Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park is known for its hundreds of camellias and azaleas. It is also cheapest to visit, and has its most homegrown calendar, outside the peak-bloom season. From now through December, the $6 you pay per vehicle at 3540 Thomasville Road covers the formal gardens too. The extra garden fee comes back on January 1. October is also the month the park fills its brick walkway with scarecrows built by local groups and hosts the Moon Over Maclay jazz concert on the Maclay House lawn.
For anyone in Rose Hill, that makes the next ten weeks the best time of year to treat Maclay as a neighborhood park rather than a seasonal outing.
The Fee Calendar Runs Opposite to the Bloom Calendar
According to Florida State Parks, peak bloom runs January 1 through April 30, with the floral peak in late February. A special fee for the gardens and the historic Maclay House applies during those months. The rest of the year, regular park admission covers everything. The park's hours and fees page lists the full schedule:
| Who's visiting | October through December | January through April |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle, up to eight people | $6 | $6 plus garden entry |
| Single-occupant vehicle | $4 | $4 plus garden entry |
| Pedestrian, bicyclist, or extra passenger | $2 | $2 plus garden entry |
| Garden entry, adult | Included | $6 |
| Garden entry, child ages 2 to 12 | Included | $3 |
Here's what that means in practice. Two adults and two children ages 2 to 12 arriving in one car pay $6 on an October afternoon. On a February afternoon at peak bloom, the same family pays $6 for the car, $12 for the adults' garden entry, and $6 for the children's, a total of $24. A solo walker who drives over pays $4 now and $10 once the bloom fee starts.
What you give up in the fall is the Maclay House museum, which opens only January through April, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Everything else that makes the gardens worth a walk is open: the 28-acre historic ornamental garden, the walled garden, the reflection pool, Black Pond, and the hidden garden the park manager points visitors toward this time of year. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year.
Louise and Alfred B. Maclay first planted these gardens in 1923, after buying the property as their winter home.
October's Walkway Belongs to Local Builders
The free garden season is also when the park hands its main path to the community. Scarecrows in the Gardens runs October 1 through 31, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with scarecrows lining the brick walkway of the formal gardens. Local businesses, nonprofits, schools, students, families, clubs, and community groups make every entry by hand.
The entry fees show who builds them: $25 for adults and businesses, $15 for nonprofits, and $10 for students. Those pay for a spot on the walkway. Visitors pay only standard park admission, which this month means the $6 car fee and nothing for the gardens.
Two groups decide the winners. A judging panel picks one winner in each entry category. Visitors can vote for the People's Choice winner from October 3 through October 31. If you're reading this on the day it publishes, you still have nine days to walk the path and vote. Your neighbor's club, your child's class, or the business down the road could have a scarecrow out there. The event page has the details.
Before you go, keep in mind that pets, food, and drink are not allowed inside the formal gardens on an ordinary visit. Working service animals are welcome anywhere in the park. If you're bringing the dog, the scarecrow walk is a separate trip.
Sunday Night on the Maclay House Lawn
Scarecrows fill the gardens during the day. The park's biggest fall evening comes three days after this post publishes. The Friends of Maclay Gardens' annual Moon Over Maclay jazz concert is Sunday, October 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Maclay House lawn, with gates opening at 5 p.m. The Rodney Jordan Quintet headlines, and Thursday Night Music Club opens the evening.
This event is priced differently from a regular garden visit. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students. Children under 5 get in free. Through the online ticket page, the totals come to $31.58 and $21.29 after service fees, and online sales close Sunday at 9 p.m.
The number to plan around is attendance. The Friends cap the lawn at 1,000 guests and encourage buying in advance. The event page asks guests to bring their own setup:
- A blanket or lawn chairs
- A picnic supper
- Beverages of their choice
Gates open at 5 p.m., an hour before Thursday Night Music Club starts, so you have time to claim a spot on the lawn.
Because the picnic is part of the evening, where you pick up supper matters. Since spring, Rose Hill has a newer option close by. As the Tallahassee Democrat reported, Hopkins' Eatery opened its fourth Tallahassee location on May 20, 2026, at Bannerman Crossings, 3431 Bannerman Road, Suite 104. It took over the space that held Rae's Restaurant until July 2025. Check its Sunday hours before you plan your evening around it.
Between the Scarecrows and the Camellias
When the scarecrows come down on October 31, the gardens are still covered by the same vehicle fee for two more months. Most of the park also has nothing to do with the formal gardens, so it isn't affected by the bloom calendar at all.
Lake Hall has swimming, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, and allows boats without gas-powered motors. Pavilions and grills line the shore. Two short nature trails wind through the woods above the lake.
Lake Overstreet, on park land next to the gardens, has six miles of shared-use trails for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders, plus five miles of trails just for bikes. A late-fall ride there and a walk through the gardens on the way out costs one $6 vehicle fee, or $2 if you pedal in.
Camellia Christmas closes out the year. Florida State Parks lists it among Maclay's annual events, alongside Tour of Gardens in May, Scarecrows, and Moon Over Maclay. For 2026, the Friends of Maclay Gardens events calendar lists it only as "December 2026." Check that page for the date as the month gets closer.
The fee schedule changes a few weeks later. Starting January 1, an adult walking the same brick path pays $6 for garden entry on top of the cost of getting into the park, and the gardens stay on that schedule through April 30.
Living near Maclay means having this calendar close by all year, not only in February. If you're thinking about what your Rose Hill home is worth with the park this close, Jamie Yarbrough can walk you through it. Request your home valuation, and maybe we'll pass each other on the scarecrow walk before October 31.
