The Rose Garden

The Nan Elliot Memorial Rose Garden serves as a main focal point for Gordon Moore Community Park. It has been quoted as being “…conceived as a restful oasis of color and fragrance in the brown expanse of the playing fields…” That vision came from the late Dr. Robert W. Elliot. The Rose Garden was completed and dedicated on June 15, 1980. The Rose Garden has roughly 1 acre of ground, over 150 varieties and 1600+ rose bushes. The Rose Garden begins its normal bloom cycle in late May or early June, lasting until the first hard freeze of fall. The Rose Garden is an accredited All American Rose Selections show garden, receiving the AARS outstanding maintenance award 26 of 28 years. The Rose Garden has become a popular location for weddings and pictures for all events such as proms and family reunions. On average the Rose Garden plays host to about 70 weddings and memorial/funeral services each year. The Rose Garden is also home to a Carillon, which normally plays every half hour, and the Carillon guild performs a concert every Sunday at 5:00 PM, Memorial Day through the end of September. The Nan Elliot Memorial Rose Garden was designed to be the prize jewel of Gordon Moore Community Park and more than 25 years later remains the prize jewel of the park.

Joel Anderson is an Accredited ARS Consulting Rosarian. Joel received the outstanding Illinois/Indiana district consulting rosarian award in the fall of 2011. For information on growing roses in Alton, please call 618.463.3585.

The Rose Garden is located at Gordon Moore Park. The address is 4550 College Ave, Alton, IL 62002