Desert Botanical Garden

I went to the botanical garden with my grandmother and it is one of my favorite memories with her. We did the "Cactus Jack" tour which was totally cheesy, but we laughed and had a lot of fun. The plants were amazing - there was such a large variety and many plants that we had never seen before. At the end of the "Cactus Jack" tour, there were samples of prickly pear juice and candy. You could buy the food if you liked it.

Also, they give a discount for ASU students, so bring your student ID if you have one.

PROS: A unique experience to see plants that you've probably never seen
CONS: None - I definitely recommend that you go!

Posted 03/19/06 | Report Abuse

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I love this place for the unique and the large collection of desert plants and cactuses they have on display. I took my brother and sis-in-law when they visited us from Canada and they also loved the place. There is also an informative desert house that tells you how to live in arid areas comfortably and economically. I am sure gonna use some of these tips in my house. There is also a nice cafe with a wonderful music and a garden shop featuring dish cactus and some unique plants adapted to the arid environment.

Posted 11/29/05 | Report Abuse

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Desert Botancal Garden is a lovely and serene place to spend the afternoon. They have butterflies of every breed, but it is a bit warm since it's a tropical setting. They also have many of the valley's natural plants and flowers. If you're a tourist this is a wonderful place to find out what Phoenix's wild nature is like. I heard recently they had the corpse plant, which attracts many visitors worldwide.

Posted 11/27/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a beautiful place to visit whether you are a Phoenix native, or simply visiting. It has a great trail to walk where you can see lots of different plant life from Arizona and learn about it. They have butterly pavilion which is really interesting and fun. Kids will love the butterflies, but may be a bit bored with the rest of the place.

PROS: butterfly pavilion
CONS:

Posted 11/23/05 | Report Abuse

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One of the must sees for Phoenix visitors. I agree with others who say kids may get bored (and I suppose some adults) but there's no better place in town to get a taste for all the Sonoran desert has to offer. I'd recommend either bringing your own bottle of water or buying one for your walk. There are benches and water fountains scattered along the path, but I've found the water to be either warm or funny tasting in the past. Quite a bit to see, I'd say to make a packed day of this plus the Zoo next door, if you are a faster sightseer who doesn't mind a full day of walking.

Posted 11/13/05 | Report Abuse

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Beautiful desert plants, this place is the very best when the cactus are in bloom and they all look so gorgeous. They have a small museum there also that explains desert life and animals. I can spend hours wandering around enjoying the beauty of what is usually a very ugly plant. Beautifully laid out. A must for out of town visitors and residents alike.

Posted 11/13/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a great place to hold a wedding! The staff is all friendly and helpful on your big day and they trulky make you feel important special. They go the extra mile to ensure that you are pleased with every detail and aspect of the wedding and the looks of the site. They customize things to meet your needs also. The prices are a bit high compared to some others, but for a beautiful desert garden site like this it's definitely worth it to pay more!

Posted 11/03/05 | Report Abuse

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Very nice place! My friend brought me here a couple of days ago together with my wife and were just astounded by the beauty of the desert. The trail we took was simply marvelous - lots of desert flowers & plants, butterflies, rabbits, superb scenery. We were also able to view the Monarch Butterfly Exhibit and it was pretty neat to learn something new.

Posted 10/07/05 | Report Abuse

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I had never been here. I came in may and it was so beautiful. I thoguht I was going to be hot but It was actually very cool. It must have been from the garden.The surrondings are just as beautiful. The red rock from papago park is gorgeous. I dont think kids would be so fascinated or appreciate its beauty unless they were into the science thing.

Posted 09/03/05 | Report Abuse

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The desert botanical garden is a must see attraction. It is in a beautiful location right next to red rocks. The flowers and plants are unique... and if you take a tour, you'll learn that there are many stories behind the plants.

PROS: Gorgeous botanical garden
CONS: none

Posted 09/02/05 | Report Abuse

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My husband and I went on a tour of these gardens in the fall. Most of the flowers weren't in bloom at the time so I'm not sure we got the full experience. The trails are nice and are worth a visit to enjoy a little bit of desert beauty. They have a nice cafe outside that you can sit at and feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.

Posted 09/02/05 | Report Abuse

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Desert Botanical Garden is a beautiful place to look at the lovely desert landscape we have all around us. My favorite time of year here is around Christmas when the garden is light with all the Christmas lights and you can tour at night!

Posted 08/31/05 | Report Abuse

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The Desert Botanical Garden is a beautiful outdoor museum. It is all about Arizona Desert Plants. There are little winding paths that you walk through, to see many different kinds of plants that survive in the desert. During the summer months, make sure you go early in the day to beat the heat!

Posted 07/30/05 | Report Abuse

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This place is beautiful place to visit and take a nice relaxing look at all the beautiful exhibits. The butterfly garden is just amazing too. I would have to say that it is more for adults and older children. I took my young daughter there one time and she didnt really like it much and wasn't interested.

Posted 07/27/05 | Report Abuse

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Visitors to the desert will never believe the variety of plants we have here! I have taken visiting family members here many times, and they are always at a loss for words when they see the beauty that the desert can hold. There is a lot of walking, so make sure you wear your sneakers!

Posted 07/27/05 | Report Abuse

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The Desert Botanical Garden is a really neat place to see a lot of plants and the desert life. It is an educational place to take children as they can learn a lot about the plants in Arizona. The staff is really laid back and very nice. It is kept up really nicely, parking is easy and it is never really too busy here.

Posted 07/24/05 | Report Abuse

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The Desert Botanical Garden is not a place to spend too much time in the summer. Most of the plants are wilted, there's not much shade and it's too dusty. But during other times of the year, it is very beautiful. There are interesting demonstrations of native living on the weekends and hands-on activities for children.

Posted 07/20/05 | Report Abuse

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I was very surprised when I first came to the Desert Botanical Gardens because I wasn't expecting the variety and beauty of the desert! I grew up in the Northwest so the desert was an adjustment. But this garden offers beautiful scenery and beautiful views over the valley. My husband actually proposed to me here and the staff was very helpful in helping him arrange that and letting us in free and everything for that. Definitely worth a visit!

Posted 07/19/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a place where everyone who lives in Phoenix or visits Phoenix should see atleast once. There is so much to look at and it is very educational. The admission price is reasonable to.

Posted 07/13/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a place that everyone should see it is absolutely beautiful. They have so many cool plants/cactus' here that is is a must see. It is not very much to get in here either.

Posted 06/21/05 | Report Abuse

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I think that this is absolutely a must-do in phoenix. They have a WONDERFUL butterfly pavillion that will delight young and old alike. I absolutely love it.

Posted 06/09/05 | Report Abuse

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If you like plants and cactus' and such this is the place to go. It is near the Phoenix zoo. It is reasonably priced to get an admission ticket here and there often often buy one get one free coupons out there for this place. Very cool place for the whole family.

Posted 05/25/05 | Report Abuse

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