By the Explore Hamilton news desk · Published Thursday 12 November 2026
Hamilton Gardens has won the ServiceIQ Tourism Excellence Award for small-to-medium businesses, a national tourism award presented at this year's ceremony in Christchurch.
- Award
- ServiceIQ Tourism Excellence Award – Small-Medium Business
- Visitors
- More than one million a year, according to Mayor Tim Macindoe
- Entry
- Enclosed Gardens need a general admission ticket or MyGardens Pass; Hamilton ratepayers get in free with a MyGardens Resident Pass, and under-16s are free
Judges called the Gardens’ shift from a community park into a part-commercial attraction “brave”, noting that locals have kept good access and backing throughout. The award also recognises its tourism and community impact, sustainability and long-term success.
Director Lucy Ryan accepted the award and credited staff and volunteers who had worked through five years of big change. She said in the council’s release, “There’s an enormous amount of work that happens behind the scenes, from caring for the Gardens and developing new experiences to welcoming visitors through the gates.”
A busy spring after the Medieval Garden opened
The award comes after the Medieval Garden, the 19th of the Enclosed Gardens, opened in September with a cloistered walkway, a 12-metre bell tower and a working garden of plants that had practical uses in medieval life.
In the 10 days after it opened, the Gardens recorded more than 14,400 paid admissions and more than 6100 visits from residents and annual pass holders, the council says. Annual pass sales climbed to almost four times the rate they had been tracking at beforehand.
Revenue for the last financial year was about $5 million, ahead of expectations, with travel trade, events and retail sales among the contributors. Mayor Tim Macindoe said, “Hamilton Gardens has proven time and again that it is a world-class attraction.”
The Gardens has also kept its Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award and was named a 2026 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award winner.
Visiting
The Medieval Garden and the other Enclosed Gardens need a general admission ticket or a MyGardens Pass. Hamilton ratepayers can get in free with a MyGardens Resident Pass, and children under 16 are free. When the Medieval Garden opened, the council said work had already started on a 20th garden themed on the Baroque period.
The council’s announcement of the award has the full details, and our guide to Hamilton Gardens covers the themed gardens to see on a visit.
- Hamilton City Council news: Bold transformation earns Hamilton Gardens top tourism honour, released 5 November 2026
- Hamilton City Council news: Hamilton Gardens opens the door to the medieval world, released 24 September 2026
Explore Hamilton news desk: news@explorehamilton.co.nz. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we’ll correct it.
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