGardens Pass. To find out if your home is in the Hamilton City Council boundary, search your address here to check. If your address shows up, you are in Hamilton, if your address does not show up then you are outside the boundary.

Live outside of Hamilton?

If you live outside of Hamilton, an entry fee applies to the Enclosed Gardens:

  • $20 single admission
    • 10% discount off single admission for cardholders (e.g. NZ SuperGold, NZ Community Services Card, NZ student ID).
  • $50 annual pass
  • free for under 16s

Outer areas of the Gardens (not part of the Enclosed Gardens) can be visited by anyone. Everyone, no matter where you live, can continue to explore the bush walks, spot fish in Turtle Lake by the waterfall, walk through the rhododendrons, enjoy a picnic amongst the roses, visit the cafe, and play on the playground.

Upgrade to a MyGardens Annual Pass

Buy a MyGardens Annual Pass for $50 and experience the Gardens through every season, valid for 12 months.

A bird's eye view of Hamilton Gardens' enclosed gardens

What will the new entry fee go towards?

Every entry ticket purchased to enter the Enclosed Gardens will help us to maintain our world-class facility through continued maintenance and upkeep of our 18 Enclosed Gardens and wider garden experiences and creating enhanced visitor experiences with ongoing improvements and educational resources.

MyGardens Pass FAQ's

MyGardens Passes can be issued to individuals only.  Anyone who lives within the Hamilton City Council border or pays rates to Hamilton City Council is entitled to free entry and can therefore get a MyGardens Resident Pass. They must be able to show proof of address which links them as an individual, by name, to their Hamilton property.

  1. Register for your MyGardens Pass online here.
  2. Come to the Gallagher Visitor Centre with proof of your Hamilton address and photo ID.
  3. Provide your details, have your picture taken and receive your MyGardens Pass. This can be saved in your digital wallet if you have a smartphone. Physical cards will be available on request.  
  4. Use your MyGardens Pass to come back and visit the Gardens again and again.    

To get your MyGardens Pass faster you can sign up online first, it only takes a few minutes.   

You will be able to sign up by entering your details online via the Hamilton Gardens website. You will still need to provide proof of address, photo ID and have your photo taken at the Gallagher Visitor Centre to validate your MyGardens Pass and start using it.

That’s fine, as long as you have your proof of address and photo ID with you, the Visitor Centre team can set up your MyGardens Pass.

Two years from the time you first use your MyGardens Resident Pass to enter the Enclosed Gardens. After two years you will need to show proof of address and photo ID to re-validate your MyGardens Pass as a local resident.  The annual pass will be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

It is your registration that is valid for 90 days.  Please come down to the Gardens to validate your pass within the next 3 months.  Once your pass has been activated it will be valid for 2 years (Resident) 12 months (Annual Pass) 

Signing up and validating your pass at the Gardens will take less than five minutes. If you have already pre-registered online it will be even faster. 

Children do not need their own pass, but those who live at your address, or who will be regularly visiting the Enclosed Gardens with you, can be loaded onto your MyGardens Pass.  We recommend that you do this so that everyone can fast-track to the entry point each time you visit.

Yes they can, as long as each individual person is linked to the pass.  You cannot lend it to someone who hasn’t been verified – additional adults will also need to be validated.  Let our staff know when you sign up and they can add the other members of your household.

Nothing! As you signed up in person for your family, your name is on all of the passes as the registered booking holder.  We will have the details of the other passholders that you provided saved in our system, and when the pass(es) are scanned at entry all the linked individuals will show.

You can use a drivers licence, passport, Kiwi Access Card or student ID.

Any formal document which shows your full name and address, such as a household bill, rates invoice, or bank statement. It can be a physical copy or you can show a digital version on your phone.

No, not if they aren’t one of the named individuals linked to your pass. Every person 16 years old or over will need their own validated MyGardens Pass registration or to buy a single admission or annual pass.

Just once. Once you’ve signed-up, shown your proof of address and received your MyGardens Pass, you can then use your MyGardens Pass to visit the gardens again and again. You will be required to show proof of address again after two years.

We recommend trying to get a letter from your bank or confirmation of admission to a school or tertiary institution in the city. If you are still having trouble, contact the friendly customer services team on 07 838 6699. 

If you own property in Hamilton, you pay rates to Hamilton City Council so can use that rates bill as your proof of address for a MyGardens Pass.

MyGardens Pass Terms and Conditions