University of California
Botanical Garden at Berkeley
The big, beautiful UC Botanical Garden contains one of the most diverse plant collections in the world — 12,000 species of mostly wild-collected specimens, including many rare and endangered species!
Founded in 1890, 125 years ago, the 34-acre gardens are quite large and well developed. Expect to get a lot of exercise walking the many smooth but sometimes hilly paths. We especially enjoyed the following areas: Native California Plants, Crops of the World Garden, Garden of Old Roses and Deserts of the Americas.
Mather Redwood Grove & Amphitheater, adjacent the parking lot (get access code at the ticket counter), is well known for its beautiful outdoor summer concerts. This is an excellent place to show visitors who want to see a redwood forest that is not full of tourists.
phone: 510-643-2755
hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily. No entry after 4:30 pm. Closed major holidays & the first Tuesday of every month.
admission: Admission $10 for adults, free the 1st Wednesday of every month, and free for UC Berkeley staff & students. Confirm days & details here before visiting.
links: website, yelp
Related Links:
- SF East Bay Map of things to do
- Other botanical gardens plant lovers will enjoy: SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, Shell Dance Orchid Garden Nursery in Pacifica, Filoli Gardens in Woodside.
- Maps of best hiddenSF things to do
- Top of page and Home Page
