Please note that the U. S. Botanic Garden will be closing at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 17th and Tuesday, December 7th for official government functions.

The United States Botanic Garden is a museum with a difference – our artifacts are the living treasures of the world. We invite you to return again and again, to watch us grow and to see our ever-changing exhibits.

ADMISSION, HOURS, AND ENTRANCE LOCATIONS

• Admission to all public areas of the U.S. Botanic Garden is FREE.

• Conservatory Hours: open 10 AM - 5 PM daily, including all weekends & holidays

• National Garden Hours: open 10 AM - 5 PM daily.

• Bartholdi Park Hours: open dawn to dusk, daily, including all weekends & holidays

• The Conservatory's main entrance is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20001 (use this address for Internet mapping searches). The National Garden is adjacent to the Conservatory, with entrances from Independence Avenue, from Maryland Avenue (at 3rd Street), and from the Conservatory Terrace. Bartholdi Park is located across Independence Avenue from the Conservatory, with access from any of the three bordering streets - Independence Avenue, Washington Avenue, or First Street.

• Map of the U.S. Botanic Garden

CELL PHONE TOURS

Bring your cell phone and learn more as you walk through the Garden. Just call 202-730-9303 to get started.

PARKING

We encourage taking public transportation. For more information on using Metro Rail or Bus, please click here. 

For tour bus operators and organizers, a map showing the tour bus route from the Capitol to Parking Lot B at Union Station is available.

DINING

There are no dining facilities available at the USBG. The closest public facilities are located at the National Museum of the American Indian, in the Rayburn House Office Building, the Longworth House Office Building, and the National Gallery of Art. In addition, restaurants can be found on 3^rd Street, SW, south of the USBG.

Many months of the year, we install tables and chairs on the Conservatory Terrace and we invite you to bring lunch and enjoy being outdoors.

The United States Botanic Garden is designed to be accessible to all. Several spaces at the Conservatory are designated for handicapped parking.

We provide wheelchairs, which can be reserved in advance, if desired. We also have a balloon-tire wheelchair for use in gravel areas. Our overhead jungle canopy is accessible by elevator. All pathways, restrooms, and water fountains are accessible, as are all temporary exhibitions.

By reservation, we can provide a sign-language interpreter for programs.

In addition, the following incorporate features for a variety of physical challenges:

• Our cell phone tour makes it possible for the vision-challenged to access our interpretive signs through audio.
• We provide multi-sensory exhibits (e.g., the West Gallery’s “Plants and Culture” exhibit).
• Tours often can be provided with or without prior reservations.
• Our Visitor Information Services desk is staffed during open hours to assist those with special needs.
  

PHOTOGRAPHY AND SKETCHING

• Hand-held film or video cameras may be used at any time. Sketching is also allowed. The use of easels, tripods,   or art material containing solvents requires special permission and a permit. To request a permit please call Sally Bourrie at (202) 226-4145.   Images of the USBG may not be used in commercial or promotional advertisements. The full text of our photography policy is available as a PDF document.
• Tours   
  

ANYTIME ACTIVITIES

• Take advantage of our Family Guide to the Conservatory for an educational and fun experience.
• Kids age nine and above will love our Junior Botanist backpack of exploration!

POLICIES

Food and drink are discouraged inside the Conservatory and facilities are not available for dining on the premises. Food is allowed within Bartholdi Park. Smoking is not allowed in the indoor facilities. Outdoors, please dispose of all smoking materials in the containers provided.

The USBG is a living plant museum, and its components (including plants, their leaves, flowers, and fruits, and plant labels) are federal property. They may not be removed or disturbed.

FAQs

Multilingual Guide to DC

For information about the U.S. Botanic Garden in English, Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Portuguese, Espanol, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese click here. Select your language after following the link, then select Washington, D.C.