About
Cockington Green Gardens offers its visitors an experience you will not find anywhere else. Venture into this delightful and fascinating display of meticulously crafted miniature buildings set within beautifully landscaped gardens to make your Canberra visit complete. Created by Doug & Brenda Sarah Cockington Green Gardens is a family owned and operated attraction, with four generations involved in it’s operation over the past 39 years.
Opened to the public in 1979, Cockington Green is one of Canberra’s landmark attractions, being a winner of an Australian Tourism Award and many local tourism industry awards in this time.
The park is constantly growing with the popular addition of the International display area, which compliments the original English Village and its beautifully established gardens.
Whilst in the park, visit the Rose Room indoor exhibition, featuring ‘Waverley’ a 34 room Dolls House, enjoy a coffee in the Parsons Nose Garden Café, or bring a picnic lunch, while littlies can be entertained in our play ground’ or, a favorite for all being the Miniature Steam Train ride, which encircles the International Display.
What a delightful spot to spend half a day, observing the many intricate and detailed gardens carefully sculpted and maintained to create many different areas of horticultural excellence. A real joy to look at the many planting combinations.
The interactive ‘push button’ trains and things to do were keeping many small children (and a few adults) engaged and encouraging many varied conversations between customers watching and waiting for their turn.
The cafe provides a spot in the sun to sit and ponder as well as indoor options if the weather is not so kind. We had a glorious day so we chose to sit outside and watch the wildlife.
Beautiful scones and great coffee.
This could be listed as “the permanent floriade”It was great…my son had a great time..enjoy the train ride…The staff were lovely as were the staff in the cafe…
Family FunThis is a must-do family outing in Canberra, especially in spring when the gardens are in full glorious bloom. There are miniature houses and boats and trains and sporting fields, and the exhibits are set up with surprises and comic touches for those with a keen eye. Fabulous fun!
MariaKaarenExcellent for young families
A lovely, unique and well maintained attraction which would really appeal to young families. We visited twice. It provided a great break from all the other big ticket places around Canberra. It is within easy reach (about 30min from Canberra cbd). Entry fee is within reason, staff friendly and the cafe is nice.
We enjoyed our visit to Cockington Green. What a lot of effort and if you take the time see some quaint things of humour hidden in each scene. We spent only 2 hours but with little humans in tow you could easily spend half day.
Michelle LWe spent about three hours here with the grandkids. The gardens and miniature scenes are beautiful with a bit of comedy thrown in. The kids loved controlling the trains that went through some of the displays. We got the family ticket which included train ride and it was pretty good value for this type of attraction. The food in the café was quite reasonably priced especially with the 10% discount voucher that came with the family ticket.
Katrina M – TripAdvisorExcellent attraction
The gardens and miniature village are so very well maintained and the detail is second to none. Watching the young lady gardener trimming the grass in the cricket match area and replacing one of the fences, I could of watched for hours the detail she put in.
Cockington Green is such a beautiful garden; having gone there at the start of Spring, can’t help but admire the colourful flowers & the greenery. The train ride was wonderful esp for people who have limited mobility as you still get to enjoy the beauty of the garden without exerting too much effort. A great way to spend the afternoon!
Sooo lovely & colorfulLoved it! We’re 2 50-something former Pommies, and we absolutely loved everything about our visit to Cockington Green. We’re hoping that grandkids might be on the way, and we’re looking forward to sharing the experience with them!
BeautifulThese gardens are very well maintained and all the little touches that you notice as you walk around are really cute. Things like a little Crocodile Dundee and crocodile under a waterfall or drunk and disorderly going on at the pub or even a streaker at the soccer. The more you look the more you see its very clever. I also like that the little trains are working models that don’t require a coin like other places. A lovely afternoon walk.
Beautiful Little PlaceEverything was in colour and so much detail. The walk around the model village was easy and not rushed. I loved the different countries. There is a cafe if you wish to stop for a drink or snack.
Wonderful DetailJust spent two hours here. What a fabulous little place it is. Well run and spotlessly clean. Lovely flowers displays and well done miniature displays of ‘all sorts’… Reasonably priced. A nice little souvenir shop which was not too expensive. Nice friendly, helpful staff and owners. Motorised scooters are available for the less physically capable. $2 train rides, if paying on entry or $3 at the ‘station’. Better for kids than Hunter Gardens. The owner/operators should be very proud….
RGT1952-TripAdvisorA fabulous display, especially with all the colourful blooms in Spring. So much attention to detail and an incredible amount of upkeep has created a truly wonderful depiction of UK villages. It was fun walking around the international section and seeing how many countries you could guess before looking at the name plates! A lovely way to spend a couple of hours in Canberra
Michelle TThis is a great place for young and old. Beautiful scenery with so much detail in the miniature buildings. A must do when in Canberra
JasonG-TripAdvisorCockington Green is so cute and very clever how the displays are put together. There is so much to look at and the care and upkeep of the gardens is amazing. The miniature English towns are very interesting and well designed. Gardens and flowers are beautiful.
Very Cute and CleverOur family of 6 visited here as we had a little time before our flight. The miniatures are extremely impressive and accurately designed. Lots of fun and lots of hidden laughs and references which kept my teens and young adults very entertained. Highly recommended.
Enthralling hour or soI do not want to go into detail on how good this place was. All I ask people who read this review is to just go to Cockington Gardens and enjoy what it has to offer. Definitely a must if you’re in Canberra!!!
Nishantha P – TripAdvisorThis is definitely a must see on your visit to Canberra. The lay out of the small villages is just fantastic and the detail that has gone into it is great. It’s very easy to walk around but spend time looking at all the detail that has been put in. The International is also great with buildings from different countries. We spent approx. 2 ½ hours looking around plenty of photos taken. This place is a great credit to people who designed and built it and the staff who keep it looking great. Well worth the price.
Andrew N – TripAdvisorThe fascination of childhood for all things miniature can be re-experienced by adults at Cockington Green. The Lilliputian models of UK towns and buildings from around the globe are teamed with impeccably manicured lawns and the occasional visual joke (e.g. a boy walking his pet dinosaur on lead) to provide an interesting and enjoyable stroll around the grounds. Visitors were looking twice at the odd live rabbit found munching on the greenery – or were they actually animatronic models? Reasonable prices make this a family outing to consider, especially if you have younger children.
Travel to Cockington Green to feel like Gulliver!mini buildings from all over the world. loved it. can’t get enough. too bad we couldn’t find everything on the list.
mini buildingsSo well groomed miniature model village plus international model countries. I was fascinated by tall. A train ride around gardens ($3). Kids love that. A plaque in front of each display. Picnic area. Small playground and a cafe. Ive been twice.
Loved it so did my family.
Miniature VillageThe gardens is immaculately kept. The miniature towns and cities have so much attention and detail paid to them, you can feel the love and care that has gone into the place. Plenty to see and suggest to pack a picnic and have it on the lawns overlooking the gardens.
An amazing place to visitEverything is in miniature including a steam train which you can ride on that circles the park. The display is in pristine condition and includes an International display that has been sponsored by different countries. This is a great display for all ages and is worthy of the $19 entry fee for adults. Family passes are available and the area is wheel chair friendly. You could spend 3 hours there with so much to see. The train ride is $3 per person and you pay the driver.
peteozi-TripAdvisorWe went to have a look as we had heard great reviews. Such a wonderful place. $46 for 2 Adults (value pack purchased). Everything is in miniature and is so well presented and well maintained. There is a train ride for the kids. There is also a dolls house which is so cute. We loved it!! Free parking and lots of it. Located next to a small shopping area not far from Canberra.
Garden Lovers & families a must seeGreat little place to visit. Gardens are beautiful and all the little miniature’s are very well designed and worth the visit. Lots to see and do. Lovely little coffee shop and trinkets to buy.
Joanne G GWow! We had such a great time here this morning. What a great place. I highly recommend a visit here if you are in Canberra. The grounds were immaculate, and everything was in great condition. All staff we interacted with were friendly and accommodating. Reasonable entry prices and gift shop was reasonable too. The miniature train ride and garden displays were enjoyed by us all.
Great morning outVisited Cockington Green Gardens for something to do in Canberra. Was very pleasantly impressed with the standard of the gardens and the miniatures from the UK and also from around the world. Gardens and miniatures are of a high standard. The gardeners work hard to keep the gardens in pristine condition. Gift shop is a great way to buy gifts for younger family members. There is also a train for younger children to have rides on. Remember to bring a hat on warm days. Didn’t try cafe.
Lovely Gardens and MiniaturesWe visited Cockington at opening time due to the possible inclement weather. Well situated after a short drive from the CBD. Cockington is a series of model buildings of the United Kingdom set amongst water and garden features. There is an international section with buildings throughout the world. It is very well kept. There is a steam train that takes you around the area – especially attractive for the younger visitors. After the inspection of the models you can retire to the coffee shop with its delicious scones and coffee. It is well worth a visit and we look to returning on a more pleasant day.
119allans-TripAdvisorWasn’t sure what this place would be like, but it was amazing. The building of all of the displays must have taken years. There were quirky bits everywhere, we found a Dr Who with Tardis, a streaker being escorted off the football field by 2 policemen. The little steam train around the gardens was a lovely touch, and speaking of lovely touches, there were umbrellas supplied for our use, it was really sunny and stinking hot on the day we visited. Loved everything about this place from the displays to the gardens and staff to the ice cream at the end. Everyone of us enjoyed it and we had three boys with us. Take the time to go it’s well worth it.
MiniaturesA great display of miniature towns from all over the world. The gardens are superb and well worth the visit. I took my mother here who had never visited before and she was very impressed
So small yet so bigI have known about this for over a decade and have always dismissed it as something not worth doing…Until the oldies turned up and wanted to go…..
It is actually really good…
The grounds and gardens are spectacular and the experience was nowhere near as lame as I had always imagined….
Worth the effort
Very goodCockington Green is very clean with well thought our design and pathways that allow even the disabled to enjoy the garden from the same viewpoint as those more able bodied. There is ample parking and the staff were lovely and inviting. The amenities available are suitable for even a big tourist group to enjoy without much fuss. Although we didn’t visit it today there is also a cafe on site if you are feeling peckish or a little thirsty. I am in awe of the detail in some of these little displays and it’s definitely obvious how many man hours go into the care of the garden itself. My favourite area is the International Garden and this is where I took most of my pictures today. I love quirky sense of humour in amongst the reality of the miniature displays…the guy hanging from the roof, the addition to the soccer match and NO – I didn’t get what the man was waiting for and had to seek the answer on the maze viewing platform…and now it makes perfect sense…lol. We observed kids using the interactive displays which I think is a good addition to the experience for them.
Miniature HeavenThis garden rivals a similar one [Maduradam] i visited in The Hague a few years ago.
Cockington Green is meticulously planned and implemented, and finely maintained.
Look our for the interesting little quirks throughout the park.
Some of the features may be operated by push-button panes, such that trains will operate.
Worthy of repeat visit to see how it changes over time.
Fascinating display of meticulously handcrafted miniature buildings from around the world.If your in the area this is such an amazing little place to visit. They put so much work into making the place so magical. The little hidden people all round made it fun to find. There is also so much work put into the gardens. We loved the train ride to see it all from a different view.
Special Little spotBeen here many times before. This was the first time we bought our 18 month old daughter. She had fun, we had fun, it’s a fun little place. I especially loved the international area. A must see in the ACT. 5 Stars
Great “Little” place!Great place to bring young kids. The miniature models on display are beautiful and detailed. There’s plenty to see.
Ravishan Fernando – Google ReviewOur Partners

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3infun
3 attractions – 1 ticket – free bonus visit – loads of fun!