Group size is limited to 10 or less; face coverings and physical distancing are required; please see our schedule and requirements here.
Hours & General Information
The UCR Botanic Gardens reopened June 29, 2020 with reduced hours:
MON - FRI, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and the 1st & 3rd Sunday, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.
CLOSED 1/28/21 & 1/29/21 DUE TO EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGE AND SAFETY WORK.
CLOSED 2/15/21
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 closed and locked at noon. All visitors are expected to exit by 12:00 p.m.
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.
Commuter Lot 13: Parking structure construction will limit parking availability through 2020.
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/donate or myadv.ucr.edu. Become a Friends member online at gardens.ucr.edu/friends or by picking up a membership brochure at the entrance.
We now offer cashless online admission donations.
Scan this code here or at the entrance gatehouse.
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:
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 951-827-7090 to obtain more information.
If you have not received permission in advance you may be asked to leave.
