The Garden of Dreams is situated within the premises of Kaiser Mahal (a palace, now the Ministry of Education) which was built in 1895 by the then Prime Minister Bir SJB Rana. The palace was later inherited by his son Chandra SJB Rana who later created the garden and presented to his son Kaiser SJB Rana as his wedding gift. Being a man of great essence, Kaiser Shumsher extensive landscape program for the garden included eastern lawn, wooded and cultivated areas, and a duck pond to name a few. It is learnt that he was an impassioned traveler especially to European Countries and the Garden of Dreams was an inspiration he received from the gardens in Europe.
To create awareness about the heritage preservation within the metropolis, the plan to preserve the dream garden continued until 2001, when a million –dollar Garden of Dreams Project was born and was funded by Austrian Government in cooperation with the Ministry of Education & Sports and executed by Eco Himal.
Even if the garden has lost half of its original size to the development of Thamel, three of its neo-classical pavilions as well as its central lotus pond and most of the other architectural and sculptural elements have survived their complete restoration now securing the legacy of Kaiser Shumsher's creation for future generation.
A number of elements have been added by utilizing latent resources of its existing layout like an amphitheater has been created for open-air cultural programs and two of the historical pavilions have been converted to serve as a garden café and lounge bar. The 'Ratounda', another pavilion garden's lost portion has been reconstructed as a new focal point and a range of new water bodies, fountains, pergolas, lush green garden, and varieties of flora complements on the elegance of the garden.
Tickets
Single admission: Nepalis Rs 80, foreigners Rs 160, children, disabled persons and senior citizens Rs 40
10 admissions: Locals Rs 400, foreigners Rs 800
Annual membership: RS 2000, including 10% discount on all restaurant bills and free parking
Corporate membership: RS 1000 for a minimum of 10 members, 10% discount on all restaurant bills