The membership is worth it! So many beautiful plants and flowers to see. Love the desert section with all of the cactus and saguaros. They've really done a great job with the renovation. The new Frida Kahlo exhibit is great. Currently there's a photo exhibit of penguins through June 2026 Their kitchen also has a few vegan options Wheelchairs available for use. read more

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I love this little hidden treasure in the middle of town. Although it's on the smaller scale (compared to larger city botanical gardens) it is always a fun place to visit. The cacti & curated gardens are beautiful, they currently have the Frida Kahlo exhibit with brightly colored displays it matched perfectly with the Sonoran desert landscape. I especially enjoy the butterfly enclosure, the Barrio Gardin surrounded by adobe walls and reclaimed objects as planters and the birds that call this place home. You can grab lunch or a snack and sit under the big shade tree on the patio. They host events, check their website or become a member to receive updates. read more

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Beautiful escape from city and not as far as Mount Lemmon. delicious eatery with a dog menu! I'm on keto and got the Turkey club wrapped in cheese instead of bread and it was the best sandwich I've ever had. Their new train exhibit is SO cool, felt like I was at Disney Land. read more

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I love the spring tropical butterfly exhibit I'm so sad when they leave I had a blast here and the plants are always shocking to see growing in Tucson with the heat. Great sustainable planting showing people there are drought friendly options! Definitely recommend a morning trip to avoid heat, also bring water and sunscreen. We got to go through the culture pass program with pima county library and I can't wait to visit other places:) read more

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We have returned as the same group for the Annual lighting show. It's slightly different each year. It is near the end of the season and the crowd was smaller. A nice simple stroll thru lush cactus gardens with wonderful special night lights. We ll be back! read more

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Amazing place to visit- different plants and their blooms catch your eye in different seasons. The butterflies are always stunning. read more

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I took my mother for an outdoor walk, and she thoroughly enjoyed the location. I appreciate that it is not overly expansive, as my mother is unable to undertake lengthy walks. The abundance of seating areas for rest is a significant advantage. The atmosphere here is very serene, and it is wonderful to observe the various types of plants. This is an ideal time to visit, given that it is the spring season. The staff members are friendly, and there is a cafeteria located within the garden, which we plan to visit on our next trip. While there were not many butterflies in the butterfly sanctuary, it was still pleasant to see what was inside. I wholeheartedly recommend this place. read more

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The Tucson Botanical Gardens have been a hit every time I have patronized. To me, the necessary highlights are the butterfly garden and their train collection. It would be very easy to spend a couple of hours here if you explored every nook and cranny, but sometimes you just want the highlight reel. In the summer, I would recommend getting there before 11 or after 2 due to the heat, but this place shines just as much during the winter. Wear layers so you don't drown in humidity with the butterflies and can adapt to the sun accordingly! read more

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Of the many, many beautiful botanical gardens ever visited across the country, albeit not the largest botanical garden, this one by far is one of the most unique, exceptionally organized and imaginatively diverse botanic showcases I have experienced to date! It is not your typical garden type settings in the country. It is a must visit whether a first-time visitor or have been there multiple times. There is always something new, intriguing and passionately awe inspiring. But the fact of its inherent distinctiveness makes it superb. Not only do you have an opportunity to explore the natural splendor of the Sonoran desert's flora and fauna in a natural state, but you have an opportunity to explore multiple displays of natural beauty as well as man-made artistry. It's been that way since it was inspired into conception in 1964. While visiting we not only had the opportunity to experience the basic and general displays and layout, but marvelous other exhibitions like the extraordinary Butterfly and Orchid Pavilion with an exceptional and rare exposition of marvelous butterflies, but marvelously beautiful Orchids. Frida's Garden is an exceptional showing of serenity and art. And for those more mechanically prone there's the G-Scale Train Diorama with multiple trains chooglin' their way throughout an elaborate multiple tracks high and low with real rivers, trellis bridges and an amazing array of handcrafted building representing real life structures. Oh, and I almost forgot one of my fave spots, the Zen Gallery. This layout of seating areas, raked sand, stone areas and meditation areas is relaxing and contemplative. This is a must visit. We were amazed with every step taken, breath inhaled and every sense charmed. Congrats to the staff, volunteers, donors, patrons and management for a superb job! read more

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Such a serene, beautiful day at the garden. I've now been about four times and each visit I saw new and unexpected pieces of art, nature, and history. This recent time I loved the Frida Kahlo exhibit: an immersive art- and flower-filled experience, including pieces demonstrating how she lived and worked at her home in Mexico City. You can tell all the workers and volunteers here take great pride in their work, helping to show the garden off in its best light. I have such fond feelings for this place and hope to visit every time I return to Tucson! read more

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We hadn't been on our previous Tucson visit , and are SO glad we went this time! The gardens are very lovely. We enjoyed the newer Frieda garden, loved the trains too. Very nice areas for kids, and there are a good amount of shady areas, very pleasant on a warm day Highly recommend! read more

We went in a group of 7 people on a Monday. There are different sections of the botanical garden. There are majority cactus type plants throughout the gardens. We were able to finish walking through the park within about 1 hour. The butterfly enclosure is closed on Monday which was unfortunate. The train is turned on during certain hours so we were not able to see the train moving but the miniature buildings were detailed. There was a microscope facing a variety of flower plants which was interesting to look at. We would like to come back in the evening during the light show. read more

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Beautiful gardens some with a few interactive parts. They even have a scavenger hunt for the kiddos. We spent a lot of time in the butterfly exhibit. It was magical to be surrounded by them! We tried to see the tortoise but he wasn't in his pen :( Each plant is labeled to its species and where it originates from. We found a few from South Africa!!! Would recommend for the nature folks and people with kids. read more

Tucson Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Beautiful botanical garden! - Plan to be walking mostly outside, not always as shaded. Also determine what time of year you will go. I believe the butterfly garden is not open during the summer, keep that in mind. - Butterfly garden inside greenhouse. - Different parts of the garden have different themes. read more

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I am fortunate to have access to a community pass to the Tucson botanical gardens. For people living in Tucson if you have a Pima county library card you can checkout a culture pass, to get free access to the Tucson botanical Gardens. The gardens were once a private residence and are now available for the public to view and include demonstration gardens classes, a café, a huge herb garden a butterfly house and revolving art displays at the moment there's extensive construction on Alvernon near Grant Road, so getting into the parking lot can be tricky. Also, the parking lot is set up as a one-way path and if people don't follow the rules you quickly find out that there's not enough room for two cars to pass. I've come dozens of times in the last year. November through May is a special time when the butterfly house is up and running. When it gets hot in Tucson, they close it since it can't be temperature controlled for the butterflies, and the house is very humid inside. At this time, there is a Frida Kahlo exhibit to see. Also, as it's nearly spring, the iris' will begin to bloom. Only two were in bloom today. I imagine in the weeks ahead the garden will explode with colorful irises. In the last year or so a wonderful miniature train display was created and it's so detailed and has trains on elevated tracks and multiple trains moving at the same time. It's a real treat to see. I love coming to the Tucson botanical gardens. read more

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A must stop for tourists. Didn't know what to expect and not disappointed. A lot of information and history revealed during our self guided tour. A diamond in the rough is better said. Do not miss if in town for a couple of days. Took about two hours to truly enjoy this visit. Definitely worth recommending. read more

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Went to the annual Lights Up and it was amazing and with the timed access, not crowded and the weather was so nice. The lights are so beautiful and so many to see. I love the Lumineers. This is a must see during the holidays. Buy your tickets in advance. read more

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It is always a great pleasure to be here at TBG, and especially during the holidays!! Come to Lights Up! and make merry! More lights and colors, with Frida's Garden and the Railway Express resplendent in their holiday best! Run don't walk... read more

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Incredible! We went to enjoy the Butterfly Exhibit (closes at the end of May!) and that alone was spectacular, so add in the rest of the space and it's truly remarkable... a little oasis. Instantly as you enter the gardens, there's a distinct temperature difference because of all the greenery. Makes me think why we don't have more planted around our town. There are several sections that feature different types of gardens, galleries and art. They have educational activities and programs for several topics around gardening and local plant life. Things like a mini train station build into the natural environment with some really unique home art pieces, a kaleidoscope of flowers, herb gardens and flower gardens, a cafe, a gift shop and more. Truly recommend a stop in! read more

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If you're local, I highly recommend an annual membership to the Tucson Botanical Gardens. The gardens are a perfect size for a quick peaceful stroll or you can stay longer and enjoy the exhibits that change throughout the year. I think the butterfly room has limited hours/seasons but definitely a neat (and humid!) experience. With the membership, you can get extra passes to bring guests. Good deal if you can go multiple times with the pass. There is also a little kids area where they can stack wood and play! read more

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What an immersive day of fun at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. This was an all around awesome experience! From the staff to the gardens to the exhibits, this place screams greatness. The gardens themselves are very well taken care of and nicely kept. I liked that they included ID cards that discuss the plants you are looking at. My favorite portion of the entire exhibit had to be the butterfly garden. So many different species to see in the exhibit and it's extremely well maintained. The staff were incredibly knowledgeable and kind. If you have not been to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, I highly recommend it! Definitely a must see spot in Tucson. read more

Tucson Botanical Gardens - The butterflies eating. Take a look at that presentation - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

A smaller, serene botanical garden in Tucson. They highlight flowering shrubs, flowers and cacti from the Southwest and around the world. Highly recommended. Family-friendly with great walking paths. I could have spent hours just breezing around. read more

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The Tucson Botanical Gardens are a beautiful place to visit any time of year, but they are especially magical during the holiday season. The gardens are decorated with thousands of twinkling lights and luminarias, and there are also special exhibits and events, such as the annual Festival of Lights. Unfortunately, we didn't see the lights on as we visited during the day! But I'd love to come back and see the gardens at night with the lights on. Features: * The gardens are home to over 1,500 different species of cacti and succulents. * The butterfly habitat is a large, enclosed space filled with hundreds of colorful butterflies. We were told there were about 300 there when we went today. * The Great Garden Express model trains. Don't miss these! I would highly recommend the Tucson Botanical Gardens to anyone looking for a fun and festive holiday experience. read more

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We were there the second week of June and the temperatures were about 107 in the car. We started out later than we anticipated and we're there in the early afternoon. We started looking for water fountains throughout the place and did not find any. We happen to go into an area where there was an art gallery, and I took water from their kitchen area. And again when we were outside, I went over to a closed restaurant and there was water in a plastic jug with some disposable cups so I took water from that. I am amazed that water was not available at all. It is something that Tucson Botanical Gardens needs to address. They need to make water fountains available for the public! read more

So many birds everywhere. Relaxing while still being entertaining. Definitely will be back. Can't pick my favorite part . Make sure you have plenty of time to stroll this garden at your leisure. read more

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A gem in the Sonoran Desert. You're greeted by beautiful flowers from all over the world at this botanical garden. They've got blurbs about the different types of plants and flowers so you can learn about its history in the region. They've also have tons of art installations, many including Mexican artists. Such a gem, go check it out! read more

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I have been fortunate to have come through town for work several times in the past few years and this botanical garden had been on my list. I finally went to visit this year and loved it. The walkways were well maintained and the plants were simply beautiful, emanating a relaxing environment for visitors to stroll through. Parking was plentiful all around the property and we spent about an hour looking at the various flora and fauna. It would be a real joy to come here with a book and just sit for a while. read more

Such a special little gem. We wandered around for about an hour, taking in the scents and scenes of this beautiful oasis. They had a sound bowl event and tons of other things going on all week. Excited to return. read more

The Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to enjoy throughout the year. This review is for their "Lights Up" holiday lights event. Thousands of LED lights illuminate the trees, there are gorgeous installations throughout the gardens. The light tunnel, dancing cypress trees, and crescent moon were among our favorites. The giant Christmas tree at the entrance decorated in bird houses was beautiful too. This was our favorite light show of the season. read more

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Our pups usually go out with us at least a couple times a month but this summer, finding enough shade for them has been a challenge so they've been stuck at home. In comes Tucson Botanical Gardens and its awesome Dog Days of Summer event! June 1-Sept 30 your pup and you can visit the gardens! Dog tickets are 5$ or 20$ for their own membership and unlimited visits! TBG opens up bright and early at 7:30 and we visited pretty much everything at a really slow pace with plenty of breaks by 11:30. Rather than talk about all the cool plants you'll see, I wanted to take a moment and appreciate all the art we saw! There were beautiful tile mosaic benches and murals all over, bee nesting boxes that doubled as sculptures and giant sculptures of sea creatures made from plastic trash! Their trains are so much fun and we loved the miniature landmarks and historic sites and representations of National Parks. The waterfall was also incredible and the amazing volunteers on site not only kept the trains running, they were also happy to talk to folks about the exhibit. We stopped at Edna's Eatery and although all our drinks were delicious, the monkey bread we got tasted really old and the cream cheese frosting wasn't good and the pumpkin scone someone else got in our group was nothing special but at least it tasted fresh! We were starving so we ate them but I don't think we'd eat there again. We'd just stick to drinks. On a final note, 2 folks in our group have mobility issues and need frequent breaks so all the seating scattered throughout the gardens was perfect. You really didn't have to travel much at all before finding the next seating area. It was perfect for us. Don't wait to have out of town visitors to visit Tucson Botanical Gardens. Support this wonderful place year-round! read more

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What a gorgeous display of Christmas lights at Tucson's Botanical Gardens. It is open from November 29th to January 12th, 2025. Being from out of town, I was so happy that I was able to share this moment with my son who is currently living in Tucson. It's a small botanical garden so take your time to soak in the wonder of all these twinkling lights. I was in awe at how high some of the lights were. As you walk into each area, Christmas songs are played. You can't help but sing along. We got some hot cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream and a hot dog. Both were delicious. You can get these at the cafe or cart. Best to purchase your tickets online to guarantee entry the day of. Parking is limited, first come first serve. Gift shop is near the exit. read more

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Really a great date day, out with my love. Walking through each scene and enjoying the conversation. Definitely something to enjoy when you can make it to Tucson! read more

Great for a morning or afternoon stroll, weather permitting. Lots of variety of plants, flowers, herbs and even a butterfly exhibit. They have a small area for children with books and a water feature as well as some items for them to play with/climb on. There is food available as well as a gift shop but we usually pack our own lunch and enjoy it on a picnic table in the gardens. Staff here are very informative and helpful if you have any questions. They also do seasonal events so be sure to check out their website. read more

Really great place. Met all my expectations for a desert botanical garden. Great displays, incredible selection of native and non-natives, butterfly gardens, and nice paths. read more

Beautiful gardens with butterfly area seasonally. I wish it were larger, but very fun for evening events. The starlight party was fun, and the Christmas lights are always a hit! read more

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This place is lovely. We went last night for the Lights Up event and it was beautiful. We walked around for over an hour enjoying all the lights, luminaries, and desert botanicals. I'm excited to go back during the daytime to see all the vegetation in daylight. We loved the train display! So cute :) I will be back next year for Lights Up! read more

Looking for a casual walk through gorgeous Christmas lights mixed in with luminaries and a special bonus of model trains with southwest buildings? Tucson Botanical Gardens is hosting their seasonal event, Lightsup, a festival of illumination! We purchased our tickets on their website. We arrived at our designated time, checked in and walked through the event at our leisure. The first thing you will see is a beautiful Christmas tree adorned with bird houses! It is so neat and so unique. The lights inside the gardens have different sections for different displays and the trees are saturated with lights. It is spectacular! Our favorite this year was the model train display. Sonoran desert model builders created beautiful buildings with miniature wreaths, trees, ristas, luminaries, and poinsettias. It truly is a must see. You will also have a chance to have your photo taken by a TBG volunteer at a beautiful light display, that was a special touch too! This event has become our family favorite! read more

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I love this amazing urban treasure! A peaceful BotanicalOasis plus housing Edna's Cafe. Edna's is the ultimate dinning room and has delicious, inspired selections for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. It's so perfect. Love it here. read more

Cool place to see on a Thursday morning! The admission fee it's a bit high at $18 per person but I guess you don't see this place more than once. Lovely trees and plants that you only see in Arizona. You can bring your dog with you and the admission fee is $5 per dog. I now have so many ideas on how to create my own lovely backyard somewhat similar to what the botanical garden has. read more

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I really don't like giving a negative review but the garden is a bit underwhelming. I've been to several botanical gardens in Texas and California so expectations might have been too high for this one. My main issue with the garden is that the price does not reflect the size and content of the garden. Yes, there are some interesting things to look at (the butterfly green house was a highlight) but not enough to warrant the cost. read more