Bagh-e-Jinnah Lahore: Walks, Library and Gardens

Bagh-e-Jinnah, the old Lawrence Gardens on Lawrence Road beside Lahore Zoo and opposite Governor's House on The Mall, is Lahore's best park for a proper walk: a 2.65 km track through 141 acres of mature trees, with the Quaid-e-Azam Library, a Test-match cricket ground, tennis courts, an open-air theatre and a mosque inside. The park is free to enter. Go early in the morning, especially from May to September, before the heat builds.

This guide covers the garden's history, the walking track, the library's hours and membership rules, the other things inside, and when to go.

A garden older than the country

The site belonged to the Agri-Horticultural Society of the Punjab and was planned as a botanical garden on the model of Kew in London. It was named after John Lawrence, the first Chief Commissioner and then Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, who became Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869. The first part was laid out by 1860, and the first tree went in in January 1862.

By 1876 the garden held 80,000 trees and shrubs of 600 species, from the Indian plains, Austria, Syria and southern Europe. In the early 1900s it imported fruit trees from across the empire, grapes and mulberries from Kabul and peaches from Agra among them. Since 1912 about seven acres have been run by Government College, now GC University. After Partition the garden was renamed in honour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Lawrence's statue, which stood outside the nearby Lahore High Court, was removed in 1951.

Part of the original 176 acres went to Lahore Zoo and other development, leaving 141 acres.

What grows here

The garden still lists almost 150 varieties of trees, 140 kinds of shrubs, 50 creepers, 30 palms and about 100 succulents, as well as seasonal flowers. It has three nurseries and four small hillocks, and is known for its chrysanthemum shows and its large collection of chrysanthemum varieties. Chrysanthemums flower in late autumn, which makes November a good month for a visit.

Walking under the oldest trees on the main avenues, some planted in the 19th century, is the main reason to come. A book on the garden's plants, Flora of Jinnah Garden, can be bought from the garden office if you want to identify what you are looking at.

The track and morning walks

The 2.65 km track that loops through the gardens is the busiest part of the park at dawn, when Lahoris come for a walk or a run before work. It is mostly shaded and flat, which makes it one of the easiest places in central Lahore for visitors to exercise away from traffic.

Evenings bring a different crowd: families on the lawns, groups of friends and people cutting through between The Mall and the neighbourhoods behind. Early morning is quieter and cooler; evening has more life.

The Quaid-e-Azam Library

The library occupies two linked Victorian halls. Lawrence Hall went up in 1862 for public meetings and theatre, and Montgomery Hall was completed in 1866, paid for by Punjab chiefs and leading citizens. The buildings became the Lahore and Mian Mir Institute in 1878 and the Lahore Gymkhana Club in 1906. After the Gymkhana moved to the Upper Mall in 1972, they were restored and opened as the Quaid-e-Azam Library on 25 December 1984.

It now holds about 141,000 volumes, mostly in English and Urdu, with seats for 1,000 readers. It is a reference library: nothing can be borrowed, food and drink are not allowed, and bags are left at the entrance of the main hall.

Opening hours (from the library's own site): 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday, and on Friday 8 am to 12:30 pm and 2:30 to 7 pm.

Visiting and membership. Non-members can come in for study or research by leaving a CNIC at the entrance. Membership fees listed by the library are:

Members get the 50-seat computer lab, internet and HEC digital resources free, and there is a separate study room for CSS and PMS candidates.

Other things inside the gardens

• The cricket ground. Played on since 1885, it hosted Pakistan's first unofficial Test, against the West Indies, in 1948, and full Tests from 1954-55, when Pakistan played India. New Zealand and the West Indies also played Tests here before Gaddafi Stadium took over. It is now the Lahore Gymkhana ground.
• An open-air theatre, used for events.
• Tennis courts.
• Masjid Dar-ul-Islam, with its own library.
• The shrine of Baba Turat Muraad Shah, which draws a steady stream of visitors.
• A restaurant and kiosks for tea.

When to visit

Go before about 9 am for the coolest air, particularly from May to September, when midday heat makes even the shaded paths uncomfortable. Winter mornings in December and January can be cold and foggy, so a late-morning visit works better once the fog has lifted. November brings the chrysanthemums.

The garden sits on The Mall, so it fits easily with the Lahore Museum, the old Mall buildings and an afternoon in the Walled City. Our Lahore itinerary and places to visit in Lahore show how to combine them, and the Lahore Zoo is right next door for families.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you like a real walk rather than a photo stop, or if old trees and Victorian buildings interest you as much as monuments. It suits early risers, families after a calm evening out, cricket fans, and students who want a quiet place to read.

It is less suited to a short stop squeezed between other sights, since its appeal is unhurried time. If you have only an hour, walk one loop of the track and look in at the library halls.

Frequently asked questions