Experts' Choice Award Desert Botanical Garden
What the experts agree on
In Papago Park on the Scottsdale-Phoenix border, this 145-acre garden showcases 20,000+ desert plants (saguaros, cacti, agaves) and offers a serene, educational introduction to Sonoran Desert ecology.
“This rugged and serene swath of desert sits on the southwestern border of Scottsdale and Phoenix, and is home to some 50,000 cacti, succulents, agaves, shrubs, and trees.”
– Travel + Leisure
Fodor's "Opened in 1939 to conserve and showcase the ecology of the desert, these 150 acres contain more than 4,000 different species of cacti, succulents, trees, and flowers." Full review
Concierge "This is one of the best gardens you will ever see, possibly because it's so full of local plants."
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"This inspirational garden is a refreshing place to reconnect with nature and it offers a great introduction to desert plant life." Full review
Michelin Guide 0 Stars
"With more than 20,000 desert plants, this unique garden has won awards for environmental education." Full review
Afar Magazine "There are few places where you can better learn about the beauty and complexity of desert ecology than the Desert Botanical Garden, not far from downtown Phoenix." Full review
Where "The Garden’s 145 acres showcase the Sonoran Desert and more than 20,000 plants representing 4,000 species." Full review
Frommer's "In Papago Park adjacent to the Phoenix Zoo, this botanic garden is a beautiful and restful place, displaying more than 20,000 desert plants from around the world" Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "The Sonoran Desert is often called the world's most vibrant desert, and this garden's 140 acres of wondrous plants show why. Sure, visitors know the Sonoran's wavy-armed signature—the..."
New York Times
