The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden is an enchanting world of wonder, light, and lush greenery, bringing a sensory-rich, nature-led play experience to South City Square, Woolloongabba. 

By day, it is a flora-filled wonderland, threaded with curving paths, hand-carved native timber sculptures of wallabies, wombats, kookaburras and snake totems by local artist Mattie George, and interactive coloured glass panels that catch and throw light across the garden.

At the heart of the garden is the eye-drawing colourful glass panelled, interactive wardrobe. Curving paths weave and wind through, guiding visitors on their own adventure, with hopscotch and stepping stones reimagined in on-theme wooden logs to step, leap and jump across.

The space also features a dry creek bed meandering to the side, piquing the imagination and stimulating prompts for play for kids to explore all aspects of The Secret Garden world. Literature is hidden in quotes found in seats and light-up bulbs.

After dark, it transforms into an enchanting, jaw-dropping visual show – more than 600 individually controlled LED lights and five rotating soundscapes inspired by the Australian environment bring the native plantings to life.

During the light show, the canvas of native flora comes to life, while nature-inspired pattern projections ripple across trees and footpaths, telling a story, and bringing a little bit of magic to the area.

Good to know - The garden has been designed with inspiration drawn from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, with the idea of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, and stepping into whimsical new worlds.

Need to know - The Secret Garden officially opens on Friday 27 March at 4:30 PM as part of South/City/SQ's Easter
Markets. Entry is free.

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