Desert Botanical Gardens

phoenix desert botanical gardens grouch old ladies!‎ - Art‎ Magazine Today posted: The plants are nice, the people that work there are unbelievable! they are a bunch of grouchy old women that make me embarrassed to be from Arizona! The phoenix botanical gardens should hire people that have a positive attitude. These are old snobby wrinkled women and should not represent Arizona period. Very rude, very snobby, horrible experience! shame on you desert botanical gardens I think you can do better that that. Arizona Native / Business Owner

My son and his fiance were married here last October. The weather was perfect and the gardens were beautiful. It was a perfect venue and we will always have wonderful memories of this place. The only downside was I had to sweep up the rose petals after the ceremony!!

I spent about 4 hours here and really enjoyed it. I was fortunate enough to be here for the Chihuly glass exhibit and hope to return for the spring flowers.

Enjoyed the docent guided tour of such an amazing array of desert flora. Lucky me to be there during the not-to-missed Chihuly exhibit. Saw very unusual items such as Queen of the Night and Boojum tree. I spent 3 hours there and it was magnificent.

Rained the entire evening we attended Luminarias. Cold, wet, puddles everywhere. Luminarias were mostly rained out. All the musical entertainment was moved indoors to two very small venues that were packed with guests trying to avoid the rain.Gave it a good try- slogged about in the rain for an hour through crowded pathways, avoiding umbrellas. Asked if it was possible to obtain tickets for another day or event and was told by the warm and dry employees in the gift shop" Sorry, we're an outdoor venue and you get what you get." Poor planning, poor customer service. What a disappointment!

We really enjoy going to the gardens and strolling about looking at all the plant and cactus varieties. We go to the Luminaria every year, and have for the past four years together, and our only regret is that time and location make it hard for us to go more than three or four times all year.

I can not imagine giving this 5 stars. This is the most exciting thing Phoenix has to offer? The number one attraction? I took my daughter and half the paths were closed. It was an absolute bore. I left feeling like I had wasted my money and my time. Having just moved here - I hope there are more exciting thing than this! I will never be going or taking anyone there - that is for sure! Big Yawn!

The garden features plants from the Sonoran Desert, which Phoenix is in, and deserts around the world. The garden is both beautiful and educational. We took a leisurly stroll along the Desert Discovery Trail, a brick pathway in the center of the site. There are many benches placed throughout trails to sit and enjoy the scenery. Deserts are typically thought of as barren, desolate places; but the botanical garden shows the great beauty of the desert and how lively it is also. The succulents (including agave, aloe and cactus) store life sustaining water for people and animals. My favorite plants are the Saguaro and the Blue Palo Verde. The butterfly exhibit was quite enjoyable. There are five trails that branch off from the Discovery Trail. The gift shop has a variety of items and offers a great selection of plants for sale. There was actually more than I could see in one visit. I will definitely return to the Desert Botanical Garden on a future trip to Phoenix. I highly recommend it to those who love plants, animals and/or gardens.

I have been to the Botanical Gardens on several ocassions and it has always been fun. It's great just to walk around and see all the cool plants but they also have lot of fun special events throughout the year. I recommend going in November and December for Noche de las Luminarias. They have luminarias lining the walkways, live music, and food. It's a very calm yet festive atmosphere. The butterfly pavillion in the spring is also really cool. You get to see the butterflies up close and personal. In October we went for a pumpkin patch and hayrides. The kids each got a free pumpkin. They also had a train exhibit that my two year old was fascinated with. They post all of the events on their website so check it out, find something that interests you and go!

We spent the day at the incredible Desert Botanical Gardens. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but it's not. Spring when the cacti are in bloom is best and the temperature is a manageable 80s. Also this is the best time to see the stunning Butterfly Enclosure. Filled with thousands of butterflies you and your family will have hours of fun with the little guys alighting on your clothing, hair and heads. The staff provides a "bingo" card for you to try your luck at identifying the little guys and they check you on your way out to ensure none of them make their way out into the world at large. The trails through the botanical garden and a little confusing but full of items the kids will find fun, such as native american dwellings and hands on displays where they get to crush seeds and make flour etc. Eat before you go though because the cafe is over priced and awful (as they usually are at places likes this.) Also keep your eyes open for the wildlife. Many lizards and birds inhabit the gardens and they are fun to spot and watch. The woodpeckers and quails dominate the park with gecko's running in the leaves. The desert oasis also has a rich variety of frogs. Lastly don't miss the sculpture display and wildflower trail near the entrance. Stunning flowers and weird sculptures made fromm natural ingrediants. Very nicely done.