Visit the U.S. Botanic Garden

Welcome to the U.S. Botanic Garden!

The U.S. Botanic Garden is a living plant museum. We invite you to return again and again to watch the Garden change through the seasons and explore our dynamic exhibits. Learn about the many areas of the Garden you can visit, and we hope you'll join us for an educational program!

Admission to the
U.S. Botanic Garden
is free. No tickets required.

Directions and Parking

Find information about arriving at our location, public transportation, parking, and more.

Accessibility

The U.S. Botanic Garden strives to make its facilities and programming accessible to all visitors. Our Accessibility page provides more information.

Explore Our Gardens

The Conservatory features plants from across the United States and around the world ranging from desert plants to tropical forests to orchids and is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Tickets are not required.

Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens are open from dawn to dusk daily. They are located across Independence Avenue from the Conservatory, with access from any of the three bordering streets:  Independence Avenue, Washington Avenue, or First Street SW.

The gated outdoor gardens ("National Garden") are open 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. These gardens have extended spring-summer hours April 1 – September 15, staying open until 7:00 p.m.

Visit our Hours and Location page for additional information and directions.

Safety Guidelines

Masks are recommended for indoor spaces, and groups are encouraged to maintain social distance from other visitor groups. Please stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been asked to isolate because of COVID-19 exposure. Find more information in multiple languages on the CDC website.

Photography and Sketching

Visitors are permitted to take photographs of the public areas at the U.S. Botanic Garden for personal use only. Commercial use of such photographs is strictly prohibited.

  • Hand-held cameras, video cameras, or lap easels for sketching may be used at any time, as long as they do not affect the public's enjoyment of, or access to, the Garden.
  • We do not allow visitors to do photoshoots or video shoots at the Garden.
  • Please read the full Photography and Art Policy for more details.

Etiquette for Visiting the Garden

The U.S. Botanic Garden is a living plant museum for everyone to enjoy. Please respect the living collection and be mindful of other visitors. As you walk through the gardens, here are some "do's and don'ts" to keep in mind.

Dining

There is no food or drink for sale at the Garden, though a water fountain and bottle refill station is available. Food and drink is allowed in the Garden, and visitors can use tables and chairs outdoors. We ask visitors to gather and pack out their trash, as there are limited trash bins outdoors.

Gift Shop

There is a gift shop in the West Gallery run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and local small business Rewild with plants and plant-themed offerings. 

Special Events

The U.S. Botanic Garden facilities are not available for weddings or other personal or private functions. Policies governing Congressionally sponsored evening events are established by the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library. For more detailed information, see Congressional events.

School Group Resources

For information about school group educational resources, please visit our Field Trip page to plan your field trip.

United States Botanic Garden Campus Map

Map of United States Botanic Garden campus

Photo Gallery

With more than 200 years of history and a permanent collection of more than 9,500 accessions (totaling more than 44,000 plants), there's much to see and explore!

U.S. Botanic Garden Visitor Guide

visitor guide cover

Read about the U.S. Botanic Garden before you arrive! Our visitor guide is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Choose your language to download.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Explore and Discover