56 gardens in California checked against official websites: 37 botanical gardens, 9 display gardens, 8 arboretums. Most are listed in or near Santa Barbara, Berkeley, San Diego. 17 list free general entry and 20 charge admission; the rest are unrecorded or vary.Gardens near Los Angeles Gardens near San Diego Gardens near San Jose Gardens near San Francisco Gardens near Oakland Gardens near Anaheim Gardens near Stockton Gardens near Oxnard Gardens near Santa Rosa Gardens near Lancaster Gardens near Salinas Gardens near Victorville Gardens near Fairfield Gardens near Murrieta
Admission and hours checked September 28, 2026. Prices may change.
City rose garden across from the Santa Barbara Mission, open from 9 a.m. to sunset. It has no restrooms on site and limited parking nearby.
A 26-acre campus arboretum at Cal State Fullerton, open every day. A $5 donation is suggested.
A water-wise mediterranean-climate habitat garden with native plants on its lower half; free entry, open dawn to dusk.
Terraced city rose garden in the Berkeley Hills with 1,500 rose bushes, a redwood pergola and bay views. Entry is free and street parking is limited.
Historic lath structure in Balboa Park with more than 2,100 permanent plants, including cycads, ferns, orchids and palms, next to a lily pond. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An 86-acre garden in Claremont devoted to California native plants, with more than 22,000 plants on display. Hours change by month and public visitors are advised to buy tickets online.
Volunteer-run water-wise garden in Clovis with Mediterranean, cactus, sensory and children's areas and home landscape demonstrations. Free entry, open Wednesday to Sunday.
A 33-acre hillside garden in Thousand Oaks with fifteen specialty gardens and a stream trail. The main garden is open from sunrise to sunset.
A Victorian-style glasshouse in Golden Gate Park with plant galleries and a free evening light show. It is closed on Wednesdays.
A 1.5-acre campus garden and four greenhouses holding about 1,200 plant species from many climates. Open to the public on weekdays, and closed on university holidays.
A 150-acre garden in La Canada Flintridge with a rose garden, Japanese garden, camellia collection and oak woodland. Non-members need a ticket.
Ten-acre woodland garden in Dunsmuir City Park with native plants, dogwoods, rhododendrons, Japanese maples, a rock garden and trails by the river. Free and open year round.
Historic 2.5-acre garden around a 1902 house in Old Palo Alto, with camellias, a watershed garden and a tree walk. Free entry, open daily in daylight hours.
37-acre garden in Montecito with themed collections and rare plants. Visits are timed, last two hours, and require an advance reservation, Wednesday to Saturday.
A 4.5-acre garden in Thousand Oaks with English, French, Italian, Japanese and California Mission areas. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
Downtown San Jose greenway with a Heritage Rose Garden of over 3,000 varieties, a 3.3-acre historic orchard, a community garden and river trails. Free and open daily.
An 18-acre Japanese garden in Saratoga with a hill and koi pond garden and historic buildings. Admission is charged and last entry is before closing.
A 241-acre East Bay preserve of rare native plants with a 1.7-mile self-guided nature path. Open 5am to 10pm, no parking fee. Dogs, bikes and horses are prohibited.
A botanical garden near Eureka with themed gardens including a rose garden and native plant garden. Open seven days a week with paid entry.
A Japanese garden and museum in San Diego's Balboa Park. Open daily with paid admission.
A 3.5-acre garden in Carmichael with magnolias, dogwoods, azaleas and Japanese maples. It is open sunrise to sunset and has about 20 parking spaces.
Arboretum and botanic garden in Arcadia, California, open daily from 9 am. Adult admission is $18, and tickets can be bought online before the visit.
A 17-acre park and arboretum in Concord with an international garden and a community garden. Entry and parking are free.
Arboretum of over 200 acres and 25 acres of display gardens at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, with a one-mile trail loop. Garden entry is a suggested $5 donation.
These are gardens we could check against their own official websites, not every garden in the area. “Free” refers to general garden entry, not parking, tours or special events. We do not show live opening status.
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