Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

About

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is in western Delray Beach, in Palm Beach County, on land once farmed by a colony of Japanese settlers in the early 1900s. It is run by the county and is one of the few places in the United States devoted to Japanese culture in a garden setting.

The 16-acre grounds around the two museum buildings are laid out as a series of Japanese gardens along a strolling path, with lakes full of koi, quiet resting spots and a well-known bonsai collection. The museum holds exhibitions of Japanese art and culture. Demonstrations such as tea ceremonies and other traditional arts run for $5 extra with admission, and workshops are offered through the year. From April to September, Sunset Stroll evenings add taiko drumming and food. Morikami suggests allowing about three hours.

The museum and gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Mondays and major holidays. In 2026, adult admission is $18, seniors and military pay $16, students $14, and children 6 to 17 $12, before tax; children 5 and under get in free. Daily tickets are sold only at the admission desk on the day of your visit, not online. Your wristband lets you leave and come back until 4:30 p.m.

The Cornell Café serves Pan-Asian food on a back terrace for paying guests, and the Museum Store sells Japanese snacks and gifts. Lake Biwa Pavilion on Jog Road has free picnic tables, grills and a playground. Delray Beach's downtown and the Atlantic beaches are about a 20-minute drive east.

Accessibility

Morikami is wheelchair accessible in its museum and nearby areas, with a long natural-surface garden path beyond. Morikami says it is predominantly ADA accessible in all areas of the museum and the areas closest to the main museum, but it does not lend wheelchairs, so bring your own.

Accessible parking is near the museum's main entrance, and a push button opens the main entrance door automatically. To reach the gardens without steps, use the ramp at the south end of the Cornell Café.

The garden path is 7/8 of a mile long and made of compacted natural material. Morikami says it may not suit everyone's ability to go the whole way, and it recommends wheelchairs with larger than standard tires. Park benches are spread through the gardens, so you can rest or turn back at any point. In summer, go early in the day and bring water, since much of the visit is outdoors.

Restrooms are in the lobby and the hallway behind the Cornell Café.

Service animals as defined by the ADA, dogs or miniature horses trained to perform tasks, are welcome. Pets and emotional support, therapy and comfort animals are not allowed in the museum or gardens. Call (561) 495-0233 with questions before your visit.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Florida

• Adventure Island (Tampa)
• The Dalí Museum (St. Petersburg)
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Coral Gables)
• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota)
• ZooTampa at Lowry Park (Tampa)
• Big Cypress National Preserve (Ochopee)

Photo credits

• The Morikami museum building with a tiled roof, seen across a calm lake and green lawn.: Daderot, CC0 (source)
• A smooth light-colored garden path under a canopy of trees beside a bamboo fence.: Daderot, CC0 (source)
• A raked gravel rock garden with a single large stone in front of a low wall.: Daderot, CC0 (source)