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.
Admission and hours checked September 28, 2026. Prices may change.
California native plant garden in Tilden Regional Park, arranged in geographic sections with large manzanita, oak and conifer collections. Entry and parking are free.
A 34-acre garden with more than 10,000 kinds of plants in nine geographic regions. Closed Tuesdays; reservations are recommended.
A university botanical garden in Los Angeles with plant collections from around the world. Entry is free and it is open daily.
A living-museum botanic garden on the UC Riverside campus. Open Monday to Friday and the first and third Sunday of the month; a $5 donation is suggested.
A 3.5-acre campus garden with more than 1,400 labeled plants from California and elsewhere. Open every day from sunrise to sunset; guided tours can be requested by email.
Public hillside gardens in Ventura, open Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is $15, and Fridays are free for all.
Garden in Beverly Hills run by LA County Parks. Visits are by reservation, Tuesday to Saturday, and walk-ins are not allowed.
A 38-acre self-guided garden of native plants above Avalon on Catalina Island, with a 1930s memorial. Open daily; a free shuttle runs from the Trailhead Visitor Center.
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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