Forest Glade Gardens — Attraction in Mount Macedon

The garden itself was alright, but the experience was completely ruined by the staff especially the older lady at the front ticket office (visit date 26/9/25). From the moment we arrived, she was unwelcoming and spoke to us in a very rude and condescending manner. Instead of greeting us politely, she demanded that we stand there and read every single word on the notice board, almost like she was lecturing us. What was even more disappointing was that she didn’t treat other (white) visitors the same way, which made us feel like we were being singled out because of our skin colour. She took away my 3 year old’s small ball, saying no equipment was allowed not even a soft ball or a flying saucer (like a frisbee plate). My child was upset but handed it over politely. To make it worse, as soon as we entered, we saw other children playing with balls and flying saucers freely. We recorded videos as evidence showing that other kids were allowed to play inside while our child was restricted (screen shots from the video are attached for reference). When I showed the evidence to the old rude lady at the front, her response was, “OH, I DIDN’T KNOW I DIDN’T MEAN TO DISCRIMINATE”. The fact that she said the word “DISCRIMINATION” herself says a lot.

Beyond that, toilets were poorly maintained the smell was unbearable.No proper parking, expect a long walk, which is especially difficult with little kids. The map provided is completely confusing and useless we had no idea where anything was, and other visitors looked lost as well. Proper signage or name tags near sculptures or garden areas would be much more helpful. This place really needs friendlier and more professional staff, especially at the front entrance. A beautiful garden means nothing if visitors are made to feel unwelcome or...

I visited Forest Glaze Garden today and was pretty disappointed, to be honest.

We arrived around 1:30pm after wasting nearly 30 minutes trying to find parking. In the end, we had to park on a side road and walk 20 minutes uphill with a pram and toddler. Not exactly the best start. It was really frustrating to see no clear signage or dedicated parking area, especially when they charge $20 entry per person. I honestly think they should offer parking closer, even if it costs a bit more.

The garden looked beautiful in photos, but in person, it was a lot smaller and way more crowded than I expected. The lack of clear signage once we were inside was another issue, with lots of people looking lost. It definitely wasn't pram- or wheelchair-friendly. A little more thought on the layout would’ve gone a long way to improve the experience.

There were some really steep, dangerous areas—especially for kids. I saw a lot of children running around in these parts with no safety measures in place. The maps they gave us didn’t help much either. It felt more like wandering through a maze from a Resident Evil game, with some paths leading to dead ends. Plus, there were barely any toilets. With hundreds of people there, there were only four open toilets—two near the entrance and two in the middle. Not nearly enough, especially with the crowds.

The place has potential, but right now, it feels like it’s missing some basic infrastructure and care for visitors. At $20 per person, it wasn’t exactly the experience I was hoping for. Definitely not...

This is easily one of the most beautiful gardens I have been to in Melbourne. Hidden away in Macedon it is a must see. The gardens sprawl over 14.5 acres and has plenty of little hideaways under shady trees to picnic and rest. The best part about the garden is that its is Pet Friendly. You can bring your fur baby along as long as its on a leash. The gardens are kept clean and are well maintained, so treat it with respect. Every corner you turn on the plentiful winding paths lead to another amazing moment. The Japanese Garden is particularly popular and its where all the Insta Kids hang out. So there might be some wait times to get a picture or two. Travel light because you will be doing lots of walking while you take in the beauty of this amazing hidden gem and you don't want to be carrying too much. I learnt this lesson today and could not take any pictures.

My only issue is parking and this resulted for 4 star review, there is no designated parking areas and the only place to park is along the street where you car is partly in a ditch and if you turn up after 12pm then you need to go fishing for parking and I had to park 500m away on Pinchoff Lane. Not the best to walk back in the heat after a relaxing day. Be aware of where you park too, there are a lot of no parking spots and the ticket officers and Vic Pol patrol the area quite often.

I would definitely visit again but will arrive earlier to find a decent...