visit garden of cosmic speculation

Forty major areas, gardens, bridges, landforms, sculpture, terraces, fences and architectural works. Covering thirty acres, The Garden of Cosmic Speculation uses nature to celebrate nature, both intellectually and through the senses, including the sense of humour.

A water cascade of steps recounts the story of the universe; a terrace shows the distortion of space and time caused by a black hole; a “Quark Walk” takes the visitor on a journey to the smallest building blocks of matter and a series of landforms and lakes recall fractal geometry.

The garden is private and open to the public one day a year , normally the Sunday of the first May bank holiday, via the Scotland’s Gardens charity scheme.

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An Evening View

Beneath The Branches

Morning Stroll

Spring Views

Winter Reflections

Hillside Contours

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a 30 acre sculpture garden located at Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland.

The garden is not available for private hire, film shoots, advertising shoots or promotions. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is private and only accessible on our annual open day.

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The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, a wonder of Scotland

Near Dumfries, Scotland, you’ll find a truly spectacular and unusual garden. The 30 acre (12 hectare) sculpture garden is dedicated to modern physics and inspired by the cosmos. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation was created by architecture theorist Charles Jencks for his home, Portrack House in Scotland.

photo by Flexdream / Wikipedia

Beware though that, since it is the garden of his home, this interesting garden can be visited for only five hours, once a year. In 2016 the visits were allowed on Sunday 1 May between 12:00pm – 5:00pm – and the date for 2017 will be announced in autumn 2016 .

The fees are £7.00, concessions £5.00, and children under 16 have free entry. Also, there is free parking here. 40% of the money raised go to Maggie’s Centres, a cancer care charity named for the sculptor’s late wife, Maggie Keswick Jencks.

The garden features numerous special sculptures and “arrangements”, among which the most popular are: DNA Garden of Senses (with helix sculptures), The Universe Cascade, several bridges and smaller gardens („Nonsense”, „The Time garden”, and more), the Black Hole and Symmetry Break terraces.

photo by  Flexdream / Wikipedia

Words cannot begin to transmit the beauty and majesty of this garden. It’s impressive, interesting and a five hours visit is definitely not enough to understand it all – especially since there are, of course, many people visiting it at the same time, wanting to discover its charm.

This garden was also featured in literature. Louise Penny included it as an inspiration source for a painter in the mystery novel from the Gamache series „The Long Way Home” (that’s where i found out about this garden;). The Garden of Cosmic Speculation was also included by Cameron Jace in „Circus”, part of the „Insanity” series.

Have you visited this garden? Would you like to?

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2 thoughts on “ the garden of cosmic speculation, a wonder of scotland ”.

That’s a magical place! 🙂

Indeed, a special place. And open for such a short time 😉

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The Garden of Cosmic Speculation Open Days 2024 Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024

We hope that the garden will open again in 2025 and we will announce dates via our guidebook and website in early 2025. if you would like to receive updates about the garden opening, you can sign up to our e-newsletter.

SIGN UP FOR OUR E-NEWS HERE

Opening in aid of Maggie’s Centres and Scotland’s Gardens Scheme’s core charities. Holywood, Dumfries, DG2 0RW Timeslots: 10am – 1pm; 2pm - 5pm

We are delighted to welcome you to visit The Garden of Cosmic Speculation again this year and are, once again, excited to be back with our May opening.

Before booking, please read and note the following carefully:

     TICKETS & PARKING

  Visitors may only enter with a pre-booked ticket, including a car parking ticket .  Please do not turn up without booking as parking is extremely limited and we would hate to turn you away.

Ticket prices: - Driver & Car Park Ticket - £17 - Adult ticket (non-driver) - £15 (where no car parking is required; e.g. travelling with a driver with car park ticket; cycling or taxi) - Child under 16yrs - free admission (must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult at all times, please.)

There are two time slots available: 10am - 1pm and 2pm to 5pm . We ask that you only come in the time slot that you booked and that if you are coming in the morning, that you leave the garden by 1pm to allow us to prepare for the afternoon visitors.  Likewise if you are coming for the 2pm slot, please do not arrive early.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Getting there : please note that the garden is in a rural area and it’s a very long walk from the nearest public transport links. Taxi from Dumfries station is possible but we recommend you contact a local cab company well in advance to make sure they can accommodate you. Cyclists are welcome (no car park ticket required!).

Car parking tickets are for cars only ; unfortunately we cannot admit larger vehicles such as long wheel-base camper vans or buses parking in the site. This is because exit from the site is through a low, narrow, arched railway bridge (3 metres at the highest point of the arch, 4.5m at widest point ) and you could get stuck or damage your vehicle. Please note that parking is in a grassy field, not on hard standing. GARDEN UPDATES & AREAS WITH REDUCED ACCESS - PLEASE NOTE

There is currently extensive building work in progress at Portrack House which means there is reduced access to the area around the property as the site is fully fenced off for safety. As a result, two of the artworks/installations in the garden are not accessible: the Symmetry Break Terrace and the Black Hole Terrace.

Please be aware that the garden is undergoing remedial and renovation work, especially in the areas known as the DNA Garden and around the Universe Cascade. We apologise in advance and ask you to be aware of this so that you are not disappointed. There are new areas of planting and design details for you to enjoy.

ENTERTAINMENT, REFRESHMENTS & DOGS

There will be refreshments sold as you go into the garden this year so teas, coffees and light snacks will be available.

We are delighted to be welcoming members of the Dumfries Music Collective who will be performing works inspired by the garden at various points in the weekend.

Dogs on short leads are welcome but please take your poo bags away with you.

ACCESSIBILITY & TOILETS

Toilets are portaloos and will be available in the car parking field, not in the garden itself.

Disabled access is unfortunately very limited as we only have parking available in a field.  We are also unable to provide disabled toilets this time.  Unfortunately the garden is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Pushchairs are also not very easy to manoeuvre on the grassy surfaces.

Access may be muddy and is uneven on grass so please do remember to wear sturdy, waterproof shoes and dress for the weather.

And finally

Ticket(s) may not be resold, are strictly non-refundable and cannot be exchanged. The garden reserves the right to refuse admission to any ticket holder and in the interest of the public and for safety reasons, we also reserve the right to request guests to leave the garden at any time.

If you have questions, please email [email protected]

Garden of Cosmic Speculation - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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About garden of cosmic speculation.

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• Location and Map

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a 30 acre sculpture garden located at Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland. It was created by Charles Jencks, a renowned landscape architect and theorist, and Maggie Keswick, his late wife. They chose their home, Portrack House, to be the location for their dream. The sculpture garden covers 30 acres and has an unusual design, which was inspired by contemporary cosmology, just like much of Charles Jencks’ works.

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Attractions near garden of cosmic speculation.

Robert Burns Ellisland Farm

1.19km from garden of cosmic speculation.

This was the family home built by Robert Burns in 1788 for his bride Jean Armour. Set picturesquely on the banks of the River Nith, Burns could not have chosen a more idyllic spot. The complex is a museum in the farm Robert Burns built, lived in and farmed from 1788 until 1791.

Gracefield Arts Centre

7.27km from garden of cosmic speculation.

Gracefield Arts Centre is located in Dumfries. The gallery's main building, a Category B listed building, was bought in 1951 by a committee of local people. The gallery houses a collection of over 600 Scottish paintings and also It holds a varied and dynamic schedule of exhibitions throughout the year featuring work by local, national and international artist and makers and selected exhibitions from our permanent art collection.

Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum

7.62km from garden of cosmic speculation.

The Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum is a volunteer-operated aviation museum located in and around the World War II-era watch tower at the former RAF Dumfries, located two miles north east of the centre of Dumfries, Scotland, which was in service from June 1940 until 1957, when it closed. The Museum's main exhibits are not roped off, which allows visitors the freedom of gettting close to the aircrafts which includes - the F-100 Super Sabre, Lockheed T33, De Haviland Vampire T11, The Britis

Dumfries Museum

7.96km from garden of cosmic speculation.

Dumfries Museum tells the story of the land and people of the region. Look out for fossil footprints left by prehistoric animals, the wildlife of the Solway, tools and weapons of our earliest people, stone carvings by Scotland’s first Christians and the everyday things of the Victorian farm, workshop and home. The museum also has the world's oldest working Camera Obscura. Admission is free, however a small fee applies for the Camera Obscura.

Robert Burns House

8.03km from garden of cosmic speculation.

Scotland’s national bard spent his last years in this simple sandstone house that is a key pilgrimage site for Burns' enthusiast from around the world. Over the years it has attracted many famous visitors including the poets Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats. View original manuscripts and some of Burns’ personal belongings. See his desk and chair in the study where he created some of his finest works.

8.24km from Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Dock Park is a great children's play area set within picturesque grounds. A range of other activities are also available whatever your age, including tennis, bowling, putting and trampolining. The park is landscaped, and contains an interesting sunken garden that used to be an old quarry, and was the source of the sandstone for the Mid Steeple. It is also the site of a former castle for Robert the Bruce, and there is a sandstone plaque marking the spot.

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Discover More Attractions in Dumfries and Galloway , Home of Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Dumfries and Galloway

90 attractions.

Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It comprises the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and Wigtownshire, the latter two of which are collectively known as Galloway. The administrative centre is the town of Dumfries.

Location of Garden of Cosmic Speculation

For more information about Garden of Cosmic Speculation , visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Cosmic_Speculation

To view all hotels near Garden of Cosmic Speculation , visit: Hotels near Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Garden of Cosmic Speculation

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a garden designed by Charles Jencks in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It features 40 major areas: gardens, bridges, landforms, sculptures, terraces, fences and architectural works. Covering 30 acres, the garden uses nature to celebrate nature, both intellectually and through the senses, including the sense of humor. A water cascade of steps recounts the story of the universe, a terrace shows the distortion of space and time caused by a black hole, a "Quark Walk" takes the visitor on a journey to the smallest building blocks of matter, and a series of landforms and lakes recall fractal geometry.

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The garden of cosmic speculation in scotland.

This sculpture garden was created by Charles Jencks, a renowned landscape architect and theorist, and Maggie Keswick, his late wife. They chose their home, Portrack House, to be the location for their dream.

The Black Hole Terrace

Located near Dumfries, South-west Scotland, the sculpture garden covers 30 acres and has an unusual design, which was inspired by contemporary cosmology, just like much of Charles Jencks’ works. The masterpiece, that they created features landscape and sculptures based on the Big Bang, geometric fractals, twisting DNA helixes, and black holes.

The couple planned the garden carefully. They met with scientists and horticulturists, in order to come up with a design of a landscape, that would blend nature, science, and art. The sculptured garden is a representation of an unconventional approach.

Fractal Pond

Even though this masterpiece is not home to plant diversity, still its snail-like curves and symmetry are greatly appealing. The garden is comprised of 5 major areas, which are connected by numerous artificial lakes, large white staircases, bridges, and zigzag terraces. All of the different incorporated architectural works are used for representing the universe creation story. Nature is used through the senses and intellectually. The steps of a water cascade are used for recounting the universe story. The presence of a terrace is for the purpose of showing the space and time distortion which is yielded by a black hole. The lakes and landforms series are used for recalling fractal geometry while the Quark Walk takes visitors of this place on an excursion to the smallest matter building blocks.

Symmetry Break Terrace

This private garden often remains closed for the public, except for only 1 day each year. The garden is open to visitors one day only, through the Gardens program of Scotland. Often visitors are allowed during the first Sunday of May and the number of visitors is limited to around 5,000. The money raised from the one-day admission is given to Maggie’s Centres. This is a cancer care foundation, that was named after the late wife of Jencks.

This sculpture garden even managed to inspire music by Michael Gandolfi, an American composer, which in 2009 was nominated for Grammy after being produced by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

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Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé…

Note, the Garden will be open this Sunday, May 5th, from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. More details .

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a private garden created by Charles Jencks. Located at Portrack House near Dumfries in South West Scotland, the garden is inspired by science and mathematics, with sculptures and landscaping on these themes, such as Black Holes and Fractals. The garden is not abundant with plants, but sets mathematical formulae and scientific phenomenae in a setting which elegantly combines natural features and artificial symmetry and curves. It is probably unique among gardens, and contrasts nicely with the historical and philosophical themes. The garden is private but usually opens on one day each year through Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and raises money for Maggie’s Centres, a cancer care charity named for Maggie Keswick Jencks, the late wife of Charles Jencks. The garden is the subject of an orchestral composition by American composer, Michael Gandolfi, which he composed for a joint commission from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center. The piece was subsequently recorded by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano, and nominated for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

http://www.charlesjencks.com Photos by Paulus Maximus

Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé Nast Traveler.

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Everything About Garden of Cosmic Speculation and Why its a Must Visit

Everyone has best friends; extroverts are ones with people as their best friends whom they chatter endlessly. On the other hand, introverts enjoy their own company where they get enough time with nature, books, music and web series. Some of the things introverts do, they talk and share but not out loud, not for everyone to know. These are the people who are best guides to people they know where they get these inspirations though? What is it that empowers them to explore, guide and influence, it's the power of nature? The true admirers of nature are those who know the magical place we are introducing to you today, the garden of cosmic speculation. What is this place we will tell you soon in detail, but for now the crux is, it's a cosmic garden with outdoor plants not made for the purpose of admiring flowers and plants per se, but knowing the phenomenon of science and maths through the magic of plants. Let's dig in.

• The cosmic garden was inaugurated or rather built by Charles Jencks and his wife, Maggie Keswick. They did the good deed in 1989 and are located in Scotland. Their idea was to bring science alive, which is the reason for finding horticulture here.
• This garden opens only once in a year and witnesses a heavy footfall of people who admire nature and keep an interest in science. People who have visited once, pay more visits to sit in the calm and those who visit for the first time don't take long to fall in love.

• The garden of cosmic speculation in London is a combination of inspirational maths and science phenomena explained through figures covered with plants. Even those who steer clear of books, love to indulge in all practicality here.
• The architecture of the place has been done entirely with steel to give it a firm structure but also to make it long-lasting. You also need to see the type of figures made with the material, and you also have to make sure that a strong material is used.

• The garden of cosmic speculation clears your facts or introduces you to the phenomenon of the black hole and big bang theory. All the concepts are structured and explained here to bring you to all the information you wish to know. It is inspiring to know.
• Here you will find the human DNA structure made of steel, tall-height, and well detailed. The detailing and carving are marvelous, and the attention to detail leading to perfection is admirable.

• Many human-made lakes are also a part of this cosmic garden to give it a completely natural look and make it a combination of beauty and brain. The water also keeps intact the vibe of the cosy aroma of the place.
• Everywhere you look, you will succeed in finding an unsolvable phenomenon of science, but you won't succeed in solving one unless you put your brain, heart and time in it without any distraction. What will appear simple, will, in fact, be a mind-boggling puzzle.

• The garden has a special place in people's hearts, and they visit it every time it opens, especially those who live around it. The perfect masterpiece is waiting for you to explore it, go ahead and try your luck.
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10 most beautiful parks and gardens in St. Petersburg (PHOTOS)

1. The Summer Garden

• Closest metro station – Gostiny Dvor
• Work schedule
• What to do: take photos amid sculptures and fountains, listen to jazz.

Sculptures of the Summer Garden

Founded by Peter the Great in 1704, this park in fact occupies a small island. Initially, the emperor’s summer residence was located in this park, which was designed and modeled after the Park of Versailles.

The Crown fountain at the Summer Garden

Today, the Summer Garden is a veritable open-air museum, as its paths host copies of many statues with themes from Antiquity. During the summer season, the fountains spew forth water. While they are smaller to those at Peterhof, they are just as elegant.

Girls in the Summer Garden green gallery

The park now has a modern twist that would shock a time-traveler from the 18th century – in the old  ‘Coffee House’ there’s a cafe now where you can listen to jazz.

2. The Mikhailovsky Garden

• Closest metro stations – Gostiny Dvor/ Nevsky Prospekt
• What to do: see the oak tree planted by Peter the Great, take a photo in Rossi’s Pavilion.

Mikhailovsky Garden near The Russian Museum

The Mikhailovsky Garden is located not far from the Summer Garden. You can combine a walk in the Mikhailovsky Garden with a visit to the State Russian Museum or the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

Mikhailovsky Garden fancy fence

One of the city’s oldest oak trees, planted by Peter the Great, grows on the territory of this garden (the Summer Garden has another one).

Rossi's Pavilion in the Mikhailovsky Garden

There’s a pond that’s spanned by an elegant and picturesque bridge, as well as a pavilion. It’s built on the site of a palace that was built for Peter’s wife, Empress Catherine I.

3. The Alexander Garden

• Closest metro station - Admiralteyskaya
• What to do: take an awe-inspiring walk from the Hermitage Museum to the Bronze Horseman

The Alexander Garden (the yellow building on the background is the Admiralty)

While this is a relatively small garden, it’s right next to the main sites of St. Petersburg: Palace Square and the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Also, the Bronze Horseman is located on the side of this garden that looks out onto the Neva River.

A view to St. Isaac's Cathedral from the Alexander Garden

Initially, there was an empty plot of land here because it was an earthen embankment, a part of the Admiralty fortifications. Then, ship timber and anchors were stored here; later, public festivities were held on this open field. The Alexander garden was officially opened in 1874; and in 1879, the city’s largest fountain at the time was opened here.

4. Central Culture and Leisure Park on Yelagin Island

• Closest metro station – Staraya Derevnya
• Free entry on weekdays; on weekends and holidays – open to the public from 6:00 to 10:00 and from 22:00 to 23:00
• What to do: take a boat ride, visit museums, feed squirrels

Yelagin Island park

Yelagin Island is also a former imperial residence. The imperial family owned the island for about a hundred years, until the 1917 Revolution. Italian architect Carlo Rossi rebuilt Yelagin Palace for the Romanovs, and erected a complex of pavilions and additional buildings. Court gardener Joseph Bush Jr. created an English landscape park on the island, which was the complete opposite of the severe and French-style Summer Garden.

Peaceful boating at Yelagin Island

In summer, Yelagin Island hosts concerts, and in winter there’s a skating rink. Inside Yelagin Palace, you’ll see restored imperial interiors; in the Museum of Glass you can learn the technology of heat treatment for glass at a workshop.

5. The Botanical Garden of Peter the Great

• Closest metro station - Petrogradskaya
• What to do: visit the greenhouse and the Japanese garden, visit the oldest botanical museum.

The Botanical Garden of Peter the Great

The Botanical Garden has one of Russia’s oldest arboretum parks; there’s a Japanese garden and Alpine gardens. A greenhouse complex is the crown jewel, where  you can see flowers bloom year-round (there’s also a calendar ).

Guided tours go along three routes – subtropical, tropical, and one with a view of water plants. In summer, the garden hosts open-air concerts; in winter there’s a light show.

6. The Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg State University

• Closest metro stations – Vasileostrovskaya, Sportivnaya, Admiralteyskaya
• Paid entry, you can visit it in accordance with the tour schedule
• What to do: soak in the youthful atmosphere of the university

The Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg State University

The university’s botanical garden is smaller than the previous one, but it will delight flora enthusiasts. There are two large greenhouses on the territory – a Japanese garden and an arboretum. On your way back you can take a peek at the Faculty of Philosophy’s yard and see the collection of unusual monuments from around the world.

7. New Holland Island

• What to do: visit restaurants; visit a skating rink in winter

New Holland

New Holland is now a hip and trendy public space; and being an island, it’s sufficiently isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city center.

In front of the former prison, the ‘Bottle House’

During the time of Peter the Great, timber was dried here and used for building ships. Later, a prison was built here, and eventually the Navy Department buildings. Today, boutiques and restaurants occupy the former building of the naval prison – the ‘Bottle House’.

New Holland public space

Also, a children’s center now occupies the former Commandant’s house. Concerts are held on a field in the center of the island, and in winter it’s used as a skating rink.

8. The Tauride Garden

• Closest metro station - Chernyshevskaya
• What to do: sports

Tauride (Tavrichesky) Garden

This is the largest green zone of St. Petersburg’s Central District. We suggest you stop and take a look on your way to Smolny Cathedral. The garden was built near the Tauride Palace – the residence of Catherine the Great’s favorite, Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky.

The garden of the Tauride Palace

Today, the palace hosts the headquarters of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, while the garden is open for visitors. City festivals are held here year-round. In winter, the locals enjoy ice-skating and skiing here, in other seasons they come for a jog or for some Nordic walking. The garden has its own small greenhouse. Concerts are held indoors; and there’s also a cafe.

9. Ekaterinhof

• Closest metro station - Narvskaya
• What to do: learn the history of the city

Peaceful Ekaterinhof park

This park lies not far from the Narva Triumphal Arch, erected to commemorate the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Ekaterinhof is also a monument to victories that were achieved a century earlier: in this region on May 7, 1703, Peter the Great secured Russia’s first naval victory over the Swedes. He built an estate here and presented it to his wife, Ekaterina, as a wedding gift. Ekaterinhof means ‘the courtyard of Catherine’. During the time of Peter the Great, May festivities were held annually in this garden in order to celebrate the anniversary of this naval victory.

Ekaterinhof was a wedding gift from Peter the Great to his wife Catherine

Later, the estate was converted into a milk farm, then into fruit and vegetable gardens, and finally the public festivities were once again held here. Today, it hosts sports and art festivals; there are tennis courts, and you can rent a boat.

10. Maritime Victory Park

• Closest metro station – Krestovsky Ostrov
• What to do: active sports; enjoy amusement rides

Amusement park on the Krestovsky Island

St. Petersburg’s prestigious Krestovsky Island has a large park with wide promenades where you can ride a bike, a skateboard, or a kick scooter. You can also feed squirrels and swans, come for a picnic, or sample something delicious on the food truck street. There’s also the large Divo Ostrov amusement park.

Maritime Victory Park

Here, you can also see one of Russia’s most modern stadiums – the flying saucer-esque Gazprom Arena stadium – which is on the western end of Krestovsky Island. Behind it is a wide embankment with a view of the Gulf of Finland and the sleek structures of 21st century St. Petersburg: a new cable bridge and the Lakhta Center skyscraper.

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Grand Menshikov Palace

Menshikov began to build his residence here in 1713, at about the same time as Peter began work on his own estate at Peterhof. Menshikov seemed intent on outdoing his master in terms of scale and grandeur, and commissioned architects Giovanni Mario Fontana and Gottfried Schadel, who were already building the Menshikov Palace in St. Petersburg, to design his seaside palace. After over a decade of work, which eventually bankrupted Menshikov, the palace was completed.

Facing the sea, with a two-level terrace in front of it, this charming yellow and white building consists of a concave central block with two single-storey galleries leading to prominent octagonal pavilions, one of which houses the palace chapel. On the south side of the building, two large ancillary wings, the Kitchen Wing and the Ladies' Wing, run from the pavilions perpendicular to the central block.

Menshikov had little time to enjoy his new palace before he was arrested and exiled in 1727. The estate at Oranienbaum was passed to the state, and Menshikov's palace became a naval hospital. In 1743, the estate was presented by Empress Elizabeth to her nephew, the future Peter III, who commissioned Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the greatest late baroque architect working in Russia, to renovate the palace. Rastrelli left the exterior of the palace almost untouched, but created sumptuous interiors that have, sadly, long since been destroyed. At this time, the western pavilion became known as the Japanese Pavilion, thanks to the collection of Japanese and Chinese ceramics it housed.

The palace was altered again in 1762 by Antonio Rinaldi, who added a granite staircase and semi-circular balcony to the northern terraces and redecorated many of the interiors. After serving as a Naval Cadet College from the end of the 18 th century, the palace was used as a residence by both Alexander I and his brother Mikhail. During the 19 th century, several famous architects, including Luigi Ruska, Carlo Rossi, and Vasiliy Satsov, reworked the interiors of the palace.

Today, while the Grand Menshikov Palace is still extremely impressive from the outside, its interiors are in a parlous state, and major renovation work still needs to be done to prevent parts of the building collapsing. For visitors, there is little to see except a collection of portraits of the various owners of Oranienbaum.

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