About Penang Botanic Gardens
Penang Botanic Gardens is a 29-hectare public botanical garden at the foot of Penang Hill in Kebun Bunga, George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Established in 1884 by British botanist Charles Curtis on a former granite quarry site, it is also known as Waterfall Gardens. The gardens feature formal plant collections, lily ponds, rainforest trails and colonial-era structures, serving as a major recreational, educational and conservation green space.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a landscaped tropical garden with formal lawns, palm collections, fern houses, lily ponds and heritage buildings set against forested hills. Paved walkways and shaded trails lead through arboretums, cactus houses and jungle paths to a waterfall area. The site is popular for walking, jogging and picnicking, with frequent sightings of long-tailed macaques and dusky leaf monkeys, and views of Penang Hill.
Key highlights
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29-hectare historic botanical garden established in 1884
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Formal gardens with palm, fern and cactus collections and lily ponds
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Rainforest trails leading toward Penang Hill and waterfall area
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Colonial-era Bandstand and historic Curtis-era structures
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Habitat for long-tailed macaques and dusky leaf monkeys
History of Penang Botanic Gardens
Established in 1884 by Charles Curtis, the first Superintendent, on the site of an abandoned granite quarry. Originally created as an experimental garden for commercial crops and botanical research under the Straits Settlements government, it was later developed into a public botanic garden and has been managed by the Penang State Government.
Culture & Context
A long-standing public recreational and educational green space for George Town residents, known locally as Waterfall Gardens. It serves as a venue for community exercise, nature education and conservation of tropical plant species, and is a landmark associated with Penang's colonial horticultural heritage.
Route
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