Serre de la Madone garden

  • Park and garden
  • Garden
  • Botanical garden
  • Remarkable garden
  • Protected (Historic monument)
74 route du Val de Gorbio, 06500 Menton
Built between 1924 and 1939 by Major Lawrence Johnston, this unique landscaped garden contains countless rare plants and species from all over the world. This earthly paradise is a haven of freshness and greenery.
A few kilometres from the coast, in the Madone district, on the road to Gorbio, in a very hilly area and on the slope of a real ridge - a greenhouse - Lawrence Johnston, American, British citizen and French at heart, chose to make his home and create a garden where he could install the rarest plants that he would bring back from the end of the world.

A cypress-lined road leads to the property. Along this access ramp, one discovers magnificent species that make the originality and quality of this garden: the Himalayan tropical oak, whose leaf has nothing to do with an oak leaf, the two immense Podocarpus trees with their fine sickle-shaped leaves and thick shade, the two Washingtonia filifera trees, the large Magnolia delavayi from Yunnan and finally the exceptional Nolina from Mexico. Entering this timeless place, cut off from the hustle and bustle of the city, the fragrances that emanate from the garden, the birdsong, the majesty of the large plants, awaken our senses.

Crowning the landscaped garden, the ochre bastide has retained all its charm. The residence opens onto the circular belvedere with its wisteria roof and the mandarin courtyard with its calade. These places still keep the memory of the sumptuous receptions that Johnston gave there.
Classified as a Historic Monument in 1990, it is the property of the Conservatoire du Littoral and is managed by the town of Menton.
A few kilometres from the coast, in the Madone district, on the road to Gorbio, in a very hilly area and on the slope of a real ridge - a greenhouse - Lawrence Johnston, American, British citizen and French at heart, chose to make his home and create a garden where he could install the rarest plants that he would bring back from the end of the world.

A cypress-lined road leads to the property. Along this access ramp, one discovers magnificent species that make the originality and quality...
  • Ils s'engagent
    Particularly sensitive to the nature and climate of the Riviera, Lawrence Johnston settled on the Côte d'Azur, a fashionable destination for his fellow British citizens. It was in Menton, between the wars, that this botanical enthusiast laid out his estate, modulating spaces and structuring perspectives. He built arbors and staircases, modernized the cisterns, cultivated olive trees, fig trees and vines, and added sculptures... It was here, in this astonishing garden, that he introduced species from all over the world.
    Now owned and preserved by the Conservatoire du Littoral, the estate cultivates its taste of paradise.

Services

Services

Not accessible in a wheelchair
Arts
entertainment
Floral art
Shop
Guided tours

Services offered

Quality standards

Quality standards
Label Accueil VéloLabel Accueil Vélo

Rates

Rates

From 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025

Until 31 October 2025
Full price
15€

Reduced priceChildren aged 6 to 18
11€

Price excluding guided tours.

Payment methods

Payment methods

Payment methods

Bank/credit cardBank/credit card
CheckCheck
CashCash
Online paymentOnline payment

Openings

Openings

Monday
Closed

Tuesday
10:00 - 18:00

Wednesday
10:00 - 18:00

Thursday
10:00 - 18:00

Friday
10:00 - 18:00

Saturday
10:00 - 18:00

Sunday
10:00 - 18:00

Location

Location

Serre de la Madone garden
74 route du Val de Gorbio, 06500 Menton

Spoken languages

Spoken languages
  • French

Environment

Environment
  • Close to a motorway
  • Close to a trunk road
  • Near shuttle stop
  • Town outskirts
  • Close to a public transportation
  • Village 2 km away
  • Bus stop < 500 m

Access

Access
  • Take the road Vallée de Gorbio
Updated on 03 April 2025 at 11:20
by Office de Tourisme Menton, Riviera & Merveilles
(Offer identifier : 4753973)