Desert Botanical Garden

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1201 N. Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008

480-941-1225

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Best Day of the Dead Festival
Award Winner 2011

Hours: Daily 8am-8pm

Description

8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, October-April; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, May-September

Desert Botanical Garden

Daily

Walking tours, desert-landscaping tours and bird walks are featured at this showplace for arid-climate flora from all over the world.
David Rogers' "Big Bugs"

Daily
Flashlight Tours

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. every Thu., Sun. from May 26 until September 1
Arizona Native Plan Society Meeting

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. every Tue.
Music in the Garden feat. The Shri Blues Band

7:30 p.m. June 1

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2011 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of our favorite autumn festivals at the Desert Botanical Garden. The peaceful desert ecosystem provides an ideal backdrop for this Mexican celebration of ancestors and departed loved ones. Day of the Dead festivities are part of the ticket price, so make sure you check out the colorful ofrendas (shrines and offerings to commemorate departed loved ones) and the mercado packed with Mexican folk art, sugar skulls, and plenty of food. Or schedule your... More »
2011 | Best Trail That Isn't a Hike

We all know it is a good idea to get outside for a hike, especially when the weather in Phoenix is nice. But if you are not a hiker in the rough and rugged sense, then there is a special place for you, too. Feel as though you are hiking in the Sonoran Desert as you stroll through the blooming flowers along the Desert Botanical Garden's wildflower trail. This place is a treasure in our own backyard, and there is no reason to save it for your out-of-town guests. Get out there and soak up some... More »
2010 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

One of the best events of the year is the Dia de los Muertos festival, hosted by the Desert Botanical Garden on Halloween weekend and during the first week of November. The festivities include Mexican folk arts, storytelling, dance, and poetry, as well as a mercado with awesome wares for sale. Wander the garden paths and check out the ofrenda installations, pause to make crafts with the kids -- like decorating your own calaca (smiling skull) mask or molded sugar skulls. There is enough... More »
2010 | Best Jazz Music Series

The Garden has long been one of the Valley's gems. The Friday-night tradition (held March through June on the outdoor Ullman Terrace) of top-drawer jazz and other musical forms (with a beverage of your choice, of course) can't be beat anywhere that we've found. Trust us: This isn't your Jacuzzi jazz scene. Last season's headliners included Nina Curri and the King Snakes, the inimitable Big Pete Pearson, Fuerza Cribe, and Hall of Famer Dennis Rowland, he of the world-class smooth and silky... More »
2009 | Best Night Hike

There's something magical about the desert at night. Everything looks, sounds, and smells different. And in the hot summer months, it's a great time to go and experience what desert plants and critters are up to after the sun sets. But if the idea of a nighttime desert exploration has you feeling a bit uneasy (ever seen the 1972 made-for-TV movie Gargoyles -- we're terrified just thinking about it), then the Desert Botanical Garden is the perfect place to discover all the alien-free... More »
2009 | Best Breakables

Tourists and locals alike are still ranting and raving about DBG's spectacular exhibition featuring the gigantic glass sculptures of Seattle-based artist Dale Chihuly. Though the exhibit had traveled internationally before it came to the Valley (we had seen it at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis back in May 2006), Chihuly created a number of site-specific installations just for the Desert Botanical Garden. The knockout works competed mightily with a number of pieces installed on... More »
2009 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

For the past several years, the Desert Botanical Garden has thrown the best Dia de los Muertos party in town. This year, the festivities -- held Halloween weekend and the first week of November -- promise to be grander than ever, with performances, food, and hands-on crafts for the kids. Oh, and a mercado! We'll be sure to stop by to check out the wares offered by Bets and Nancy Nenad, two adventurous Phoenicians who travel through Mexico to bring back a fine, fun selection of... More »
2008 | Best Place to See Butterflies

Feed your inner butterfly. Even the toughest of men can appreciate the quasi-supernatural experience of walking among thousands of butterflies of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Okay, even if the men don't like it, their kids will.For eight years now, the Desert Botanical Garden has hosted butterfly exhibits in a greenhouse pavilion -- generally, twice a year (spring and fall; check the Web site for details) -- with thousands of butterflies in 30 varieties in attendance.Tickets... More »
2005 | BEST PLACE TO DANCE WITH THE BUTTERFLIES

Every fall and spring, thousands of folks flutter over to this desert sanctuary to join the butterflies in an orgy of color and movement. Inside the pavilion, surrounded by native foliage and blooming wildflowers, the humans observe the butterflies in all their glory. Those really in the know can tell the Sleepy Orange from the Painted Lady, and the Southern Dogface from the Common Checkered Skipper. Adults and small children seem to be equally enchanted by the moment. Last spring, we... More »
2004 | BEST OUTDOOR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

One of our earliest childhood memories of Christmas in Phoenix involves a very big saguaro cactus that used to reside near the intersection of Invergordon and McDonald in Paradise Valley. We called it "the cactus with the two crossed fingers," and every holiday season, someone decorated it with a red ribbon. Or maybe it was a Santa hat. Anyway, it made us feel really cheery, and in lieu of ice rinks or tree lightings at Rockefeller Center, seeing that cactus marked, for us, the beginning... More »

Grow with the Flow

By Rob Kroehler | Thu, March 29, 2012

The agave plant is commonly referred to as the century plant because of the staggering amount of time it takes to flower and subsequently die. Despite being one of the planet's most versatile plants, it's most often associated with tequila, which,... More »
Wing Dance

By Kelsey Havens | Thu, March 01, 2012

Whether you’re purging your body from human vices in the name of Lent, or still recovering form that Mardi Gras bar crawl, now’s a good type time to regroup and rejuvenate before the official arrival of spring. What better way to refresh than with... More »
Garden Party

By Claire Lawton | Thu, December 01, 2011

It's time to get all warm and glowy -- Las Noches de las Luminarias kicks off this month and runs for 21 nights. In addition to luminaria-lit walkways through the scrub scenery at Desert Botanical Garden the event includes audible and edible enter... More »
Walk This Way

By Zachary Fowle | Thu, October 27, 2011

Cultural education time! Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday for honoring lost loved ones. Held in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, it’s traditionally a two-day celebration b... More »
DBG's Dia de los Muertos and Halloween Jello Worms in Today's Eater's Digest

By Shannon Armour | Wed, October 26, 2011

Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives? Day of the Dead The traditional Dia de los Muertos celebration isn't until the the first of November but ... More »
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phoenixnewtimesbestof | Phoenix, AZ | 315 Reviews

| Wed, May 6, 2009

Feed your inner butterfly. Even the toughest of men can appreciate the quasi-supernatural experience of walking among thousands of butterflies of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Okay, even if the men don't like it, their kids will. For eight years now, the Desert Botanical Garden has hosted butterfly exhibits in a greenhouse pavilion � generally, twice a year (spring and fall; check the Web site for details) � with thousands of butterflies in 30 varieties in attendance. Tickets cost as little as $2 and are available at the door. For that price, butterfly lovers of all ages can walk into a universe of tame, colorful, flying life. We think butterflies are the dogs and dolphins of the insect world: friendly, beautiful, and responsive to humans. If you disagree, go to this exhibit. Then we'll talk.
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nosajothp | Mesa, AZ | 3 Reviews

| Fri, December 17, 2010

great place to birdwatch and nerd out on all the amazing plants, sometimes have special events, i saw the Chihuly exibit here, hand blown glass art on a huge scale, wow. pics in pics
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nikeleluvs | Tempe, AZ | 2 Reviews

| Sun, August 22, 2010

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Desert Botanical Garden

1201 N. Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008

480-941-1225

Description

Daily

Daily

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. every Thu., Sun. from May 26 until September 1

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. every Tue.

7:30 p.m. June 1

2011 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

2011 | Best Trail That Isn't a Hike

2010 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

2010 | Best Jazz Music Series

2009 | Best Night Hike

2009 | Best Breakables

2009 | Best Day of the Dead Festival

2008 | Best Place to See Butterflies

2005 | BEST PLACE TO DANCE WITH THE BUTTERFLIES

2004 | BEST OUTDOOR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

By Rob Kroehler | Thu, March 29, 2012

By Kelsey Havens | Thu, March 01, 2012

By Claire Lawton | Thu, December 01, 2011

By Zachary Fowle | Thu, October 27, 2011

By Shannon Armour | Wed, October 26, 2011

phoenixnewtimesbestof | Phoenix, AZ | 315 Reviews

nosajothp | Mesa, AZ | 3 Reviews

nikeleluvs | Tempe, AZ | 2 Reviews

People Who Like Desert Botanical Garden