Magee Park Gardens

Location: 258 Beech Ave. Carlsbad

Garden Type: Community maintained historic garden

Plantings: Herb Garden, Old Fashioned Garden; Patriotic Garden, Commerical Garden, Native Plant Garden, Rose Garden

Visiting: Gardens are open as part of park; tours of the historic buildings are offered by the Carlsbad Historical Society.

Contact: City of Carlsbad Parks Department (760) 434-2826

Magee Park is a 2.1 acre city-owned historic park.  Three historic buildings: Magee House, Heritage Hall and Granary are located in the park. Several distinct garden areas are maintained around the Magee House.  The five garden beds at the front of the house were planted in 1998 by the Carlsbad Arboretum Foundation (CAF), whose members still look after them with the support of the Carlsbad Historical Society (The CAF officially disbanded in 2010). From east to west, front gardens include: an Herb Garden for aromatic and medicinal plants;  Old Fashioned Garden for plants popular in 1920-1960, the period when the house was occupied by the family of Florence Shipley Magee; a Patriotic Garden with red, white and blue flowers commemorating the national Bicentennial Celebration in 1976; a Commercial Garden for plants grown commercially in Carlsbad; and a Native Plant Garden.  A  time capsule was placed in the center of the Bicentennial Garden and is to be opened in 2076!

The Rose Garden is located to the rear side of the house and is the project of the California Coastal Rose Society (CCRS). The CCRS provides a detailed history of the Magee Rose Garden on their website.

Volunteers meet on the first Saturday of the month, from 9 to 11 am, to maintain the gardens at the front the Magee House.  New volunteers are always welcome.  For additional information, contact the Carlsbad Historical Society by email at cbadhistory@yahoo.com or by phone at (760) 434-9189.