San Antonio Botanical Garden

I visited twice in 10 days. The first time was at night for the Illuminate event. I thought it odd that our was advertised as a holiday light show because the lights were all flowers, animals, and insects. It was pretty enough, but there wasn't much variety. I'm from Michigan and not used to Christmas time without snow, but maybe this IS Christmas in Texas. The second time I visited during the day. Not an awful lot blooming yet, but still pretty. I really enjoyed the Japanese garden. Peaceful and serene spot. The fern room was lovely too, wish it was bigger. I've been to many botanical gardens around the country, and in comparison, this was just okay. There wasn't anything that stood out as really unique, but a nice place to visit.

Visiting the place from out of state. Mostly a very beautiful place and we enjoyed the venture. Walk pathways were not clearly mark and made navigation a bit of an venture. We did find what we were looking for after several wrong truns. The staff on carts should understand that walking visitors have the rightaway. Some did seem to struggle this understanding especially around small children. One of the most amazing finds for the garden for the blind! Kinda interesting that this amazing garden (and please visit this and just close your eyes), can be located at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Our vision impaired friends, please be careful, yet enjoy! The Japanese garden had murky water yet was is worth visiting.

We came for the Illuminate Exibition and had an absolutely wonderful time. Everything was very organized, from the parking assistance to the security. They had plenty of places where you could get snacks/drinks and even had a place to roast marshmallows and have smores. The lights were gorgeous. Such a fantastic evening. This was my 2nd visit to the Botanical Gardens, the last time was during the day. Both experiences were beyond my expectations and I would highly recommend a visit to everyone!

I went for the illumination experience. The lights were beautiful but not really holiday themed. The walk was short(30min) but fun. They had vendors not too pricy for an event. Cotton candy was $10 but says card only so of course they end up charging you $11.50. I do feel parking is too much ($20) on top of the $25 (weekday) entrance fee. Overall, I am glad we went and experienced it. Would recommended for others.

Went to the Illuminations event and Wow what an amazing experience. They did this beautifully. They have it wonderfully organized and the displays and lights are magical. They have wonderful food available from churros, funnel cakes Bavarian pretzels and more. The price to attend is well worth it and reasonable. However the food prices are absolutely beyond outrageous and shouldn't be permitted. $5 for a bottled water that's literally .15 cents and possibly lower is beyond pale.

We enjoyed a visit to the botanical gardens for the illuminated lights display and found it to be an exceptionally beautiful experience. The gardens were filled with bright lights in every direction. Our family members, aged 7 to 36, all had a great time. This attraction is definitely worth visiting. The food and drink options available added to the overall experience.

Illuminate was a must see. Amazing experience, well worth walking around in the cold. So beautiful. The botanical gardens is amazing during the day as well. If u haven't been by you should. Great for dates, family outings or just a nice stroll.. must see

My adult daughter picked Illuminate at the SA Botanical Gardens for her bday. Initially, I was skeptical about value vs cost of tix, but after the almost 2 hr, leisurely stroll thru the park, I was blown away by the huge, brilliantly lit, animated flowers, moths, butterflies, owls, bats, spiders, orchid mantis, glow-in-the-dark seesaws & swings!! Spectacular! I also loved how they sell Tix in 30 min increments to space out the crowds. Well worth the price of admission!!

A Peaceful Texas Oasis I spent about two hours here while my husband was in a conference, and it was time very well spent! They say everything's bigger in Texas, and these flowers and plants prove it. The gardens are full of color, variety, and beautiful landscaping. I especially loved the nature trail -- unpaved, shaded in spots, and full of true nature. The weekday visit meant it was wonderfully uncrowded, making it easy to take my time on both the paved paths and the nature trail. Staff at check-in and throughout the grounds were friendly and welcoming. The map they give you at entry is very helpful -- it clearly marks restrooms and water refill stations, which are sprinkled conveniently around the garden. I noticed you can purchase tickets online, but I bought mine in person without any wait. Pro tip: bring water and sunscreen -- Texas heat is no joke! And if you visit on a hot day like I did, make sure to stop at the gift shop for a Strawberry Fresca Palebolis popsicle. It was ice-cold, refreshing, and exactly what I needed -- a solid 5 stars in my book.

We were in town for the weekend and decided to stop here for a bit on Saturday morning. It was a good decision. We really enjoyed walking around and seeing all of the bright and beautiful flowers and pumpkins, as well as the art murals.

The dog days of summer are my favorite time of year as a member. I appreciate the early admission since we can anticipate how hot it will be. I also love the thoughtfully spaced dog pools; they provide a wonderful way for our furry friends to cool off their little paws!

Beautiful gardens!! I've been to San Antonio's Botanical Gardens a few times now and they've always been super nice. Unfortunately the Texas heat can kill a lot of the outdoor greenery in the summer time, but the indoor Halsell Conservatory, full of absolutely beautiful tropical plants, thrives all year long. The grounds are massive with lots to see, the accessible walking trails are wide and well maintained, and there are several fun classes and amazing events happening throughout the year. When you go, make sure you have lots of time so you can explore and see everything!

Came here on a pretty nice day where it wasn't to hot. We enjoyed walking around while on our vacation. Spent over an hour here, it was very nice and my 6 year old loved it. It wasn't super crowded either.

Outdoor gardens with a lot of area to cover for walking and enjoying the scenery. Many fun trails and areas to admire.

This place is incredible. We have a membership so we do go often, but I recently just went for the first time on a Wednesday night. Wednesdays and Sundays during the summer they stay open until 8 PM and the weather is great at that time. We walked around most of the park between 630 and 8 PM and I didn't even break a sweat. The gardens are gorgeous and so well kept. SABOT is definitely a must do in San Antonio!

My sister introduced me to special events and exhibits at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens since she had already visited there at least a few times within the past year :) ! We attended "Haunting Nights" one Friday evening about a week ago, followed by Huntopia yesterday on a Saturday in the daytime, and enjoyed our experiences :) ! My sister said she really loved "Lightscape" last year as well :D ! We found "Haunting Nights" to be perfect for me to enjoy something spooky, but just not outrageously scary like some Halloween events for adults! There was also a super cool monkey acrobat fire show :D ! There is also "Happy Frights" for really young kids as well :) ! Huntopia also has some great daytime displays and activities for kids, as well as some sand lots they can play in, and a giant haystack they can climb on :) ! I personally think it would have been best for Huntopia to run from November to April, instead of May to October. It's just too hot from May to October for visitors to come out for a daytime event. And I thought this past Sat was still pretty hot! There are some botany and arts & crafts classes that visitors can sign up for and take, if they would like to pay for additional experiences besides the general admission and special events/exhibits. We liked the cute Jardin restaurant on site and that looks like a cute and quaint house from the outside, as well as a super adorable black-and-white cat named Ms Rodriguez :) ! The restaurant employees are very friendly and courteous, and provide exceptional customer service :D ! And our lunch dishes and drinks were delicious and refreshing :) ! We will be back :D !

Seasonal displays keep us coming back to see what's new. Good parking. Plant sales are popular so make a reservation. Entertainment and classes diversify . Good facilities and good prices keep it family friendly. Good gift shop with great selections to choose from. Great venue for wedding reception and party. Come and see what's new!

Our San Antonio botanical garden is beautiful! It is well kept and clean. What I love about it is they have seasonal themes and they change it up to fit the theme I love walking around and reading the different description of plants. The best time to visit for me is around Christmas... they truly turn it into a Christmas wonderland!

If you visit San Antonio and don't visit the Botanical Garden then what are you even doing? I went recently during a hot summer day because I guess I am masochist, but I still enjoyed my experience during their Huntopia exibition. Personally I thought the Imaginary Worlds from last year was way more impressive especially with the dragon covered in flowers, but it was still worth coming this time around. I pad $22 for a ticket since they cost $4 more on weekends for adults. It's nice that they are also constantly updated the gardens and they also will have events listed on their website. It's a beautiful place that you have to experience yourself and if you are looking for activities to do with your family then this should be at the top of the list.

This place was absolutely beautiful and fun to explore. It was a bit pricy but I'm sure a lot goes into all the landscaping and upkeep for this place, so I thought it was totally worth it. The flowers are gorgeous and I would have loved to spend time in the middle of the flowers reading a book or knitting. The flowers really made me feel happy and peace seeing them all. I loved the plants that looked like kale. It's quite large and I honestly felt like I could have spent 2 plus hours exploring this place. The aviary was closed due to construction, so I'm sad I missed out on that, but overall a great experience and a peaceful adventure.

We tried to go to Japanese Tea garden on a Saturday. What were we thinking??? So we went to the Botanic gardens. Beautiful day. The orchid exhibit was incredible. The rose garden wasn't quite going yet. Only complaint was no discount for being a senior. $22 to get in. At least their bottle water was in cans.

Beautiful grounds and structures in the garden! It started raining so we didn't get past the palm tree pavilion, but the entry and the tropical garden areas were amazing. Can't wait to go again. If you live in San Antonio, the memberships are really worth looking at. You can buy an annual pass for what is not much more than a couple of day entry tickets. The have a restaurant on the grounds (Jardin) that i haven't tried but it looks adorable. Cute gift shop at the entry of the garden. Easy parking lot. They currently have the Huntopia art installation featuring bunnies, butterflies and birds.

Well since I didn't know about the botanical gardens here so far it's been a very beautiful garden and my last year being a member of the horticultural society it went in San Antonio do come here too if you're a flower and gardener right now it's the orchid display the only downfall list in February but other than that this is good for gardeners and people who like nature such as myself walking seeing trees and flowers and other flowering plants especially since I come from Chicago Illinois

The botanical garden buildings is almost look like Jurassic Park the movie. The triangular glass building is just like that. The garden is located at the residential area. Parking is available on site. The weekend rate and weekday rate are different. Weekday is cheaper. We visit after the day of egg hunt, we still can see some rabbit displays after Easter Day. The garden needs 2 to 4 hours to complete. The children section can enjoy the water fountain and streams inside the park. I like the temperature control building plants. Those are rare plants. It also has a rose garden and flower garden. The area cover is large. There are some lake, Japanese garden, and lily area. Overall is about 4.5 stars.

We came for the free garden day. We had a good time having never been before.Admission is about $25 for adults otherwise. Lines were long but moved quickly. You can check in with your online tickets to the side. There is a bit of walking but there is a little seating sprinkled through out the complex. They even have different rooms to go with the climate each plant needs. So there is a tropic room and a desert room. They also have a gift shop and restaurant called gardin.

I had a really pleasant time here! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the flora was organized throughout the garden and I loved seeing all of the fun insects and butterflies hanging around the plants. There were several greenhouses for different climates/plant types which was really cool! Next to some of the greenhouses, there was also a pond with cute fish and turtles swimming around! The garden is really peaceful and quiet so walking through it was relaxing. While I do think the prices are a bit cheap (considering that I've been to many botanical gardens with little to no fees), there was a good amount to see. Some exhibits were still under construction but regardless, my feet got tired before I could even see everything I wanted to! On a separate note, I'm not one to usually get bug bites, but for some reason the bugs at this garden really seemed to favor me HAHA. Luckily the gift shop carried some bug spray! The gift shop also had tons of other really cute and interesting items and I would definitely recommend checking it out before leaving!

This is genuinely a beautiful place! There is something here for everyone too. Peace, tranquility, and beauty! I stopped by here upon my first day arriving in San Antonio. This place completely realigned and recentered me spiritually and energetically. The flowers are beautiful, the gardens are well taken care of, and there are lots of opportunities to see and learn about new plants! Enjoy!

An absolute must during the winter season! The San Antonio Botanical garden is gorgeous with its many huge lights, flowers, and animal displays. Particularly enjoyed the interactive parts of the garden which include glowing swings, see saws, talking cacti, photo opportunities with a "garden character" and more. I was very impressed.

We came for their Halloween event Spooky Nights with our 10yo and 12yo. They're not into scary stuff so we stuck to the spooky instead. The grounds are lovely and it's surprisingly big! Paid for premium parking which was silly bc free parking was just as close so don't do that if you go. Would love to see it when it's not set up for an event either, but visiting from AZ, we won't likely be back. We've been to many arboretums and botanical gardens and this one is spectacular and right up there with the Morton Arboretum in Chicago suburbs. We would def have a membership if we lived here.

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a well-kept and wide-ranging space to keep your senses engaged and, for someone from out of town like me, to get some close-up looks at plants that I don't encounter often. I imagine that in the spring and summer the gardens overall are a little more vibrant than when I was there, but they were still nice when I visited. The various indoor spaces in the conservatory thrive constantly and the orchid garden that was on display when I was there was beautiful! They have a family garden area with places specifically for play and discovery for children, a Japanese garden, native plant trails, and a lake/pineywoods area. It wasn't busy the weekday morning I was there, but the gardens are spaced out enough that I imagine it would be hard to feel like there were too many people on a busy day. It's one of those places where at every twist and turn there's something different to look at!

They have recently redone almost the entire garden. As such, it rates a revisit if you have been before. They are really focused on semi arid plants, and make wonderful use of wildflowers. They have a new and very nice kitchen garden that is a must see and immediately adjacent to the entrance. The conservatory has been overhauled, and now has a wonderful orchid house. Other biomes are still growing in, so check back frequently.

Beautiful garden. We throughly enjoyed walking the grounds and admiring all the plants. I especially noticed your only native palm tree from Hawai'i. Your Loulu Palm. What stopped me was your sign which included the okina (apostrophe). In Hawaiian, when you use the okina, they way to write it is you start from the top left and draw a line downwards towards the bottom right. So it's like a backwards slash but tiny in size like an apostrophe. However, in Hawaiian, Loulu has no okina. Loulu, pronounced low-loo, means "umbrella". Not Lo'ulu (Low oo loo.) but Loulu (Low-loo)

The orchid display was definitely the highlight because it was the off season so there wasn't a whole lot to see. The restaurant, Jardin, is absolutely amazing, but you can visit there without paying admission to the garden.

SABG is a great place for events! We been to the jazz fest a few years ago and just recently a family wedding which was absolutely amazingly so beautiful! Oh and about 20 years ago I took a few aromatherapy classes... and maybe even a herb meeting or two. Lots of events happening at SABG. Make sure to visit during the different seasons to explore.

The botanical garden is so beautiful. I love walking around and enjoying nature. There is so much to see here. The gift shop had some really cute stuff too. I was tempted to buy some of the cool hair clips!

I used to live only two blocks from botanical gardens. The last several years they have had these beautiful light show displays. They open the gardens up at night and have these elaborate, beautiful displays with music playing. The ambience is so peaceful and just enchanting. Highly recommend to keep an eye out for the events at the botanical gardens as they frequently have events that are well worth their charge. The cost is a bit pricey I think it was $35 apiece to go into the illumination. They also have different stands to purchase food and drinks, such as hot chocolate or wine; even some bars liquor. This year they even had a marshmallow roasting station. As you can see in the pictures, the display is just breathtaking. Make sure to take the time to check this place out, I love going at night, but even during the day their facility is so pretty. Everything is very well-maintained and the staff is very attentive. They also have a great restaurant just next to the gardens. You can always stop and take a little rest there. Last thing is for those coming from out of town, the new SA Trolley/Tour Bus stops at this location.

This is a truly beautiful garden with a nice variety of plants, well maintained walking paths, and nice facilities. We had a great time here! My daughter loved running around the paths (we went early so there wasn't a lot of people).

Love this place in the spring. Love it in the winter! It's amazing!! Great for locals to find native plant ideas. Take your kiddos there to learn about gardening and growing your own food. Beautiful right in the center of town.

I have only been to the botanical Gardens for events. Most of the events have been at night. This time I went to an event in the morning. It was on a Sunday and it started at 9 AM. The botanical gardens were not busy at all since they didn't open to the public till later that morning. I enjoyed all the different types of vegetation, beautiful flowers, and displays. They don't typically allow dogs, but they do have events that revolve around dogs. I have noticed that those events are usually before the general public is allowed in. This time I went for the Christmas dog event. It was really cute. They had a costume contest, Santa Claus, and vendors. The grounds are clean. There's plenty to see if you like plants. Parking is available on site and free.

attended a company event at the Betty Kelso Center, which is just a great venue. It was cool to see the lights and exhibits as well. Great spot to host both professional and private parties plus there's a ton of seasonal events that are so enjoyable for the family.

I have been a Texas Master Naturalist for about six years now. As a result of my interest in nature and being stuck in my backyard with a camera during the pandemic, I developed a passion for taking photos of birds, plants, and insects. My wife and I visited the San Antonio Botanical Gardens earlier this year. I loved the opportunity to take pictures of so many different living things. She decided to get me a membership for my birthday so I could head over there whenever I wanted and take pictures to my heart's content. I went on Wednesday for my first run. I was there for over two hours. It was long enough for me to take 224 photos, 71 which I considered keepers and posted to my blog site. The gardens are amazing. They are very well laid out, and every turn leads you to something more beautiful to look at. On this particular day, it was not terribly crowded. I know that can change at different times of the year. However, one of the bonuses of a membership is getting to go in before the general public. I was enthralled by the sounds of the place. There was a blend of happy children, trees blowing in the wind, and leaf blowers. It was so soothing. I was shocked by the amount of butterflies that were everywhere in the gardens. I saw at least 100 monarchs and thousands of others. On top of that, there were bees all over the place. No matter where I looked there was something to take a picture of. All of the workers I encountered were super friendly. I am glad they were there, as I neglected to pick up a map and had a hard time finding my way out. That won't happen now that my plan is to go once a week, weather permitting. I will say that I found the Christmas lighting equipment distracting. It may be beautiful when lit up at night. In the daytime just laying around- not so much. But, I understand the value both in sales of tickets and public outreach. I can shoot around them for the short time they are there. I highly recommend the gardens for any amateur photographer. If you like to photograph bees and butterflies, it is the perfect place to practice your skills. The flowers are also great for practice. There are so many different areas of the gardens both indoor and outdoor that you can really work on whatever you need to.

I enjoyed my visit to the Botanical Garden. The highlight was the glass tower with the tropical plants. Glad we visited the Garden while exploring San Antonio.

Ticket price (Dec 2023): $18 a person (free parking at 10 am) [They offer student/military/senior discounts] The gardens were well taken care of and a good place to take a look at the the different plants and trees growing in southern Texas. The grounds were pretty, but in December, lots of colorful plants are dormant. Nonetheless, it was still nice to walk around and take in the fresh air that the gardens had to offer. The garden was peaceful at 10 am, and there weren't a lot of visitors that particular saturday morning.

Bravo San Antonio! This is an encyclopedic museum of plants, trees and flowers, and a gigantic lung for the city consisting of somewhere between 33 and 41 acres (depending on who you ask!). Some botanical showcases are like secret gardens. Some are soulful. Quite a few are downright Victorian. Not this place. Come here if you want to experience a massively successful and thoroughly modern display of plant types in climate specific greenhouses, different garden types, conservation methods, and on and on. You are going to learn a lot. Apparently, this is also a place to gather for all kinds of family events. San Antonio ranks #59th amongst the top 100 U.S. cities for green spaces and in Texas trails Plano (No. 15), Austin (39) and Dallas (53).

I strongly suggest purchasing a membership if you think you'll be visiting more than twice a year with your family. I had one but then let it expire during covid. Almost everytime i've visited there have been new structures / sculptures to experience. There's also a good balance of having familiar areas around the garden. This is a great place to let the kids run around (supervised) and get to know more about plants and flowers.

Absolutely beautiful! I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a peaceful, relaxing place to take pictures or read a book or go on a date. There are so many colors to see & so many different areas to explore.. I went on a school field trip this time & everyone loved it.

We've are so fortunate to have this gem located in San Antonio! Every season offers different events and displays. Currently there is an "Enchanted" theme and it's beautiful as well as creative! Christmas lights are amazing in December, and so many other offerings during the year!

the hours here are pretty awful. it is near impossible to get here before closing for some folks. the parking lot was heavily divided and segregated based on emission of vehicles. also it's not like the doors close at 6 --it's everything's stops and security comes and kicks people out at 6. too pricey as well for the value.

Enjoyed more than an hour stroll through this delightful botanical space(s) during my awesome visit to San Antonio, and experienced a maze of various flora and unexpected visual delights throughout. Don't omit the FAMILY area with water and activities for children of all ages. However, keep your eyes open to direction as this park forgets to place enough signage for newcomers!

I've visited the botanical garden twice, both times in January, and have thoroughly enjoyed it! I can only imagine it's even better when more plants and flowers are in bloom! There are a variety of areas to explore in this garden. A fun family area with places to play for the kids, like sand boxes, a plant maze, sculptures, and funhouses. There is a lovely tower you can walk up to and see over much of the city. There's a pond you can walk around. There are historical buildings. They weren't open when we were there so I'm not sure if they are ever open for the public. There is a gift shop that has a lot of lovely gifts, although things are a bit more than I care to pay. However, prices are on par with typical museum and zoo gift shops. I also saw there was a restaurant but we didn't go. Unfortunately there was construction happening in the courtyard of the greenhouse buildings so we were only able to go into one of the buildings. There were some beautiful plants and flowers! I'm excited to check out the rest of the greenhouses when they're done with the construction. We ended up getting a Dual membership since we live here and it was a great price for the year! $90 for two adults in the same household and up to 10 kids. Awesome! I'm looking forward to checking out the gardens throughout the year and seeing how it changes. The botanical garden also has a lot of classes and events you can attend for extra. I haven't gone to any yet but hope to attend something soon!

This was my first time visiting the garden and it was absolutely beautiful! All the flowers were blooming and the weather was PERFECT! The garden was easy to navigate with paved paths connecting the majority of it. We also tried the restaurant which the food was yummy and they had a plethora of both indoor and outdoor seating options. Definitely good for an afternoon-day trip

We just went to the Haunted maze event, we had issues with our tickets and Rachel J went above and beyond to help us. She is the only reason the night was able to happen and we are grateful. Very fun event, make sure to get there at least 20 min prior to your call time to make sure you have parking.

We went to the Botanical Gardens on the free day that was being advertised. There were long lines to get in, but everyone was super helpful and if you signed up for the tickets online they were able to expedite the process. And once we were inside, we loved it! It was pretty crowded that day, but we had expected that. Definitely wear shorts during the summer and good walking shoes! Everything was beautiful and peaceful. I definitely want to go back when it's cooler and see everything. You will need several hours to be able to walk and see it all. You can also bring your own water bottle in.

Gorgeous botanical gardens. They have a series of conservatory domes that showcase several different climates. Easy walkways-handicap accessible. Could use more signs telling you the specific flowers and other flora.

Loved Lightscape! This was first time to the gardens and was pleasantly surprised how big the garden is! Don't miss the holiday lights....

The Botanical Gardens is beautiful. However, I went during the Christmas Lights and jts a 90 min path that doesn't cover all the areas of the garden. Being able to see what we could see was beautiful. The botanical garden has various events throughout the year and is very educational and beautiful. I def would say go visit the gardens no matter what time of the year to experience this. The price of admission is a great price, affordable. The Christmas Lights is a bit more on the pricier side.

Too expensive. No water features. Everything was dry, and unkempt. Very restrictive visiting hours, by closing at 4 pm. One had to pay extra to attend the Holiday Light Extravaganza. Wouldn't recommend.