Riverside International Friendship Gardens — Attraction in La Crosse

🌿 International Friendship Gardens – La Crosse 🌿

The International Friendship Gardens at Riverside Park has quickly become one of our favorite spots to photograph. Every part of it feels different — from quiet shaded pathways to bright, open spaces where the light just pours in. There’s a calmness to the gardens that helps people relax, and that’s when the best photos happen.

We recently had a senior session there, and it was one of those evenings where everything lined up perfectly. We started in the gardens with soft, even light that made things feel easy and natural. By the time we ended on the bridge with the golden sun dropping behind us, the images felt cinematic without trying too hard.

What makes the Friendship Gardens special is how it elevates a session without ever stealing the show. It gives us variety, beauty, and great light — but it always lets the person in front of the camera shine. That’s why we keep going back, and why it’s one of the best places in La Crosse to create photos that truly feel alive.

— J.L....

A lovely, well planned and executed walking garden, with plaques denoting "Sister Cities", along with walking paths, shaded benches, smaller waterfalls and little ponds.

Overlooking the Convergence of two rivers, one being the Mississippi, the other, not sure? A beautiful setting worthy of an afternoon visit.

My only complaint is the giant cottonwood tree overlooking the rivers is being girdles by cabling, ostensibly in place to protect the behemoth from falling in the water.

The cables near the soil line are constricting the cambium layer of the tree, likewise, cables higher up. This narrow layer is the lifeblood of a tree. The tree has grown around some of these constructions, engulfing them, however, girdling may be killing the tree.

Trees this large and this old take many years to actually die, and without the opinion of an arborist who specializes in trees a few hundred years old, I fear for this...

This garden was truly a hidden gem. There are so many beautiful plants, waterfalls, walkways, sculptures, pavilions, and benches.

You really have to see it in order to appreciate it. I didn't take any photos yet from the videos I made, but I'll update some later once I have time. My apologies for the shotty ones im posting anyway 😅. You'll just have to go check it out yourself. It's a very intimate place if you are thinking about proposing that anyone would remember for a lifetime!

Thank me later 😁

(The pictures 100% do nothing as a representation of the garden and that tree was taken outside of the garden in the memorial park 😂) Check out some other people's reviews for accurate photo...