South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center

Walking in to the cashier through the gift shop, great marketing idea. As you walk back to the next room it is the reptile room. We were told they are owner surrendered. Snakes, lizards, turtles and tarantulas in glass terrariums. Each with their own name and species. On the back are turtles in little pond structures that keep an eye on you. Around the corner are some interesting birds that will talk to you maybe. Then the plants start Cacti, Orchids any size and color, epiphytic plants. There is a butterfly screen house and buttery garden A hummingbird garden at the start of the nature trail out to the alligator pond (we didn’t see any) but along the way you are reminded this is a natural habitat area so watch your step. There is a rose garden which should start producing blooms end of March. There will be a playground (end of February)and pavilion with benches in the future. Exit through the gift shop or I noticed other exit gates outside.

This is a beautiful Botanical Garden! I visited with my mom and we had a lovely time exploring the trails, butterfly house and garden, and seeing the different animals. Our favorite section was walking through the many rows of orchids. Tickets for us were $10 with free parking. I highly recommend a visit!!

Fun and beautiful place to visit. They have a variety of butterflies at their butterfly garden. Also have two of the sweetest parrots that greet you as you walk in. All around you is greenery and nature. It's a fun place to get away for lunch or to bring the family for a hike.

FREE ADMISSION every Friday in Nov.-Dec 2025. This place is a true gem nestled a few min from most of Corpus major attractions. We began our day here and lucky for us it was a free Friday admission day. The amount of plants both native and exotic was outstanding. I have been to several botanical gardens around the world, but I had never seen such a vast variety of orchids. I can say I am a new fan of orchids! The flower gardens were very well maintained and had a diverse amount of native flowers and insects. I was able to add a few new bugs to my iNaturalist and I would definitely go back and spend more time. Don't skip out the reptile room. The ladies that run it are true reptile lovers and I was informed that most of there reptiles are surrendered. I personally fell in love with the resident Indigo.

What a beautiful place to get your steps in! Walking through the gardens in January was a gorgeous experience. I had no idea there were so many varieties of orchids!

Overall cute little place. I didn't like I paid for my son to feed the animals actually I paid for multiple families to feed the animals and the lady ended up doing it instead of showing my child how to attract the turtles attention. That was absolutely ridiculous. Why even offer it if your trainer or whatever is going to take the food from a child and do it instead. Tried to take the food from me too.

Very cool place. One of the most beautiful in all of Corpus Christi. would highly recommend. they have some funny parrots and some large tortoise as well.

This is an expansive botanical and wildlife center with mainly reptiles. There are walking paths to the wetlands on boardwalks with an elevated birding platform and a butterfly pavilion. The paths have a considerable amount of shade to make walking pleasant even in the heat of summer. Plenty of parking in front of the center. It’s also a part of the American Horticultural Society reciprocal admissions program if you are visiting.

Cute garden that maybe better in spring/fall. The TX heat def showed for the plants and no rain in sight kept things pretty droopy. The orchid greenhouse had a ton of plants, with only a few in bloom. Favorite part was the butterfly enclosure as there were quite a few out and about. Rose garden didn't have much in bloom either. I would like to return in an off season to see how things do without the 100 summer temps.

Absolute recommend!!! I loved this place. The staff here were super friendly, and even offered me to hold a turtle! Although it was rainy, we still got to see plenty of butterflies and greenery!! Will definitely be coming again.

Cute little spot. They have rescue parrots and reptiles that kids can check out. The trail outside is nice and leads to the wetlands as well as the butterfly sanctuary they have on site. Cute little store when you enter. Price is a little steep at $10 for adults, but it's worth it if you have kids that enjoy that kind of stuff.

This was a very nice botanical garden and wildlife center. The plants were beautiful, especially the orchid conservatory/nursery. The varieties of orchids were amazing, and a few were for sale. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the reptiles and birds were beautiful. We could have probably spent another hour or two to see the whole thing, but it was unseasonably hot and humid. GREAT bang for the buck!!!

What a beautiful garden and they have a great variety of things to do! A gift shop, reptile room, orchid greenhouse, butterfly garden, walking trail, exotic birds, tortoises, and more! It was really hot the day I went and I would recommend always bringing a hat and sunscreen no matter the day. The property is not super huge so it won't take more than two or three hours to walk around the whole place. Entry is $9, if I remember correctly, which is very affordable. You are also allowed to bring your leashed and well behaved dog inside the gardens! The only place they are not allowed is in the reptile room. My little guy had lots of fun sniffing around and exploring! This is a great family oriented activity for any time of the year!

Wow. Simply wow. What can I say? I held a parrot today! Snakes? No thank you... is what said at first but now yes please! I held a snake today! Only issue? DO NOT CALL IT GATOR LAKE IF THERE ARE NO GATORS!!! All caps because I was emotional about it *at the time*. Friendly service and cool butterflies made up for it. Got kicked out of parking lot because they were closing. Makes sense I guess and they were nice about it. Yes, I think we'll be back.

Went here as it was highly recommended. The admission discount is only for active duty military, personal pet peeve as if being retired is nothing. Yes, it was summer and it is hot. But it's a botanical center and almost all the plants are droopy and dying for a drop of water. Cute bird houses and animals made from foliage. Would recommended going during a cooler season as the plants might be more perky.

This was a perfectly fine little botanical garden just outside Corpus Christi, and would make a nice stop-in for a morning or afternoon stroll. Thankfully that's exactly what my partner and I did on our visit, as we'd been enjoying the beach earlier that day and were just looking for another little something to squeeze into our itinerary before heading off to dinner. Too small for be an all-day affair. The grounds were adequate, though perhaps not as beautiful as they might've been later in Spring, considering we visited in February. I was most impressed by their Orchid enclosure, which boasted many amazing blooms in so many varieties and colors and shapes. Definitely the highlight of the gardens. Everything else was a bit sparse. Though we enjoyed the loop around the marshlands and pointing out various waterfowl we spotted along the way (wish I'd brought some binoculars!). You can climb up to the overlook of the pond they have on their property too to get a better view of the ducks, as well as a few gazebos where you can sit and take a break or soak in the peacefulness of nature (though there is a road nearby unfortunately that contributes a fair amount of road noise... but not much the botanical garden can do about that). There is also a cute little area near the entrance for kids to play around, including a tree house structure and swing set. I'm unsure when butterflies begin emerging from cocoons, as I was disappointed their butterfly walkthrough had no flitting friends to admire. However we were able to view some turtles, snakes, and a couple of talkative birds indoors in their little nature-learning/reptile room. It looked like it needs some more funding, but I appreciate that the animal caretakers seemed eager to show off the animals and provide education to visitors. This is also where you will find a restroom. No cost for parking and the price for admission was reasonable enough. I couldn't resist picking up a cute plush bumblebee while in the gift shop; there's a lot of cute knick-knacks to buy there, as well as some limited beverages/snacks, if you're inclined. The staff were all quite friendly and conversational. Definitely drop in if you're in the area and support their endeavors!

As you head southbound on Staples street, just outside of what would be the edge of Corpus proper, sets the crown jewel of South Texas' nature conservatories. Welcome to South Texas Botanical Gardens! Come here for the nature trails. Come here for the exotic birds, Tortoises, etc. Come here for the well maintained botanical gardening and landscaping. Come here for educational events, and more! There's an annual membership fee per person, which is well worth what it helps to maintain. I am lucky enough to live in near walking distance. I actually come here fairly often to hike, jog and just clear my head.

This is a massive botanical garden. Come here with some workout clothes, nice shoes and be ready for a hike! They have discounts for military, kids, seniors over 60, students and healthcare workers. The price to get into the garden is so cheap. The most you'll pay for one person is $9. One of the best perks about this garden is you can buy some of the plants! They have exotic plants as well as succulents/cactuses. Not only that they have many sanctuaries for reptiles, butterflies, and exotic birds. Mind you there are also wild birds you can look at by the lake so bring binoculars if you have some. Overall all the flowers and wildlife is great for all ages and it's an amazing experience! My family and I spent 2.5 hours there walking and enjoying the flowers. Parking is free so come here on a nice warm day and enjoy one of the best botanical gardens in the state!

Expected more, but appreciate the effort. There are free nature trails Available with the equivalent experience.

I enjoy this botanical garden because of how small it is. Walking around where the flowers are feels manageable because of how simple it is. It's a great place to bring your dog too. I brought my dog, Beth, with me today and she loved walking around and smelling everything. Yet, I wish they had more flowers planted.

My husband and I love to go to botanical gardens on vacation. We have been to this one a few times and love the gardens. This was our second time and it was a bit later in the year so more animals were out and there were more animals and plants and our new son loved the iguanas! There was a bird festival and we got to see a cool show with birds from around the world. We love to see the wildlife in Texas and this is a great place to start.

While not the best time for seeing a lot of wildlife we had a very lovely time. Weather was amazing while the ocean front that day had much more of a chill to the air. The lady working in the gift shop was super friendly. You come in through the gift shop to pay to get in. Not much on reptiles myself but they do have a room with some in. The orchid greenhouse was delightful. Very neat how the have various plant hanging where you can see lots of roots. Parrots were on display in some cages outside. Enjoyed talking to them. A few talked to us. They have been keeping up with the place, like new wooden walks. Butterfly room had more butterflies outside of it. Thinking Texas butterflies are smart and fly out the door when people leave. Playground for the kids.

This place was so perfect. The butterflies were nice, the trails were nice. A lot of animal interaction.

Beautiful kept secret in Corpus. I am sure spring time there would be better. It was a dreary day when we went. Our favorite was the orchid conservatory. Wirth the trip just for that. The reptile room was nice too and they had a few parrots out in the reptile room. I certainly recommend a trip there.

The Botanical Gardens are so tired. Probably a 3rd of the tree identity placards are missing. The wooden structures look ready to fall down. We brought a small dog with us. When I paid the cashier sent us through the reptile display. What a surprise, no dogs allowed. Nobody seemed to know what was going on. A nice walk.

We were here years ago when everything was large and blooming. Sadly, that horrendous freeze we had here in Texas wiped out what they had spent years growing. they do charge to get in, nine dollars for each of us adults. The two things we liked most about the place was the orchid room and the butterfly enclosure. You can also walk along one of their long and winding trails through the wetland area. It's a good place to spend a leisurely hour or two not far from Corpus Christi's city center.

Beautiful garden with a wide variety of plants both outside and indoors in greenhouses the hike around the grounds has great views and plenty of photo ops a must stop while in Corpus Christi. They have a few animals as well that add to the experience took us about 45 minutes with the scenic walk

Nice place to spend the afternoon! I love the butterfly garden! Unfortunately we went when a school was having a field trip, but luckily there is plenty of places to escape and enjoy the plants. Sadly the birds were not on display due to the bird flu going through, maybe we can see them next visit!

Omg I had the most amazing time at the Gardens. My main purpose for going was to see the birds. I'm in love with parrots and aspire to own ones someday. They have the largest amount of birds , I have even seen in a garden and all the birds are kept well and taken care of. The birds we met on this day were all pleasant and we got the chance to interact and hold them. Afterwards we toured the gardens which wasn't nothing spectacular. The best part is the Parrots.

A lovely place for a walk. The butterfly garden was lovely, my favorite was the hot house of Lilly's. The cashier questioned our asking for the senior discount!!! It was not a joke, my husband nearly had to show our ID to get the correct price. Needless to say, I did not return to the gift shop afterwards to spend my "big" senior discount.

What a cool place! Super knowledgeable staff, lots of reptiles and they even ask you at the door if you qualify for any discounts. Good way to spend a couple of hours.

This place made our visit worthwhile Great little gem, beautiful animals, reptile room, lots to see, butterflies garden, rose garden, beautiful and spacious walking paths and a lot of resting places. People who actually know what they are doing, and happy to answer questions. The young man with the reptiles was great, my kids ask questions and he answered with the correct information, species, name, diet, habitat... great job!! Beautiful plants for sale, love my new orchids . Price is less than $10 per person and kids even less. Lady at the gift shop was very kind. The gift shop is fantastic, they have great T-shirts (have been looking for the uv colored ones for a while) Can't say enough about this great gem. Must visit while in Corpus. And they also rent for parties don't know what was the celebration, but was right up my little witches groove .coffins and bright colors, looked very magical.

We weren't expecting to see much because it's December and the weather was really wonky during our trip but there were still lots of blooms! This botanical garden is beautiful and we love the fact that they are pet friendly and we got to experience the beauty of the gardens with our fur babies. The orchid room and butterfly area was great! We got to see lots of different butterflies up close, a lot with markings we had never seen before. The reptile room (the only area dogs can't go) was nice. It was fun to see turtles, snakes and iguanas! We were also thoroughly surprised by the amount of Christmas decorations they had up. It was beautifully lit during the day, I couldn't imagine how stunning it would be at night. Staff is super friendly and everyone was so excited to meet the pups. It was $27 for 3 adults & our dogs. We spent about an hour and a half looking at everything. You really won't regret coming here.

While passing through the area my family and I figured this would be a nice spot to explore - and we were right. While I wouldn't have minded an additional label or two to help distinguish which plant was which in their little greenhouses, overall this place can be described as a small oasis for nature lovers. As a garden and nature center, this place more or less met the definition of "a little bit of everything." A room down the hall from the entrance housed reptiles, for example - small snakes, cute turtles, etc. Outside alongside the different gardens and greenhouses, we found a variety of parrots, small birds, tortoises, and even a group of large, active iguanas. (You can also buy small bags of peanuts or popcorn to feed some of the adorable birds, which of course our party opted for.) Inside the greenhouses were blooming orchids for the most part, although there were other flowers making appearances as well - presumably this lineup of greenery changes slightly throughout the year. In the gardens we found rose patch after rose patch, a small children's area, and even a fruit tree or two that staff allowed us to sample from (obviously I do NOT condone eating anything here unless the fruit is offered to you, as it was to us). Sadly we visited in February - too early for areas like the butterfly and hummingbird garden to welcome the animals they're named after - but we still enjoyed what we saw (and tasted!). My only complaint, as I alluded to earlier, is that there weren't enough signs telling visitors which plants were which. Maybe it was just because things were in a transition period, which I know can happen, but it would have been nice to be able to identify more of the plants here. Roses and orchids are easy to recognize, but as a non-local you always want to know if you're seeing something unique to the area you're visiting or not. But nothing stopped me from enjoying the beautiful sights and smells and sounds during my visit, so the lack of consistent labeling was hardly a deal breaker during my visit. I'd consider stopping by again if I was in the area, particularly if it was a different time of the year - I'm sure there'd be much more in bloom for us to appreciate! A recommendation to other visitors - wear appropriate footwear so that you can walk along the trails behind the gardens without any trouble. There are indeed trails and walkways that oversee a marshland, which is likely team with wildlife later in the year. Good shoes will go a long way if you want to do more than walk among the flowers during your visit!

Very beautifunot all the flowers were bloom, but very relaxing to wonder around looking and admiring all the hard work put into the this beautiful Botanical garden. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Overall, a great place to spend an afternoon!

I was amazed at the transformation of the South Texas Botanicall Gardens in Corpus Christi TX. The planners have done a terrific job in the design and layout of the park. There are natural water features that attract many species of birds with accessible bridges, pathways, and viewing areas. Featured attractions change with the seasons. When I was there the orchids were blooming with stunning variety. And the gift shop has many unique items for personal joy or as gifts to loved ones. I recommend everyone visit the garden at least once in a lifetime and every season of the year if possible. There is always something new emerging. It offers a taste of life in a safe and friendly ennvironment.

This a weird and small BUT great place that has a lot of potential. It is November so there weren't many flowers and stuff, but it was nice and peaceful. They had a walking trail, a lot of little separate areas (such as a butterfly area and hummingbird area) and most plants had the genus / species and name of the plant, which is kind of cool. They also have a couple of parrots, birds, a tortoise, and I think lizards and what not, so you'll enjoy whatever they have here! If you have kids, they do have a kids area with a tree house, swings, and a little hill to have the kids run around. There are also a couple of benches and stuff to sit down if you're tired of walking and looking around. Also, there are a few picnic tables by the kids playground, in case you want to eat something real fast with your kiddos or if you want to eat while your kid plays! The only thing I can think of that would keep me from giving this place a 5 star is the signage! It is pretty hard to see where this place is at! If you are driving a bit too fast, you might drive past it! So slow down and don't get discouraged by the way the place looks when you park! It is definitely bigger than how it appears!

I was thinking about visiting the Texas State Aquarium. But the admission was too high for me. $36! I found South Texas Botanical Gardens. The admission was only $9. I visited here on Wednesday, September 30th in the morning. It was empty. I walked around the garden. I really enjoyed the nature of Texas. I saw many flowers, birds, and animals. I took so many pictures! I loved here.

I was definitely surprised at how much I loved it here! When I walked in, I kind of thought it was cheesy. I was so wrong! I walked through the gardens and took a million pictures of the beautiful flowers. There's an amazing cactus garden too! Then I discovered that there are several beautiful trails that go pretty far out. Not one single piece of trash. This place is stunning and absolutely beautiful. The trails are great! Not too long or too short. Just perfect! Staff super cool too! It was 9$ to get in and well worth it. You can get BOGO on Groupon.

We've been members of the Botanical Gardens for years and recently renewed, with the help of Groupon! Yeah, this place is small, but they're working on it. When you consider where they came from (across the street) several years ago, I'd say they're doing pretty well. They have quite a few "houses" that store anything from orchids to bromeliads to butterflies. When it's in season, they have a BEAUTIFUL rose garden and plumeria garden. They have an excellent, natural walking trail that highlights a lot of the native trees and plants you'll find in S Texas. One sad thing that has happened is the wetlands have dried up due to the extensive drought we're suffering here. Acres and acres of natural wetlands, bone dry. Truly heartbreaking. But, it's not going to stop us from coming back - more often now that we've renewed!

Lovely botanical garden. Very well maintained. Enjoyed strolling through all the plants.

This place is worth venturing out to! It's a little outside of downtown. We stayed at the Best Western and it was about 20 mins away. Not bad at all. So pretty and so perfect for photographers! Brought my camera and took some pretty cool photos! Highly recommend this place.

I was here for the first time this past July. Corpus Christi is a small coastal Texas Gulf Coast town, but there are some gems to be found. And this Botanical Garden is definitely worth the 15 minute drive to the outskirts of town. Adults and children can enjoy this outing, very small kids under 5 might struggle unless you have a wagon to pull them around or plan to carry them for most of the sights. It took me almost 2 hours to see the sights, but I stopped quite frequently and took A LOT of photos. Summer is always a brutal time to be outside with our Texas sized legendary humidity and stifling heat. I do remember there were moments of cool breezes rolling through, but come prepared. A frozen water bottle, sunscreen, glasses, and hat really do help beat the high temperatures and avoid heat stroke. With an extensive grounds to walk, there are welcoming benches to sit, relax, cool down, and enjoy the scenery. Tall trees do provide some shade here, but they are far few in between each other. A little sweat isn't going to hurt anyone. Just bring a little towel to freshen up and take in nature's beautiful graces. There are rainbow colored birds, butterflies, repitiles, and other exotic creatures abound. A very diverse collection of flora and fiona keep interest for all who visit here. In addition, there are very eclectic one of a kind artist sculptures, paintings, and nature information dotted throughout this gardens landscape. The planning was well executed in keeping the experience informative, interesting, and unique. But the real stars of this vibrant place, are the flowers. They burst with scent and colors galore to entice the most curious among us. Nature really can put on a great show. So take a few minutes to unwind, relax, and literally to stop and smell the roses. Life is too short not to reconnect and show our appreciation.

There were only small cages, where the birds/reptiles could not walk around more than a few steps in front of them. A huge turtle, about three feet wide was trapped in a container the size of a kiddie pool, with a cage on top. It could not move a foot in the container. It was very sad how the birds couldn't fly or move

Surprisingly delightful experience for families, couples and a day hanging out in an outdoor area. Fun place for kids. Small fee to enter but well worth it for a day out in the sun. Offers shelter to abandoned exotic birds, snakes, some spiders. Butterfly garden. Beautiful botanical garden. Can spend a half day exploring and playing. Also saw some locals taking pictures at the gardens.

Absolutely love this place. If you love plants/birds and nature you won't be disappointed. I loved all the birds so much, so well loved and healthy. We made friends with all the parrots and met Ivan the iguana. Staff is super sweet, kind and show loving care to the animals.

Very interesting , imagine if it were in season we would have seen more. No wildlife to speak of, just a couple of birds. There were however caged parrots small turtles and caged snakes A lot of the plants were not in bloom yet. We heard they got hit hard by Hurricane Harvey you could tell in some spots, but maybe they wanted it that way. The boardwalk was ok . Nice little gift shop, price for seniors $7

This place is wonderful! You can tell that they upkeep and seriously love this place. I came twice and the second time they had birds and butterflies, both they didn't when I came first. So I recommend coming here multiple times! The flowers and nature is worth it. Come take a walk

Excellent time spent on last Mother's Day with my Mother in law, wife, her sister and kids. Very much enjoyed the numerous plants, flowers, birds, and reptiles on display. The flowers were beautiful as well as the butterfly house. It was free on Mother's Day so I am not sure what normal admission costs. I don't think it is too much and definitely worth a visit. I would recommend!

My family loved it! We enjoyed the birds, reptiles, butterflies, plants, flowers, and natural trail

This place is GREAT for families, as a date, as a fun solo adventure... just go! My girlfriends took me for a fun stop on my bachelorette weekend! We stayed for hours! Weekend mornings (10:30) they have a reptile hour. Even after, you can ask someone working to take out a reptile to handle. All volunteers and employees are so friendly and knowledgeable. They know which are best for nervous or small children. So fun! Once you leave the reptile room, they outside is a giant wonderland of botanical wonders and birds! Talking macaws and the like, they have pistachios you can buy when you sign in to feed. The orchids in their orchid room are AMAZING. There's great spots outdoors to picnic or just take a break. There's also a butterfly garden you can go inside, it has netting but not any shade, so be prepared to sweat but it's worth it! There's also a great children's park with swings and a playground. I'd definitely bring my stepsons back! Bring sunscreen and enjoy!

We loved the botanical garden! What could possibly make a better stop on your way to the beach than taking your purchased-elsewhere iced tea and tuna sandwich to picnic and wander around in a shady grove filled with exotic birds and lizards... all with your WELL-BEHAVED LEASHED DOG AT YOUR SIDE?! (Substitute what's in all caps with "well-behaved toddler," "moderately behaved toddler," "ambulatory elderly relative," "hot date," "friend who appreciates nature," "out-of-town family member you don't know what else to do with," or anyone else you might want to stroll around a garden with.) There is a butterfly garden, a greenhouse, pretty birds, a turtle tank, and occasionally a bird-of-prey demonstration. The paths are well maintained and easy to walk on. You can see hummingbirds and purple martins throughout most of the gardens, but to really give your birdnoculars a workout walk down the boardwalk to the pond and, if you're like us and had not seen shorebirds in a while, prepare to spend the rest of your day! Bring sunscreen!

This garden has a lot of options, which is why I gave it a 4. There is a children's area with a large climbing structure. For reptile lovers there are turtles, tortoises, snakes and iguanas. For bird lovers there is a wide variety of tropical birds including macaws, parrots and conures. The butterfly area will be stocked on March first. There is a walking trail which was ok for bad knees. It is not paved but smooth. Trails were well marked and the map reflected the trails accurately. In general, there could be a bit more signage for the plants. The orchids are gorgeous.

I wish they had more people working/volunteering there to keep the place get going. It's a very nice place with so much potentials but I think they lack people working/volunteering. Even with that, I enjoyed my time there seeing some of their animals and walking around their trails.

Underwhelmed. That's all I can really say. There isn't much to see and things aren't very well maintained. Having visited several arboretums/botanical gardens, this one wasn't worth the price of admission (not even half-price admission through Groupon). We visited in March--the butterfly garden was closed, most of the birds were covered up, and there was just nothing to really see. Save your money and go walk through a local (free) park.

Wonderful place to connect to nature. There's beautiful trails, a long pier to walk and reflect. So many plants, birds, reptiles to learn from. Children love it, couples can enjoy it, families are invited to enjoy our beautiful nature. It's such a happy place in Corpus Christi.

Great place a lot of flowers, birds butterflies, reptiles! Great outdoor place to take the kids but take water bottles because i just saw one water fountain, still under a bit of construction. But if your into the outdoors you'll love it here.