Photo: Government of PunjabField guides / Punjab / Lahore / Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore
Field guide · Nature
Lahore
Lahore District · Punjab, Pakistan
Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore
Lahore's old Lawrence Gardens, a 19th-century botanical garden on The Mall beside the zoo.
Bagh-e-Jinnah, laid out from 1860 as Lawrence Gardens, is one of Lahore's great green spaces: a botanical garden planned on the model of Kew, beside Lahore Zoo and across The Mall from Governor's House.
Why go
- ✦A botanical garden laid out from 1860
- ✦The Quaid-e-Azam Library in its 19th-century halls
- ✦Old trees of some 600 species
- ✦Right on The Mall, beside Lahore Zoo
About
The first tree was planted in January 1862; by 1876 the garden held 80,000 trees and shrubs of some 600 species. Within the park are the Quaid-e-Azam Library, housed in the old Lawrence and Montgomery halls, Masjid Dar-ul-Islam, an open-air theatre, tennis courts and the Gymkhana Cricket Ground. It was renamed Bagh-e-Jinnah after Partition, in honour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
History
The site was first used by the Agri-Horticultural Society of the Punjab and named after John Lawrence, the Punjab's first Chief Commissioner and later Viceroy of India. Lawrence Hall was built in 1862 and Montgomery Hall in 1866; the garden was enlarged to the south in 1868. From 1904 the Department of Agriculture looked after it, and since 1912 about seven acres have been managed by Government College University.
How to Reach
On Lawrence Road off The Mall in central Lahore, next to Lahore Zoo and opposite Governor's House.
Responsible Travel
Respect local communities and site rules.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March; in summer come early in the morning or near sunset.
Getting there, On Lawrence Road off The Mall in central Lahore, next to Lahore Zoo and opposite Governor's House.
Allow, One to two hours.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, within 5 km.
