During your visit to this Arizona attraction, pass through the garden’s entrance and wander its trails at your own pace. Be sure to stop along the way to enjoy the garden’s many engaging exhibits. Start or end your visit to the garden in one of its cafés or in its restaurant. In the Garden Shop, you will find gift and souvenir items unique to the Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona.
Trails and Exhibits
Ottosen Entry Garden
Ottosen Entry Garden serves as the Desert Botanical Garden’s grand lobby. Delight in dramatic displays of cacti and succulents that illustrate the beauty and diversity of desert plants and set the scene for your Desert Botanical Garden experience. Adjacent to the Ottosen Entry Garden you will find visitor amenities including the SRP Visitor Center and the Garden Shop.
Desert Discovery Loop Trail
The circular Desert Discovery Loop Trail is the Desert Botanical Garden’s main trail. Follow the brick path and learn about the unique characteristics of cacti and succulents from around the world. Popular exhibits along the Desert Discovery Loop Trail include the Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries, the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest and the seasonal butterfly exhibits in the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. The Plants and Peoples of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail, the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail and the Center for Desert Living are also accessible from the Desert Loop Trail.
Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail
Established in 1989 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail is one of the largest exhibits designed to help people gain a better understanding of the complex cultural relationships between people and plants in the region. Journey through five habitats: Desert, Desert Oasis, Mesquite Bosque, Semi-desert Grassland and Chaparral. These habitats have provided people with useful plants for food, fiber, medicine and cultural purposes for 2,000 years. The story of these relationships is brought to life through cultural examples of the Tohono O'odham, Western Apache and Hispanic households.
Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
Marvel at dramatic vistas of distant mountains and up-close views of the surrounding desert as you stroll along the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail. Engaging exhibits along the trail focus on both the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert.
Center for Desert Living
Learn useful, sustainable and harmonious ways in which you can work with nature in a desert environment on the Center for Desert Living Trail. Featured gardens along the trail include the Steele Herb Garden and the Edible Garden.
Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower
The Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower trail, opened in March of 2001, encompasses nearly two acres of North American desert wildflower exhibits planted with year-round displays. Wander the winding trail and delight in the beauty, color and diversity of wildflowers of North American deserts. Exhibits examine how wildflowers play an important role in the desert’s ecosystem.
Dining at Desert Botanical Gardens
The Desert Botanical Garden offers several dining options. Dine at Gertrude’s Restaurant boasting a menu with local ingredients from artisans and farmers around Arizona and the Southwest. At the Patio Café, salads, sandwiches and sensational sweets are available. The seasonal Butterfly Café, open from Friday to Sunday, serves healthy snacks and a variety of beverages.
Shopping at the Garden Shop
Be sure to stop by the Garden Shop, adjacent to the Ottosen Entry Garden. Books, clothing, home décor, jewelry, DVDs and CDs, souvenirs, and toys and games unique to the Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona are available to purchase.
- Upon arrival to the Desert Botanical Garden you will be given a Visitors Guide and Event Calendar that includes the garden’s trail map to assist in planning your visit.
- Vending machines are located near Admissions.
- Complimentary wheelchairs are available to rent at Admissions on a first-come, first-served basis.