Mark in Texas History: Tyler Rose Museum showcases city’s colorful history

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The Texas Rose Festival begins Oct. 17, and the parade will weave through the streets of the Rose City.

Tyler is the ideal place for rose propagation. That’s because of the soil and long growing season.

Commercial production began in the 1870s, when industry pioneers began to sell rose bushes. The industry boomed (and bloomed) in the 1920s, when nurserymen began using irrigation.

In 1933, the Texas Rose Festival began bringing East Texans together. It’s an event that highlights the rose industry, and this year the City of Tyler is continuing the Texas Rose Festival tradition for the 91st time.

It was back in 1952 that the Tyler Rose Garden was established. A museum was constructed to house the history of the festival. It is home to memorabilia, featuring amazing costumes and items acquired since the ‘30s.

The rose garden now spans 14 acres and has 600 different varieties of over 38,000 rose bushes. To this day, it is the world’s largest public collection of roses.

The historical marker at the garden highlights the value of the bushes and flowers shipped around the world by local nurseries since 1973. A total of $9 million and one half of the bushes produced each year in the United States come from the Tyler area.

The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden was officially recognized as a “national treasure” on the National Register of Historic Places in October 2019.

So, whether you want to check out the history inside the museum or take a stroll to soak up the wonderful sights and smells of the garden, there is a lot to see. Grab your camera and your family and put a visit to the Tyler Rose Garden on your calendar. There is no charge to go and enjoy this Tyler treasure.

The rose industry and garden are both honored on one historical marker. If you’d like to check it out, it’s located in front of the museum on West Front Street.