Gazebo

For the article relating to the Italian singer Gazebo, see Paul Mazzolini.

Picture of Church Square Park's gazebo in Hoboken, New Jersey.

A large gazebo on the grounds of 'Iolani Palace

A gazebo is a pavilion structure commonly found in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, basic shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest. In their original use—the word appears in English in 1752— they were sited to take advantage of a view, so much so that among the false etymologies for gazebo are Que c'est beau (French: "How beautiful") and the Macaronic Latin gazebo ("I shall gaze").

Earlier examples of garden pavilions that have survived were more solidly built, though open to views. Pavilions that a later generation might have termed gazebos are the garden houses at Montacute House.

Some gazebos in public parks are large enough to serve as bandstands.

The film The Sound of Music features a memorable gazebo scene, but this gazebo is not open on all sides.

Gazebo

See also