Desert Botanical Garden

I visited the Desert Botanical Garden last week with my mom and it is totally amazing! I have been to other botanical gardens but this one is so unique because it is all cacti! I have never seen anything like it in my life. There are probably hundreds of different types of cacti here, plus several birds and other wildlife. I saw a roadrunner, a rabbit, and a thing that looked similar to a chipmunk/​squirrel.
The admission is good for all day and there are several different trails that you can take. We took the main trail as it was the middle of the day and it was 114 degrees outside. The great thing is, they have a few buildings on the trail so that you can stop to cool off. They also have water stations spaced throughout the park so that you do not become dehydrated. The store is quite good with a wide variety of different souvenirs available. There is also a nice restaurant on site. We didn’t dine there, but it looked nice.
I would definitely highly recommend visiting the botanical gardens to others looking for a great experience in Phoenix. I saw that they offer lots of evening programs so if I’m ever in Phoenix again, I’ll definitely go back in the evening!

In case you couldn’t tell, I greatly enjoyed my time at the gardens. There are a wide variety of plants and cacti exhibited (obviously). However what surprised me the most of how much wildlife was present. I came just as the sun was starting to go down, since it was cooler and more comfortable to walk around then. Obviously this is when all sorts of critters come out, everything from hummingbirds to snakes. It really gives you a glimpse into the natural desert landscape, and all within city limits.
So for tourists and out of town guests, this a great place to visit without having to go out too far. Plus check Groupon for discounted ticket deals.

We had an amazing time here! Very educational and absolutely gorgeous. Wildlife is abundant and many of the animals I was surprised to see lived in the desert! The staff was helpful and very friendly. You should absolutely visit when you travel to Phoenix!

What an enjoyable trip out. Lots of plants to learn about and gain a new appreciation for the desert. One thing to remember– bring water bottles and sunscreen otherwise you will turn into a dehydrated, red wrinkle.

Five stars for this Phoenix attraction. Who would have thought for botanical gardens that are centered on only desert plants, succulents and blooms?! I am very late to writing this review. I visited last fall on a trip to AZ when the Dias de los Muertos festival was going on.
I was enthralled by the beauty of this place.
Upon entrance passing the gorgeous Chihuly glass structure by the front gates, to the many incredible landscape displays featuring cacti and other desert botanicals, to the gorgeous dancers and other incredible exhibits they had featured for the Dias de Los Muertos celebration, there was a lot to see here that highlighted the beauty and history of Arizona.
I am familiar with some cacti being a CA native, but had no idea how many different, beautiful varieties there were until visiting here.
So many other native plants and succulents to see, also.
Wonderful to see the butterflies and many birds enjoying the plants and flowers here, also.
The Dias de Los Muertos festival is a must see during the season here. I enjoyed watching the mesmerizing dancers, of course, sampling the delicious food featured and seeing the beautiful Day of the Dead tributes created by individuals honoring their loved ones.
All the staff I encountered here were awesome. They are friendly, helpful, and willing to answer any questions you may have and offer education about the many things to see in this park. The Botanical Garden offers a 10% discount on admission if you are a member of AAA (American Automobile Association). I have read about the many other great seasonal festivals here such as the Chocolate Festival :) and the Luminaries during the holidays. I look forward to visiting again in the future to partake in these.

Students get discounts here! $ 12 for students.
Great tourist spot if you are in the area. For an outsider like me, I’ve never seen these many cactus in my life. Well… You are in hot-​Rizona, so these cactus are happy for sure.
The garden isn’t that big, but it included tons of plants/​cactus! You can also find Lizards and squirrels (the ones without the big tails: D may got the name wrong…)
Remember to put on some sunscreen and bring a hat when you are in the garden. Everything was outdoor! It was super sunny/​hot and dry when I was there, and I had to fully covered myself using my jacket. However, the entire trip was educational and fun!

GREAT RASCAL SCOOTERS. These bad boys had some horsepower. I LEFT THE STUPID GRANDCHILDREN IN THE DUST.
Cheap entry. They have a very cheap fee probably because I’m older.
We saw A TON OF CACTUS.
I forgot my reading glasses and got separated from my group. So I just viewed the sights and went back to the restraint for a BEER.
YUM OH SO GOOD.
Everything about this place is heart warming
The whole thing takes about 2 hours if you stop and read everything. Probably closer to 45 minutes by scooter (me hehe zoom zoom).
End review
Bye
I didn’t know this but cactus have flowers on them when they are still cactus.

This place is beautiful! We attended one of their music in the garden concerts and had a wonderful time. I would definitely like to return and walk some of their trails while taking in the beautiful surroundings. I’d also l like to try the on-​site restaurant, Gertrudes. When visiting the valley, this is one of those places you don’t want to miss.

Can’t think of a better way to spend a few hours in the desert. Took advantage of the Groupon deal to get four of us in for $ 44, then upgraded to an annual membership for two for just $ 2 more. Beat that!
This really is a case of «a picture is worth a thousand words». Look at the photo gallery and go!

Wow this place is pretty cool. If you don’t have much experience with the desert (or even if you do!) and you’re from out of town (or a local!) this is a great garden to come and check out plant life. Who knew there’d be so many different types of plants that thrived in the desert! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go to the Bruce Monro lights which I hear is stunning but I think if you appreciate plants and living creatures, going during the day is just as awesome.
They have well-​labeled paths and great plaques which explain what exactly you’re looking at and oftentimes provides a historical context (eg about Native Americans and their uses for the plants).
There’s plenty of parking and student prices are $ 12 if you enter before 5pm before the special night exhibits start. Beware even in Feb when its cloudy the sun can peek through, so bring your sunscreen and shades! 8)

I’m a valley girl! I’ve lived in the Valley of the Sun here in gorgeous Arizona all of my life! Why had I not gone, been dragged to, encouraged, or taken to this beautiful desert oasis known as the Desert Botanical Garden?!
I recently had the opportunity to attend my company’s volunteer celebration dinner here and we were allowed to freely roam the garden afterwards. Tip for the ladies… wear comfortable shoes as my heeled boots were not made for walking on inclined trails! Thanked my lucky stars for the conveniently placed benches on the trails and the seating area near the snack bar.
The garden was filled with the smell of desert flowers, more cacti that I ever knew existed, a few furry friends, bunnies, birds and butterflies… it was a perfect weathered evening for discovering the beauty of nature.
As soon as the sun went down I was completely mesmerized by the Bruce Munro Sonoran Light display. It was like Christmas in the desert with angelic music playing in the background and the mountain lit up like a tree!
There were so many lights to see, a dome and cylinders made of plastic bottles, bulbs that changed colors and wound there way through the desert. My favorite was the Eden Blooms that looked like brightly colored Dandelions.
Free on the 2^nd Tuesday of the month, get your love of nature fix here!
I can’t wait to return to explore some more at one of Arizona’s must see spots in the valley!

This botanical garden is really pretty! I tend to find the desert to be beautiful anyways, but if you’re not quite sold that notion yet, I would recommend checking out this botanical garden and you’ll see what I mean!
I loved the meandering trails and that EVERYTHING was labeled. Some even have fun facts as well, which made my self-​guided tour much more enjoyable.
On the way in, I noticed a little stand in which they were selling wine and beer. Don’t mind if I do! If it isn’t too hot, I would recommend grabbing a glass of wine and strolling the trails. Did I just give you a great date suggestion?! I think so! You’re welcome!
Definitely stop into the gift shop on your way out, also. Yes, they have your typical gift-​shop gifts, but they also have beautiful artwork and lots of unique pieces for sale. I must have spent 20 – 30 minutes in there alone!

You can’t beat this little hidden gem in the heart of Tempe. A visit to the botanical garden can make you realize how beautiful some of the plant life is in the desert.
We visited the garden during a special light installation from Bruce Munro: Sonoran Light. We arrived at sunset and it was packed! I wasn’t surprised since the marketing for this event was on par all over the tv. No worries, the garden is big enough to spread out the crowds. The light installation was stunning on all levels. It was a surreal scene to see the garden lit up in the middle of the city. A successful date night if you ask me.

I love botanical gardens and when finding out Phoenix had one I was very curious to see what the «desert» had to offer. I mean really how interesting would a garden full of cactus be? Boy was I wrong! Our timing couldn’t have worked out better since they were also having Bruce Munro’s Sonoran Lights exhibit.
We went about 5:00 in the evening which gave us plenty of time to walk through the gardens taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful sunset. We saw some critters too, rabbits, lizards and quails. Some of the saguaro cactus was huge and at least 100’s of years old. The gardens were clean, well kept, and plenty of water stations and restrooms.
Just as the sun started to set you could see the gardens brightening up. There were 8 different sights, each offering something special. We walked around the gardens again to get the night view and it was truly enjoyable. My favorites were the water towers and the mountain of lights. I took tons of pictures but non of them truly captured their beauty.
It was $ 25 well spent! Especially since it was like seeing two different gardens.

If you’ve followed me on Unilocal,then you know that I’m not a hype-​following, band-​wagon type of person. We came here during March to kill a day before a wedding.
To be quite honest, I don’t get all the hype and high reviews here on Unilocal?We purchased tickets for the BRUCE MUNRO: SONORAN LIGHT show for $ 25 + $ 5 for daytime passes. The regular day pass price is $ 22. This botanical garden looks like they just picked any random spot in the desert and added concrete trails and bathrooms to it. I don’t mean to detract from the natural beauty of the desert but it just seems like you can find the same plant life on any hiking trail in this region… for free.
So, where’s the $ 22 going to? Paving is a one time cost and their bathrooms don’t have marble sinks. It’s a botanical garden with desert plants, so we know that it’s not going towards the water bill.
Well, at least there was a good amount of parking and the parking was free.
The night show is worth checking out once but not for $ 25. It doesn’t take long before everything starts looking redundant. But, I can’t fault them for this. There’s only so many ways you can throw Xmas LED’s on the ground and make it look unique. But, at the same time, for the amount of money this artist is charging, he could certainly at least try to put some more effort into creating a show that actually lives up to the price.
If you want to make your visit more interesting, try drinking a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer beforehand… or maybe two?
Lastly, bring a tripod if you do the night thing.

Attended the Bruce Munro light exhibition last night and it was amazing! We arrived a little early so we can explore the garden a little it was our first time visiting. We are trying to explore Arizona as much as possible since we moved out here. And wow who knew how beautiful Mother Nature really is out here!
Besides how much beauty we were surrounded by we did end up having a very interesting evening here.
First we were yelled at by a «photographer» because we were in their wedding shot. If you’re going to have a wedding at an attraction park maybe you should have planned your pictures accordingly or dish out that cash and shut down the place for your special day! Or simply be kind and ask if we could please move for their shot or buy a better editing program even I can delete unwanted things in my pictures on my iPhone!
It’s not the parks fault at all but I had to vent lol.
Second if you have trouble walking or are elderly please rent a wheelchair or electric scooter. There is a lot of walking with really uneven trails and this exhibition is at night which makes it even harder to walk. My sons grandpa ended up walking into a cactus. His injuries weren’t major but he did end up with deep scratches. However the park rangers were very attentive and helped us clean out his cuts and bandage them.
Lastly I ended up loosing my keys and nearly had a heart attack! I was so glad lost and found had them I am so happy they have a great staff here!
Please don’t leave this place without stopping at they gift shop I picked up so many goodies here! They actually have decent prices.
All in all besides «life» getting in the way lol. I enjoyed the lights they are extremely creative and so worth it!

Very cool integration of lights in the Sonoran landscape. Get here in the daylight to enjoy the desert garden then stay to see the desert illuminated.

Hidden gem of the valley in my book. Great date spot. As much as I hate the desert, I would live in the garden any day of the week.

Excellent day trip for locals and visitors to our state.

The Botanical Gardens are a gorgeous asset to the city and a delightful experience. On my most recent trip I took an out of town visitor to view the Gardens in late January. It was a 70 degree day and perfect for an outdoor walk. The Gardens are always well tended.

I am sure there are virtually no negative reviews of the garden. It is a great place to spend a few hours. It will both delight the visual senses and add a few things to your knowledge base. The staff can answer almost any question you may have and will also add some very interesting facts about the many, many unusual plants that abound. I did not visit at night, when the place is lit up from the top of the mountain to the base. That would be a whole different adventure. Cannot go wrong with the garden.

Spent the day, was amazing. Had lunch at Gertrude’s — it was great service and the food was outstanding. We went back tonight to see the light show, it was very special.

Got a great deal on a membership and I really enjoy walking around the garden. We attended Dog Day in the Garden and it was a blast.

Gorgeous botanical garden. Went during the day so I didn’t see the lights but had a great time regardless. Took family who was visiting from out of state and it was a hit! Very easy to walk to as we had a stroller and a wheelchair and had no problems at all. I will say to the moms, to pick your bathroom carefully. Out of the two I went into when I was there only one had a baby changing table.
Will definitely visit again. It’s a must do for family wanting to get that Arizona experience.

What a beautiful place! A little pricey. But I understand why. There was several places to go off the main trail so many things to do. There is so much beauty to the desert. Echo chambers are really fun also. The whole experience was just awesome.

Once you’ve been to the gardens, there’s no real need to go back unless you’re a horticulturalist or have a strange affinity for succulents. However, in what can only be described as brilliant marketing, the gardens regularly offers up art installations in a bid to get folks back. It works — beautifully. We saw the Chihuly exhibit years ago and we were back this time for the Bruce Munro exhibition. Absolutely stunning — it runs through May — don’t miss it.

Came here last night for the Bruce Munro exhibit. We purchased out tickets online to avoid a wait. Well, apparently, purchasing ahead of time does not help you avoid lines when you have a digital copy of your ticket. Having not been here before, I found this confusing, and followed another group who had hard ticket printed copies who were escorted through. We were rudely stopped by an usher (and I mean RUDE) and barked at to go to the front and get our stickers. We waited 10 minutes to check in and went back through. I had my hands full with maps and no stickers to hand out to my family and the same lady again yelled at me to put my sticker on. Unbelievable! I’m 5 feet in the door and I clearly had them in hand. I was appalled at the staffs aggressive attitude and if this is how they treat customers, I won’t be back.
The exhibit was kind of cool to see but was redundant after about 30 minutes. Fiber optics lit up the mountain side which was just breath taking, however i feel the medium was overused. We spent about an hour and a half there, which was ample time to see everything and take a quick s’mores break. All in all it was a fun trip, but the staff could definitely use some customer service training.

We paid Desert Botanical Gardens a visit on a Saturday morning last December and couldn’t ask for a more perfect day for a walkabout on the trails with my family. My daughter couldn’t get enough of this place. The fauna is gorgeous.
There were info plaques for each display that proved educational, and the volunteers were also a great source of supplementary information on the plant and animal life in the habitats. I’m guessing the appearance of the various animals that live in this environment is a common occurrence, and some birds seemed unphased by the presence of people.
We ate at Gertrude’s and I’ll give this place fives stars as well. The menu was moderately priced and the atmosphere was relaxing.
Whether you’re a native or a transplant, I recommend stopping in for a visit.

We love our Desert Botanical Garden! For a family low on cash, buying a membership was a fantastic value. Looking for something to do with an energetic toddler? Go hike around the trails for an hour. Want a fun date night with your spouse? Check out one of the special events like Bruce Munro’s installation. We also like the semi annual plant sale where we find a lot of rare species at better quality than the landscape stores.
If you go there one time and enjoy it, think about using that day’s fee towards purchasing a membership on the way out. You’ll also get a free entrance to a few hundred other gardens through their reciprocal admissions program.

I took my grandmother to Las Noches de las Luminarias. She’s not so quick on her feet these days, so I pushed her all around the park. I appreciated how relatively accessible the garden is, even if grandma felt like she was off-​roading a bit.
There was jazz and wine, and that’s pretty much all grandma needs in life. Ok, she probably also needs vodka, but they even had that!
If you’re looking for a new place to take your hot date (or your hot grandma), look no further, especially during the holiday season.

Desert Botanical Garden one of those touristy places you have to go to ! San Diego has the zoo. Phoenix has this lovely garden. You see all sorts of cactus and plant life. Informational plaques, and educational materials are displayed in many exhibits as well.
I really enjoyed it here… went for the night version of «Las Noches De Las Luminares.» What’s the difference you ask? Besides the extra 3 bucks, and the obvious others at night… it’s a spectacular work of light art strewn all across the garden. I mean from down low, to up high in the mountains. The lights even changes colors. I believe this is just January and February so you’ll need to go their website to make sure.
If you are going for the night one, I recommend coming about half hour before sunset so you can see of the plants during the day because once night hits, you can’t see them in detail. Get the best of both worlds !
— — — –
Some tips :
1. They have a cart right when you walk in (to the left) that serves wine !
2. Wear a hat for the day, sunglasses too. Sun beats down hot in the garden ! Also wear comfy shoes, there are some unpaved areas
3. Free parking ! Lots of parking
4. ATM by admissions if you need it
5. There is a restaurant on site called Gertrude’s. I recommend to make reservations if possible since it can get busy.
6. Admission is currently $ 22 (Jan 2016) but is free every second Tuesday of the month !
7. Sorry no pets except service animals
8. They often have events so check the calendar on their website before you go so you can go at your preferred date and event. You can buy tickets online !
9. Have a good time !

My review may be a little skewed since I have a biology and botany teaching background, and added to that, we went on one of the «free» admission nights so we probably didn’t get to see as much as we should have.
The positives for me: It was nice to be able to discuss some cool plant features with my wife and actually have her see plants that are not mostly deciduous (we are from the Midwest). I did really enjoy the herb garden they presented. It smelled wonderful and gave some great gardening ideas. I also enjoyed the natural history lessons tied into one of the trails (sorry I forgot the name of it). it was really neat to see how the plants and other resources were used before and during settlement of the area.
The negatives for me: In my opinion there are so many interactive ideas that can be incorporated to help people understand plant adaptations… and this place really didn’t offer any interactive stuff at all (again, this is my opinion)… and if there is any flora that has amazing adaptations, its desert flora. Overall, this place just never gave me that sense of «wow». In other words, I am glad we didn’t have to pay!
If its a free night and you have never been, its nice place to take a walk before going out for dinner and drinks if you are in the area.

The cousins took grandma out to dinner and to Las Noches de las Luminarias last weekend. It was a special evening indeed! There were so many spectacular things to see from the Bruce Munro Sonoran Lights rolling up the mountainside, to the Simply Three String Trio (my favorite!) to handbell ensembles, the evening was packed with festive fun. They make a MEAN hot chocolate as well. It tasted like Irish Cream! It is a great evening for all ages and a must see in the Valley. I can’t wait to go back next year! Thank you to the wonderful staff for being so helpful and navigating us through the gardens!

Short review:
The Desert Botanical Garden always has A+ exhibits, helpful staff and amazing food, both high end and snacks.
Make time in your schedule to check it out!
Long review:
Currently, the Desert Botanical Garden has Las Noches de las Luminarias for 24 nights.
Las Noches de las Luminarias is 8,000 hand lit luminaria bags, white twinkle lights, live music & Bruce Munro’s art.
Bruce Munro is a British artist, who is best known for his large immersive light-​based installations inspired mainly by his interest in shared human experience and connection.
Munro’s work has become the subject of unprecedented cultural collaboration titled Desert Radiance, allowing the artist solo experimentation in scales and environments, from land mass to water, and the domestic to the panoramic.
At the Desert Botanical Garden, there are 8 large-​scale, light-​based installations hundreds of miles of glowing fiber optics. (see pics)
The exhibit is:
With Luminarias:
Nov. 27 — Dec. 31, 2015, from 5:30pm — 9:30pm.
Without Luminarias:
Jan. 6 — May, 2016, 5pm — 10pm, Wed — Sat
For more information:
For tickets:
Also shown are pictures from the amazing glass exhibit by Chihuly in 2014. (see pics)
Make sure to also check out the fantastic food and impressive wine selection served at Gertrude’s restaurant!
I ⁵⁄₅ highly recommend the Desert Botanical Garden!

Interesting events and friendly employees.
Parking: Super easy and plentiful. We went during a lights event, and they had plenty of parking.
Events: I went here for the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit in the spring of 2014. I have been familiar with his work since the 90s due to my art teacher. It was interesting and lovely, but I should have gone after sunset. I walked around the gardens to see what it was like.
The DBG Las Noches de las Luminarias event was $ 30 per ticket. I purchased in advance, since my friend said that they often sell out. I’m glad I did. When we got there, people were trying to purchase tix and could not get any! The event was lovely and not too crowded but plenty of people. We went around 6:30p and stayed for over two hours. The employees also had some telescopes out and we could view the stars. The light exhibits were pretty and easy to tour.

The Desert Botanical Garden was a very nice experience. A little expensive but worth seeing. The staff working there were friendly and very helpful. There is a lot to see and it is organized in a logical fashion which made for a nice relaxing experience. We had a coke at the café and it was very inviting. There were a lot interesting birds looking for handouts.
After a while, things did start to all look the same but a visit during in spring may be more interesting to see the flowers in bloom.
I do want to mention that they display a No Weapon sign at the entrance so if you are a CCW be aware of the rules.
I think this is worth seeing but I would be hard pressed to spend for an annual pass.

Spectacular Gardens
You can see the love everywhere the staff dedicates to this magnificent park.
This is my perhaps 4^th visit and a must visit every time I’m in Arizona.

I just don’t get it. Walking through this place and then reading all the reviews makes me feel like I’m actually living as a character in The Emperor’s New Clothes. The hype around this place is ridiculous. The Desert Botanical Garden is listed everywhere as a destination. Unilocal loves it. Tripadvisor has it listed as #2 out of 160 things to do in Phoenix. I have good friends with normally excellent judgement who think it’s great. Look at the man behind the curtain, Phoenix.
What the Desert Botanical Garden has is desert. You know the thing that you can access literally EVERYWHERE that isn’t city? That thing that surrounds us in its full, powerful, unadulterated glory on all sides? The Desert Botanical Garden is just desert. Desert plus asphalt walking paths, crowds, and a $ 20 surcharge and the squawking, adoring, ludicrous praise of thousands. Emperor indeed.
Here is a list of places you can get the desert experience without having to pay $ 20:
— Camelback Mountain
— Squaw Peak
— Flatiron
— South Mountain
— Papago Park. Literally right next door.
— Your Neighborhood Culvert/​Flood Drainage Canal
Other things DBG offers that are totally worth your $ 20:
— bathrooms, how exciting
— people walking around
— volunteers smiling and nodding
— did I mention the concrete paths?
— an opportunity to buy food and drink at concession prices
— a few cool glass sculptures that you can see for free at the entrance
— signs with names of plants so you know what to look up on wikipedia
— places to sit for when you get tired of walking
— places to walk for when you get tired of sitting
— more plants you can see for free in nature
It’s cool Phoenix, keep telling me what a glorious new outfit the desert has found in its new Botanical Garden. And I’ll go for a hike.