Guests are welcome to visit Deer Park on designated Days of Mindfulness or to register for an overnight retreat. You do not need prior meditation experience to visit us, but we do ask that you plan your visit for times when the monastery is open and receiving visitors. If you have registered for an overnight retreat, please plan to arrive on your designated arrival day. The monastery gate will remain closed outside of these times.
Public Visiting Hours
- No drop-in visiting available at this time
- Come for the Day (advance registration required)
- Calendar
Overnight Retreats
We offer a number of seasonal and special retreats throughout the year. Please visit our Register for a Retreat page for information on current overnight retreat opportunities, including retreat descriptions, available arrival dates, and pricing information. You can apply to register for an available retreat by completing an online registration form. We receive overnight guests only on the listed seasonal and special retreat arrival days.
While You Are Here
During your time here, you are invited to practice sitting and walking meditation, to enjoy mindful eating with the community, to listen to talks by our teachers, to visit our gardens, and to walk along the nature trails.
Cost of Your Visit
Days of Mindfulness are available to attend on a donation basis. There are donation boxes available in the Dining Hall and Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall, or you can click here to donate online.
Overnight stays are charged per night at the following rates
Special Retreats
| Adults | Teens | Children | |
| 3-Bed Dorm | $150 | $105 | $68 |
| 6-Bed Dorm | $110 | $88 | $55 |
| Bring your own Tent | $85 | $68 | $45 |
Seasonal Retreats
| Adults | Teens | Children | |
| 3-Bed Dorm | $140 | $112 | $70 |
| 6-Bed Dorm | $100 | $80 | $50 |
| Bring your own Tent | $70 | $56 | $35 |
The Annual 90-Day Rains Retreat has numerous options, including reduced nightly rates from what is listed above. Please communicate with the Registration Office when making your reservations.
We do offer scholarships through our Hemera Grant.
Day of Mindfulness sample schedule:
9:00 AM – Walking meditation
10:00 AM – Dharma talk
11:30 AM – Recitation ceremony or dharma discussion
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM – Bookshop opens
After lunch: Day of Mindfulness concludes
Seasonal retreat sample schedule:
5:00 AM – Wake up bell
5:45 AM – Sitting meditation
6:45 AM – Exercise time
7:30 AM – Breakfast
9:00 AM – Working meditation
11:30 AM – Walking meditation
12:30 PM – Lunch
2:00 PM – Mindful rest period
3:00 PM – Class or meeting
4:30 PM – Walking or sitting and chanting meditation
6:00 PM – Light dinner
7:30 PM – Class or personal study time
9:30 PM – Noble silence
10:30 PM – Lights out and bedtime
Special retreat sample schedule:
5:00 AM – Wake up bell
5:45 AM – Sitting meditation
6:45 AM – Walking meditation
7:45 AM – Breakfast in silence
9:00 AM – Working meditation
10:30 AM – Dharma talk
12:30 PM – Lunch in silence
2:15 PM – Deep relaxation meditation
3:30 PM – Dharma discussion
5:00 PM – Mindful rest
5:30 PM – Dinner in silence
7:30 PM – Dharma presentation
9:00 PM – Noble silence
10:00 PM – Lights out
Lodging
The dorm room lodging in Deer Park Monastery is simple with only shared rooms (up to six people per room). Rooms have a toilet, sink, and shower. Guests are provided with a mattress on bunk bed frames. Rooms are heated in the cooler times of the winter and air-conditioning is available during warmer times of the summer. During seasonal retreat, men reside in Solidity Hamlet; women reside in Clarity Hamlet; and families reside in Solidity Hamlet.
Tenting is also available with toilets, sinks, and individual showers in the campground. Men, women, and couples are segregated into different areas of the campground, but specific locations cannot be reserved. You must bring your own tent and sleeping bag.
Food is included with your registration fee. For every full day, there are three vegetarian, and generally vegan, meals per day. Unfortunately, we are limited in our capacity to accommodate people who have special dietary or medical needs. For those staying in Solidity Hamlet, a small community refrigerator is available in Solidity Hamlet Tearoom.
Pets
Because of our communal practice, guests cannot bring pets to our practice center.
What to Bring – Overnight Guests
If you are planning to stay overnight, you are encouraged to bring items necessary for your comfort such as the following:
- Water bottle
- Flashlight
- Alarm clock
- Towel
- Bedding and/or sleeping bag
- Pillow
- Personal items
- Shampoo
- Hand soap
- Umbrella
- Good walking or hiking shoes
- Warm clothing and footwear, particularly in winter months
- Sun hat in summer and warm hat in winter
- Cloth napkin for meals
Mindful Conduct at Deer Park Monastery
• Practicing the Mindfulness Trainings: Please keep in mind that the monastery is a spiritual space intended for personal relaxation, healing, self-reflection, and transformation. Observe the Five Mindfulness Trainings to ensure a respectful and harmonious atmosphere for all.
• Intoxicants and Drugs on Campus Are Strictly Prohibited. This includes illegal drugs, marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, vapes, as well as illicit prescription and over-the-counter medications. Possession of these substances will result in immediate removal from the monastery.
• Appropriate Physical Conduct: Respect personal boundaries and avoid behaviors that may make others feel uncomfortable or unsafe, including romantic advances, sexual gestures or comments, inappropriate physical contact (including touching, punching, or hugging), asking another visitor to go to an isolated place away from the Sangha, or disregarding dress code guidelines.
• Dress Code: Dress modestly and comfortably by covering shoulders, midsection, and knees. Avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, and fragrances.
Please report any concerning or inappropriate behavior to a monastic resident or email office@deerparkmonastery.org
Visit Us
If you would like more information on visiting Deer Park, please see our Come For the Day and Register for a Retreat pages. For schedule information, please see our Calendar.
“The foundation of a good community is a daily life that is joyful and happy.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh