Botanical Building

Absolutely phenomenal!! This indoor botanical garden is amazing. The type of plants that are growing in comparison and the size is spectacular. Indoor orchids, sizes of the various succulents the foliage in general is unbelievable. I've seen many of these plants before but not in an indoor environment at their size.

Beautiful botanical garden set in Balboa Park! It’s not huge but it’s a very pretty building with some incredible plants. And the building is beautiful from the outside too with a picturesque pool with some koi, turtles and ducks. There was no charge to enter and it was nice to walk through!

I was expecting way more plants and flowers. It's big enough that you do not need to repeat the same ones. The benches are nice, except when you want to look at something and a family is sitting there blocking the whole view. Love the openness of it and the breeze through the walls.

Beautifully designed indoor garden in a soaring open ceiling architectural building. Admission is free and there's a huge lily pond out front and often musicians playing out front. Highly recommend strolling around and taking photos.

I learned that this is recently renovated and unique among botanical gardens with the slat construction rather than all glass windows. The window construction throws unique light and shadow patterns on the trees, plants, and greenery here. The indoor memorial pool offers an other design element. The outdoor pond offers a place to sit and reflect on the cool breeze, plants, and pond animals who joined us today. Accessible venue through out Accessible restrooms in central museum area Accessible van parking in free lot that fills quickly, and is a walk from parking to venue via uncovered walkway

This rebuilt historic structure is finally open and in 2025 is growing back to full glory. One of few free cultural institutions in the park, this is one of only three built for the 1915 Panama California Exhibition that was intended to be permanent. After years of decay it’s back to better-than-full glory. Go inside after you pause to take pictures of the pond with the Botanical Building as a backdrop. It’s the prettiest shot in the park.

Working with botany, it is always a pleasure to visit such places. Although a small facility, it is well worth a visit, even in warm days. The nice shade and careful selection of plants make this an enjoyable 20 min stop, when visiting the site of the 'California Pacific International Exposition', held here in 1935.

The restored Botanical Building is a must see in Balboa Park. Most conservatories around the world are glass. San Diego’s is open-air with wood slats emulating the traditional conservatory shape. While the plants inside will need time to mature, it’s a lovely tranquil spot to visit. At night, it’s beautifully lit. See photos.

We loved the building and it was well worth the very long wait for it to do so! I do wish there were physical signs/info about each plant, as I found the online map and info a bit confusing and contradictory. The docents were friendly and really knowledgeable. If they didn't have the answer to a Q, they'd ask another volunteer rather than making a guess! I appreciated that! We look forward to returning this summer, as we had gone in the winter and it was pretty chilly. It will be like a brand new experience! ;)

What is the greatest place you can go to that has the many years of the park with the many plaques the many colors aromas that can relax so many? Balboa Park has one of the great botanicals the many plants that were here since the early 1800s the park had so many breeds of plants and flowers. The large botanical garden that when you come to the garden of the park with the pond the fish swimming the site of the baby turtles that can be seen walking near the water.Goung to the Botanical at the park the walk in is 9 ebthat takes you past the many museums for my day at the Botanical was one the trip back into the history of the garden. The Botanical was closed for remodel before the grand opening the opening the many going to the garden the look and the many colors it's like the botanical has traveled forward in time. No drinks are allowed inside you may not touch the plants with the menu colors you may see the color that catches your eye. Balboa Parks history is one that has so many great events the worlds fair that was held here with the new awakening of the garden more people will be coming to Balboa Park The many close eateries you can go to on the Broadway of the park with museums that have eateries the park has much more to bring and reveal. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the entry to the Botanical it was like you were looking at history the creators of the park. You can see through the eyes of the creators of the beauty of the garden it is one place to come and take a walk through.

The only reason I didn't give this full marks is because the time spent here could be as short as just a few minutes; however, don't let this diminish your visit to this FREE space. The pros for this building outweigh any cons you can think. For starters, this space is perfect for pictures. If you are an IG girl or someone who just loves capturing beautiful things this building is perfect for you. Utilizing a juxtaposition of old world architecture with nature you feel like you're in a space made for flappers who loved gardening. With high arches above and a feeling of a gilded era it feels classy without feeling kitschy. It's stated the reason we feel God or spiritual in large cathedrals or structures is because it makes you realize how small you are and this can explain the feeling of something bigger than you. If that's the case, the Botanical Building will also give you similar vibes, along with Jurassic Park 3 where the pterosaurs were in their cage. Where are the dinosaurs?! All in all, though this stop will hardly take any time out of your San Diego itinerary it is well worth a visit if you are in this space.

I have not stepped foot into the Botanical Building here and I wish I did when it was the old design. Upon coming the breeze was already cool and shady, the roofing of the building is beautiful and bright! I liked the simplicity of the botanical garden and felt like there should be more signs of what plants are instead of scanning a QR code, but that's just me! The fountains on opposite ends were nice, but could use some more to it. I felt very serene walking through the small building but it's a nice spot to relax and enjoy some plants. Hopefully it's not the end of the remodel yet! There's some construction on the ramp to get here from the main plaza near the museum, but you are still able to enter the building without any traffic.

The Botanical Building in Balboa Park is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! This one is a free entry. I believe it has been recently renovated. It has intricate woodwork design that lets the sun shine through with thriving beautiful plants. It has a small pond in front of the entrance. There's a few wildlife living there. There is also a fountain outside as well. The inside is awesome. There are trees, plants, and flowers all over. It is a large building. However, it really doesn't take long to walk around. There's people taking pictures and selfies so it might take a few extra minutes if you're waiting for a particular shot. We actually came through here a few times to admire the beautiful plants and flowers. The building and its architecture is AMAZING! We enjoyed the serenity feeling of its beauty. There's a couple of benches in there. It's nice to sit back and enjoy the sunshine and beauty. People watching was also entertaining. Their reactions to the beauty was priceless!

The remodel is so beautiful!!! Great job, Balboa Park Conservatory or whoever arranged this. It looks more beautiful than ever and is so pleasant and relaxing to visit (esp. on a weekday - on a weekend it might be nuts now that it reopened!).

I was excited to visit now that it has re-opened after construction! The architecture is beautiful and eye catching. The open air wood structure is perfect for San Diego's many sunny days. It's a great part of Balboa Park and with free admission, why not stop by and enjoy the plants? :) It is smaller on the inside than you would expect, and I feel like the plant selection was more basic. I was hoping to see some more unique, tropical plants. I thought they had some scratch and sniff plants, so I wish they still had that. Maybe they'll continue to add more plants in the future!

While I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to see this alone in Balboa Park, I would absolutely add it on to anything I would visit in Balboa Park. The long restoration just completed a few months ago and it was definitely worth while. The building itself is just amazing to look at. The plants are thriving inside and the setting and sunshine are very relaxing inside of the Botanical Building. I did not see any flowers really during my recent visit, but there should be many blooming flowers in the next few months. Definitely depends on which season you decide to visit during. Just a beautiful place to be!

While very beautiful and an amazing feature of Balboa, and agreeing with a lot of recent reviews, the botanical building could use more of a diverse, plentiful plant display. If hanging plants or wrapped plants were along the sides and extending vertically, it would create a more jungle-esque feel & add some shadows to the interior which I feel would make it more magical to enter. It was absolutely gorgeous while it was raining at the park as you can see in these photos! But hoping more is added on and more creativity is involved as they continue to evolve the space.

ADMIRING INSIDE AND OUT (4 stars) It's the first time going inside the Botanical Building. I have admired the outside like of this infamous picture worthy backdrop like the rest of the world. They open from 10a - 4p (or 430p). No pets allowed - only service animals. There is no entrance fee. It's basically a greenhouse. If you like plants, this is for you. I just saw plants and felt like I walked into a plant nursery and called it done in less than 10 minutes. It's nice and clean. Until the next review...

Very MIDDDDDDD loved the building structure but I saw this online and was hoping for some crazy cool plants with full greenhouse vibes. It's definitely not that if you that's what you were hoping for BUT the building is very cute --- very busy tho and no dogs allowed or drinks

It's been a while since I last came here, but it's still a nice place to visit while at Balboa Park. They are currently going through restoration, so the entire garden isn't quite setup yet. Phase 1, interior restoration, took about 3 years and was completed back in December 2024. Phase 2, exterior restoration, is set to begin soon, so the pond and exterior garden areas are a bit shabby right now (only a few koi fish and some flowers at the end of the pond). Even so, it's still a beautiful site to see and it's free! The lath structure on the newly revitalized building is mesmerizing to look at as always. It lets in just enough light with some shade. Although the plants and flowers are mostly what thrives in San Diego/SoCal, they are healthy and well kept, and so nice to look at more so inside the beautiful building. Not a lot of flowers though as my family and I were there last month (January), but it was still nice to walk around and see the greenery. I'm sure it'll look more colorful as spring approaches. Not sure how long the next phase of restoration will take to complete, but I'll be looking forward to seeing the entire site back in it's former yet revitalized glory.

Just remodeled and VERY cute! It's kind of in the heart of balboa with lots to do around it, and doesn't get as crowded on weekdays compared weekends. Overall a cute and free place to visit and take photos!

Finally got to visit this botanical garden after being closed for at least 3 years. Beautiful dome and lots of plants to see.

Love that it is free entry but I'm sad that they didn't have some of the plants they had before the renovation. It doesn't feel as full as before but you're able to spend about 15-20 minutes here walking and looking around.

Just open in early December of 2024, this magnificent building, after a 3-year restoration project, is just beautiful! The immense wood structure is a great thing to spectate and to photograph! Inside, there are many interesting plants along the internal walkways. Great holiday flora on display at the time of this writing. This beautiful building is free to visit but closes at 4pm so be sure to get there in time !

Looks like the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers from the outside, but it's about half the size and not a glass greenhouse. It's open air structure. The wood structure looked pretty new, and just read another Yelp review that it re-opened earlier in December 2024. Great for a 15-30 minute walk through, has a few benches to sit and take it in. I can imagine this being a nice garden venue for intimate weddings or special events. Plant selection - there's a QR code to download a map but would've been nicer if there were signs posted. Various poinsettias but not much flowering except for wild orchid in tree. Hope there will be more flowers next time!

Nice place to visit but it was very small so I didn't spend too much time in here but they have some of the most beautiful succulents here. It's free! It was raining the day I came so it was ok.

I'll be blunt: whoever was involved in the redo of this iconic attractive should be taken to the woodshed. They turned a once vibrant, tropical oasis of discovery into a bland, suburban-like mess of sterility. What's even more remarkable, is that this was done in the name of historical preservation, when instead it destructively modified the structure that is the historical memory of those who have cherished this building for decades and did so spending millions that could have gone to other Balboa Park needs that have been deferred or ignored for decades. Before the terrible renovation, this was a lovely maze of mostly tropical plants from around the world, with an amazing array of plant diversity showcased and informative signage to provide learning opportunities about the various plants. Each area was it's own little world, with the popular carnivorous plants and ""scratch and sniff" aromatic plants being perhaps the most popular. There was a vast array to explore as you meandered down narrow pathways that created a welcome sense of intimacy in such a large structure. Now, all of that is gone, replaced by overly wide pathways, an empty concrete middle scetion (so they can make money renting it out for weddings, etc.), and a shockingly bland, repetitive, and uninteresting sampling of plants. Gone is the intimacy and jungle-like atmoshere, instead replaced by a sterile environment that is best described as if the sububan hell of Eastlake were to build their own version of the historic building. Also gone are the informative signs, now replaced by QR codes that of course no one wants to use. The entire point of a place like this is to get us away from our modern-day screens to experience a sense of the natural world, but instead we are forced back to our phones to actually learn anything. The exterior is equally a failure, as the colors of the wood and building just don't look right. It was once such an iconic-looking building, but is now just so... off. In the race to replicate an old design, they seem to have forgotten that the prior mid-20th century modifications might have been for the better, and what was historic to us San Diegans was what those of us living actually know, remember, and held a fondness for. Sadly, that is now gone.

They finally reopened after a few years of renovation. The size and the look apparently are still the same. But I had never been inside before so I had always been curious what it looked like inside. It's not that big but it's pretty inside. Came here during the holiday season so there were poinsettia everywhere and looked festive. There was a line at the time since they just reopened and Balboa park was having a big event that day but the line went pretty quickly. There are benches around inside so people can take time and sit and enjoy the view. Definitely will go there again now that it's open again for public.

One of my favorite places to visit here in Balboa. Great to see it back open! Enjoyed visit but plants need to grow to get it back nice.

Gorgeous free "exhibit" at Balboa Park. The flowers and pond leading up to the Botanical Building are picture worthy and the building itself is like an open air green house.

I was so excited to check out the botanical gardens after they've been closed for the last few years. I anticipated the weekends to be pretty busy too come visit so I got the opportunity to come this past Tuesday which was significantly less busy. it was a beautiful sunny day which made it a great day to visit the park. there was no wait just a trickle of few people in the gardens. there's a variety of plantations but not as full as a previously was. I anticipate as the seasons change that they will plant more vegetation in the garden. although it was really cute and it was really happy the gardens are back.

Today was our first visit to the Botanical Building in over three years, during which it was closed for renovation and renewal. The result is a mixed bad IMHO. From a historical perspective, I love seeing it in its 1915 grandeur. I'm also happy with the modernization, including interior misters, state-of-the-art lighting, and new water features such as the fountain at the west entrance. Among what makes me unhappy is losing the staghorn fern display and fewer plants displayed, both varieties and numbers. All said, I look to continuing my visits that started in the late 1970s.

For it being free it is a good place! Just overall I pretty under stimulated the whole time, there are several other locations within Balboa park that you can goto an explore and have an amazing time at. DEFINITELY recommend for pictures though only in the front area where they have the pool.

So very happy to see that after over 2 years this building is brand new and renovated since 1915. The way the Architects put in extra reinforcement, lattice and able to let in so much beautiful light and create great Shadows for photography. If you haven't been in there since the remodeling/ renovation it is a must-see it is absolutely a piece of art. Since the plants had all been moved out many of them had died according to the docent I spoke to. There is a lot of greenery in there but there are no orchids like there used to be everywhere. They were all so beautiful and so many different colors. They are planning to bringing some orchids eventually. There are a couple small fountains inside and the oxygen in there is completely pure. It is very cool in there and a great place to just sit down and relax.

It's lovely how they're recreating this historical botanical to its original glory! It'll be great once it's completely restored!

Beautiful structure and a nice place for photos. The plants are okay nothing special or eye grabbing but you cannot beat free.

The Botanical Building itself is gorgeous, but the garden was simply underwhelming. It is pretty small and the garden was cute, but nothing spectacular. I wouldn't recommend unless you are already at Balboa Park or want to take some cute pictures.

Balboa Park is absolutely gorgeous. Even living in San Diego, I love spending a day in the park just walking and exploring. The Botanical Building is a treat because it's free to enter! Many of the museums charge a fee (rightfully so) but this is a free option to give you something to do during your visit. What I love even more than that is that you can picnic right outside of the building. There are areas that allow for public consumption of alcohol, so you can pack some wine or beers and enjoy them on the grassy areas near the park. I've celebrated birthdays here and enjoy seeing nice set ups take place for others celebrating. If you're lucky, you might even catch some cute dogs or rabbits running around as well!

This was once my favorite place in all of San Diego. But this new remodel is a MASSIVE disappointment. I see why they only advertise pictures of the ceiling or the outside. :/ All the plants are just plants you can get at home depot now, it's not filled out, and it's just big... empty space. I understand and even support making stuff more wheelchair accessible, but this was NOT the direction to go. It's honestly just straight up boring. It doesn't look like most of the old plants were saved for replanting. It's mostly just garden center succulents, straight out of the pot, and like, ONE albino monstera now, and a lot of buckets of poinsettias to make it "christmas-y." Some of the old plants are there but like, it looks so *sad.* I'm seriously heartbroken about what they've done to the place.

Disappointed with the reno. Add another thing to the list of things that used to be better in San Diego. It used to be bountiful and lush with that moist jungle smell. There used to be an herb section that you could interact with. Maybe it will get better with time.

Simply beautiful! Stunning, unique architecture. Beautifully kept and maintain flower garden. No wonder this is a favorite for visitors and those capturing photos of special moments alike. Definitely worth checking out.

Gorgeous exterior architecture with the fountain leading up to it. Lots of people taking photos for their quiceneras and weddings in front. Inside the botanical garden is a slew of mostly tropical plants and foliage with some poinsettias around for that feeling of holiday cheer. Make sure to take a look up at the ceiling too, the way the roof is made, light flows in, kind of like you're in a wicker basket. It's free to enter, you can quickly look at everything (unless you read every sign- not that many) and it's a nice stop in your journey through the park.

Free, beautiful, and looks like it came out of a movie! Step inside this building and see all the living plants that they have. Overall it's a short walk around but I like the setup. It feels great inside and if you enjoy looking at plants this is a cool place to be. I like the inside so don't forget to look up! It's super pretty and it feels almost like your entering some other part of the world. It might be a little busy since this place is free so if you want to take photos I think you should go in the morning. This is in Balboa Park and within walking distance from everything else, so just walk in and check it out! During the time I came here, there was only one way in and one way out, it has a sign that says this.

At least the architecture of the building is cool looking from the outside, and photogenic with or without the reflection pond out front. It is a small building with some plants and flowers, but not too much to see. Depending on the time of year it can be more colorful and blooming than other times. I think the best time of all the times I have visited was in February or March when there were several colorful blooming plants and flowers. I was just there in October and not much going on, but they had some pumpkins and gourds on display to give a little oomph. You can breeze through this place in 5 minutes or less or take 20-30 minutes to look at everything and read every sign. At least it is free, and another things to see in Balboa park.

If you stroll around Balboa Park, it's impossible not to notice the Botanical Building. It stands out, the architecture is different and it has a huge pond with koi fish and beautiful water lilies in front. The building has a cute garden inside with various plants, mostly exotic: orchids, etc. It's free to visit and it closes at 4 pm. It's closed on Thursdays. So, make time to check it out, it doesn't take a lot of time to browse it, but it's a beautiful stop while you walk through the park. It's relaxing, could be a nice break in the action. I always like to stop by, admire the flowers, the displays, sit on a bench in front of it, take a break, have a snack, enjoy the view. This place is unique to the park and unique in general. It looks beautiful at sunset, but any time of the day you'll stop by, it'll be enjoyable. If I'd live in the area, I'd come here often. But if you visit the Park, put it on your itinerary. It'll lift your spirits up. It's laid back and you can spend as much or little as you want to. For me, I put no limits when I'm here. It's too pretty around to worry about time.

Such a beautiful stop in Balboa park! We loved reading all of the signs for each plant and we really learned a lot in the short time we were there. It was easy to walk over from parking, and the whole thing only took 15 minutes... leaving plenty of time for other park adventures. Definitely a balboa must-see!

This is not a green house but shaped like one. The shading slats give protection from the harsh sun and strong winds. San Diego has the mildest weather in California so sub tropical plants can survive without a glass house. The variety of plants here are limited compared to great glass house in Kew, England or to the glass house in Golden gate Park, San Francisco. Also some of the equatorial plants are not seen here.

Who cares if the area is small? It's 100% free, so you shouldn't even be complaining! It's very clean and well maintained inside and there's many plants/flowers to look around. They also have some smelling stations as well. It's very cool inside, so definitely go on a hot day. No complaints, just wish it was a little bigger and walkways had more room.

This is a small, cute botanical area that can get very crowded, very fast. My only complaint was the fact that most people in here had no concept of personal space. That is on the people walking around, not the venue, but Im just saying. People: Respect others personal space. I was trying to figure out if a butterfly on one of the plants was real... as was another woman, and we were discussing it... when a man came up, literally pushed me out of the way, and shoved his camera right in front of my face to take pictures. Its just unacceptable. I of course shot my mouth off to him and he didnt understand a word I said, nor did he care. Perhaps come here during the week when it may be less crowded, with less space invading tourists. :) There are a few small waterfalls that were really nice to listen to. A few people were sitting around drawing. A few birds flew in which was cute.

Beautiful must-see botanical park and absolutely lovely surrounding area. No charge, and the only drawback is that it's very popular so it's always crowded. Very much a highlight of any visit to San Diego, if you only have a day to look around I would put this on the list as it's not far from the number one destination, the zoo. I actually thought while I was here I could live in San Diego, it's just such a wonderful little botanical garden.

The Admission: FREE!! There are 10 gardens in Balboa Park... all FREE except Japanese garden. By far, this is the most beautiful garden in Balboa Park. I call this place.. Orchid Paradise! They have so many different type of orchids. They take great care of the plants, they look absolutely gorgeous!!

Part of Balboa Park and a part that should not be missed. Open from 10AM-4PM. Admission is free. No food or drinks allowed inside the building. No pets allowed either. A lot of nice plants, flowers and trees inside for your viewing pleasure. It was a nice walk through that I enjoyed with friends and reminded me a lot of my college biology days. A beautiful little spot to check out as you roam the rest of Balboa Park.

The Botanical Building, located inside Balboa Park, is actually not too big :P There is a pond with koi fish that is in front of it so that's a good tell tale sign that you're close to it! It's the open building that's at the end of the pond! When you go in, at least during December 2015, you see a row of poinsettias. Maybe they're ringing in the holiday season :D There was a section that you could touch the plants and try and see what smell it made- that's so cool that you could *interact* with the plants and see what scents they could give off :3 There was a poinsettia circle, which was a great circular area. Someone asked me to take a picture of them with it and I took a great picture (if i do say so myself :P ). We asked someone else to get a picture of us and they zoomed in so much x_x. Sigh sometimes I wonder how people take pictures HAHA. The building is pretty small so you'll only spend about 10-15 minutes in it, unless you really want to go in depth with every single plant haha. It's a nice place to walk through- give it a try!

Beautiful botanical building with an assortment of different, diverse plants for your viewing pleasure! Located in Balboa Park, it's very picturesque before you even enter the building, as it's across a reflecting pool. However, you must go inside and take advantage of the free admission - as the lush plants and greenery are just as worthy of pictures! The Botanical Building is shaped like a greenhouse, with its high and open ceiling, so felt much more spacious while there - even with the mobs of people walking in and out. The natural sunlight breaks in from the ceiling, too, making the setting even more breathtaking. What I loved most about the building were the tropical plants that are housed here. Though the building isn't very large - the amount of plants here has you walking around the area for much longer than you may have anticipated. All of the plants are labeled, too, so you can learn more about them. If your time is limited - make sure you don't miss the fig tree! But if you're in San Diego, you'll want to make a stop here.

As a plant daddy, I was so happy to stroll around this botanical garden, spotting plants that I know and house. It was the beginning of spring so many flowers were blooming. There were tall trees and ferns, orchids of many varieties. The dome is a cool structure, like a cage keeping the plants hostage; yet these plants are so happy and thriving.

What a gorgeous building! Check the hours before you try to come. It was closed the first time around for us. But if you're exploring Balboa Park, this is a must. Located right in front of a coi pond with lilies and egrets. This garden is free to all and hosts a variety of exotic plants. Take maybe 20min to do but I certainly recommend stopping in!

Great little Botanical Garden nestled in Balboa Park. There is not a cover charge to come check out this little gym so grab up your kids and bring em on in. It was amazing that on that hot day, once you walk into the building you instantly notice how much cooler and crisp the air is from all of the beautiful plants everywhere you look. My favorite was the spice area which had some interesting smells and you can run your fingers on the leaves of the spices and get a good smell of each. Loved it!