Visitor Information

Hours & General Information

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with these exceptions:

The UCR Botanic Gardens is closed on major holidays, for special Gardens events, and when the UCR campus is closed for academic and administrative holidays. Be sure to check our calendar of events, entrance message board, or posted signs before planning your visit. 

Gates lock at 5:00 pm. The last entry is at 4:45 pm. 1:00 pm late opening days occur on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

The UCR campus calendar is posted at registrar.ucr.edu/calendar.

Directions to UCR Botanic Gardens

Map of the UCR Botanic Gardens

Parking

Parking on the UCR campus is managed by TAPS, Transportation & Parking Services, and is available with the purchase of a temporary permit. Three parking lots are within easy walking distance of the UCR Botanic Gardens.

UCR Botanic Gardens Lot:

Limited parking (~20 spaces) is available at the Gardens entrance. The TAPS permit dispenser takes Visa, Discover, and cash, costs $1.75 per hour, and does not give change. Parking is 2-hour maximum, no student parking.

UCR Visitor Lot 10:

2-hour maximum--The permit dispenser in Lot 10 at the bottom of the Botanic Gardens driveway takes Visa and Discover cards and issues pay-by-space permits.

Commuter Lot 13:

All day parking--Permit dispensers take Visa and Discover cards and issue pay-and-display permits. Daily parking permits may also be purchased at the Campus Kiosks located at the University Avenue and Canyon Crest entrances to the UCR campus.

Admission

There is no charge for admission to the UCR Botanic Gardens. We gratefully accept donations of any amount since over half of our operating budget and all of our new initiatives are funded by donations and memberships. The suggested donation is $5 per adult visitor. Donations may be made in the donation box on the Gatehouse near the Gardens entrance or online at gardens.ucr.edu/dontate or myadv.ucr.edu. Become a Friends member online at gardens.ucr.edu/friends or by picking up a membership brochure at the entrance.

Policies and Guidelines

The UCR Botanic Gardens is not a park, rather a living museum with thousands of plant species in our curated collection. We are a certified wildlife habitat and home to a diversity of year-round and migrating birds, lizards, insects, and a healthy population of Western diamondback rattlesnakes. We also commonly see coyotes, bobcats, and an occasional mountain lion. For your own protection and to protect our gardens and wildlife, we ask you to respect the following policies and guidelines:

    Per UCR and/or UCR Botanic Gardens policies, these items are not allowed:

    • Pets
    • Bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, or operation of drones
    • Alcohol, firearms, fires, or outdoor cooking
    • Smoking or tobacco products
    • Balloons or glitter
    • Weddings, parties, or public events

    Please adhere to these UCR Botanic Gardens guidelines:

    • Stay on designated trails
    • Do not disturb or approach wildlife
    • Do not collect or trim plant material, disturb planting beds, or climb in trees
    • Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult
    • Photography in groups of over 6 individuals require advance notification and permits

    Photography Policy

    Please refer to our Photography page before planning your visit and photo shoot.

    Our staff works hard to maintain a beautiful setting for your casual and special event photos. This means repairing the significant wear and tear that happens when groups assemble for photo shoots. We do not charge admission to the Gardens but we do require permission and charge a fee for groups, which allows us to ensure that the Gardens are open and available, manage scheduling conflicts with other events and groups, and recover some of our costs of maintaining this beautiful setting for your photography.

    We welcome personal photography of plants, nature, family and friends and hope you will share your photos with others to enjoy. There is no charge or permission required for personal groups up to 10 individuals, although we encourage a $5 donation per adult. Personal groups of 11-20 must obtain permission and pay a $50 fee in advance. 

    University of California policy requires all photography using professional, commercial, or paid photographers, regardless of group size, to obtain advance permission and pay a fee—$50 for 1-10 individuals, $100 for 11-20 individuals. Larger groups are not allowed without approval by the Director.

    To schedule a group photo shoot, please visit our Photography page, read our Photography Policy, fill out the online form, and pay the fee. Contact us at ucrbg@ucr.edu or 951-784-6962 to obtain more information. If you have not received permission in advance you may be asked to leave.

    Upcoming Events

    The UCR Botanic Gardens hosts a variety of events. View the UCR Botanic Gardens at Calendar of Events