Desert Botanical Garden
Desert Botanical Garden
4.5
08:00 - 20:00
Monday
08:00 - 20:00
Tuesday
08:00 - 20:00
Wednesday
08:00 - 20:00
Thursday
08:00 - 20:00
Friday
08:00 - 20:00
Saturday
08:00 - 20:00
Sunday
08:00 - 20:00
About
Discover the tranquil vibrancy of desert plants nestled amid the red rocks of the Papago Buttes. Visitors can stroll through five thematic trails to explore the fascinating beauty of the Sonoran Desert, from towering cacti and alluring succulents to brilliant wildflowers and lush trees. Scroll through the Garden's calendar so not to miss festive events and dazzling exhibitions. Delve deeper to learn about desert landscaping, nature art, cooking and wellness and more through the Garden's various adult and children's classes.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Mary S
    Cleveland, Ohio58 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Desert Blooms
    The paths throughout the botanical garden were plotted out well. There were many varieties of cacti and desert flowers throughout. It was surprisingly more colorful than we had expected out of desert blooms. We were able to see many of the animals throughout the gardens, including the quails, hummingbirds, rabbits, and more. Our only complaint was that the price seemed a bit high at $30/person. It was a great way to spend a few hours on a slightly rainy day. The mountains close by were a great backdrop and I'm sure on a clear day the views would be even better!
    Visited March 2023
    Written 20 March 2023
  • WVHighlander
    338 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Botanical Garden.
    Great place to visit. Lots of information, beautiful surroundings. Everyone from children to seniors will enjoy this garden. We spent about four hours and while I loved everything, I was pretty hot and tired toward the end. They offer water stations and water in vending machines (wonderfully cold). Not cheap, but I felt it was worth the entry price and the gift shop was not nearly as expensive as I expected. Would visit again.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 26 March 2023
  • AlexR
    13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    Did this as a short stop on a broader trip to Arizona. Very beautiful and well maintained. For us, it was the first time seeing full size Saguaro cacti in real life and this place definitely did not disappoint. Can’t really comment on the price since we visited on community day (by pure chance) and we got free entry.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 March 2023
  • Pam S
    Des Moines, Iowa62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recommended
    This place is incredible! I’m so glad I visited while in Phoenix. There is a wide variety of cacti species and sizes. I’m also glad I went in the morning since it got warmer and busier the longer the day went on.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 28 March 2023
  • Blmhouston
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama825 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best botanical garden experience ever
    We were looking for a place to walk and enjoy some late afternoon sun. We didn’t get the exercise we expected because we stopped so often to read about the plants and people of this area. The gardens are very well maintained and beautiful. Many of the original areas were planted over 75 years ago. The butterfly pavilion was wonderful. We walked the entire trail system then had dinner at the fabulous on-site restaurant Gertrude’s
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 April 2023
  • EvanGuthrie
    Charleston, South Carolina8,307 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Desert Botanical Garden
    Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is a great place to go for a cool dessert experience. I really like the space and everything that they have available here. Very beautiful and well worth the visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 April 2023
  • Maureen B
    Palmyra, Pennsylvania94 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    We had a very nice breakfast at the restaurant then walked the gardens. It was gorgeous in the spring! Lots of the cactus were in bloom and the flowers were so pretty. We walked the whole thing and couldn’t get enough of the beautiful cactus. Really enjoyed the butterfly house also.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 April 2023
  • Debbie
    San Francisco, California22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great gardens!
    Beautiful gardens! Totally worth a visit if you are in the area. Also this is a nice place to see birds and lizards. Butterfly exhibit is lovely. We visited on a community day (free admission), and it was crowded, but still enjoyable.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 April 2023
  • Veronica S
    Belleville, Michigan321 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoy a wide variety of native plants any time of year.
    A fantastic representation of native cactus. There are five trails, none of which are too long or strenuous, so you can do as much or as little walking as you want and still enjoy the abundant beauty. The sun and heat can be relentless, so stay hydrated (there are numerous touchless water refilling stations throughout the gardens). There are lots of friendly staff, well-informed and helpful if you have questions and informational plaques all along the way.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 28 April 2023
  • 150carolineh
    Guilford, Connecticut66 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing desert garden!
    An amazing garden, especially if you’re from a different part of the country. The variety of cacti is amazing, as are the wildflowers. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The map of the garden and the signage was a bit confusing and could be improved. We wanted to take one of the tours of the garden, but whoever was supposed to be leading it never showed up. Despite those drawbacks, we’re very glad we went and highly recommend it.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 28 April 2023
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles9,147 reviews
Excellent
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1,757
Average
349
Poor
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BobiTychynskiShimoda
Oakville, Canada346 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
We enjoyed this botanical garden. I especially liked the Sonoran desert lop and the giant cactus planted in 1939. We spent a couple of hours here. It was already quite busy when we arrived at 10:30 a.m.
Written 18 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melissa W
The Woodlands, TX4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Partner and I took our 17 yr old son after an afternoon of rain. It was so nice. You can tell there is/was a lot of planning, love and care that goes into this place. We just happened upon this beautiful place. The price was worth every penny. We aren't even plant people and thoroughly enjoyed our time. The art around grounds was beautiful also.
Written 17 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian T
Indianapolis, IN701 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Most of the Desert Botanical Garden is outside. The layout and grouping of the numerous plants has good eye appeal. Many of the cacti have identifying labels which is helpful. We enjoyed seeing such a variety of cacti but I would love to see them all in bloom.
Written 15 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fromstlou
Saint Louis, MO59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Wonderful garden . Easy to follow and wonderful butterfly house . The garden is beautiful for a desert garden - especially the wildflowers. However I find it so odd that the zoo and hole are less than one mile away but there is no walking path there . To visit other park sites you need to drive there which seems odd for a park .
Written 15 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diane T
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Interesting and pretty. Unfortunately, we were a little early (early March) for the spectacular show that I was able to experience 40 years ago.
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JS in GA
67 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
We're from the east coast, and this was our first visit to the desert. With only a little free time in Phoenix, we wanted to see something unique, and we are glad we chose the Desert Botanical Garden. We enjoyed a great morning there. We had no idea the desert could be so lush and green with native plants. Of course, the 75-foot tall cacti made an impression too. It's obvious a lot of care and pride has gone into this facility.
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kityayma
Sydney, Australia201 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
I only had 24 hours in Phoenix and I’m so glad I chose to spend a good chunk of that time here.
I really loved this place. Fabulous gardens, cactus of all varieties, and wildflowers just beginning to emerge attracting so many different birds including hummingbirds. There’s a butterfly exhibit (free) currently running that’s worth seeing.

This is a great place to watch the sunset.
and the food and coffee at the Gertrude’s restaurant were good too.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jhbh1961
Winnipeg, Canada112 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Expensive attraction. Crowded. A few of the individual cactus beds were visually stunning in their plentitude and variety. Other parts of the garden looked sparse and somewhat unkept. Tags identified types of plants but I was hoping for more interpretive information. I would only recommend this place to folks who are on such a short visit to the city that they cannot get out of the downtown area to see cacti in their natural environment, which is absolutely everywhere even in the suburbs. Countless nearby nature preserves offer the opportunity to see a grand array of desert fauna in a more expansive setting, with great interpretive programs and information at a lower cost or even free. The botanical garden is a good option for someone who is mobility impaired. One who is fortunate to be able-bodied will in my opinion do better to just go out for a hike.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beauds
Homewood, IL450 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
What an enjoyable experience. Being from the Midwest casually walking and learning about the different plants that grow in the desert was fun. The butterfly exhibit was especially fun. Bring a camera.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

suramom
Dallas, TX101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
enjoyed the garden as usual. They have a good staff and first aid station, which we needed unexpectedly. Scooter rental is expensive, but they worked well at least.
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Botanical Garden