Clemens Gardens — Attraction in St. Cloud

We highly encourage everyone to experience the stunning beauty and profound history of the Clemens Gardens. While the adjacent Munsinger Gardens offers natural, winding paths, the Clemens Gardens (developed mostly in the 1990s) provides a breathtakingly formal, European-style experience that stands as a testament to the remarkable generosity and love story of William and Virginia Clemens.

The origins of this beautiful seven-acre space are rooted in Bill Clemens' devotion to his wife, Virginia. Virginia, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, was confined to their home overlooking the river. Because she loved roses and formal gardens but could no longer travel, Bill purchased the land across the street, donated it to the city, and funded the development of the Virginia Clemens Rose Garden in her honor. She was able to enjoy the beautiful view from her window until she passed in 1998.

This initial act of love led the Clemens family to donate more, allowing for the creation of the additional formal gardens, including the Rest Area Garden, White Garden, and the iconic Treillage Garden. They also established an endowment to ensure the gardens' long-term maintenance, creating a lasting legacy for the entire community. A beautiful bronze statue of Bill and Virginia strolling through the grounds commemorates their monumental gift.

Today, visitors are treated to an immaculate display featuring thousands of annuals and perennials, elaborate fountains, and detailed ironwork. It is a stunning, tranquil place to spend an afternoon. Whether you are admiring the nearly 1,100 roses in the Virginia Clemens Rose Garden or finding peace in the soothing White Garden, you are walking through a true act...

I’ve been coming back annually since my college years at SCSU (across river from Munsinger-Clemens park) since 1987. Part of my running route for years. Nice paths, huge arrangement of plants & flowers. Grows bigger each year. Restful and peaceful. Ducks and geese like the area; right off the river. Places to sit, benches to rest, open areas for picnic, pavilion and childrens play area nearby. Cute gift store on sight. Parking is off road (which you can often find a place for). A nearby park with pavilion has parking if you’re able to walk the short distance. Attendance is free. I believe parking off road is as well. One of the prettiest...

Between the two gardens and the river it's perfect. You have the nice flower gardens but that gets hot in the summer sun. So after you wander thru that you head down the hill and go thru the shaded gardens and cool off with a nice breeze coming off the river. There are numerous bench swings that are looking out at the river and you can sit and rest and enjoy the view while relaxing. Afterwards we drove just down the road to get burgers and fries at Val's and it made for a great afternoon. In retrospect we could have got the burgers and picnicked at...