Few things are as calming as strolling through a botanical garden, and we’re incredibly fortunate here in Southern California to have such a wealth of choices.
But what if the cost of an entrance fee is keeping you from visiting? Well, here’s some good news.
There are some gardens you can visit for free anytime and other ones that regularly charge but set aside selected free days, such as once a month. Note: Some have parking fees, and they might close during or after bad weather.
But if you’d like to spend more time in soothing nature – and who doesn’t? – you can plan ahead to make it happen on a budget.
California Botanic Garden, 1500 N College Ave., Claremont. (909) 625-8767, calbg.org
This 86-acre garden normally charges admission, but it’s free on March 29, 2025, in honor of the native plant festival. Get free tickets online at calbg.org. California Botanic Garden is the largest dedicated exclusively to the state’s native plants and works to conserve native and rare species. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough Rd., Thousand Oaks. conejo.garden@yahoo.com, conejovalleybotanicgarden.com.
Explore 33 acres of gardens, including those devoted to Australian, desert, butterfly, herb, salvia and kids’ adventure. Plus, there is a bird habitat, natural terrain and, of course, plenty of trees. Also, a rare fruit tree orchard with specimens from 19 countries. Check out the hiking trails and the views from the top. The main garden is open daily sunrise to sunset. The Kids Adventure Garden is open on Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. 818-949-4200, descansogardens.org
One of the state’s most famed gardens, its 165 acres include a Japanese garden, a 5-acre rose garden, specialized forests, camellia and lilac collections and more. It’s free only on the third Tuesday of the month with advance reservations. Free Tuesday tickets are released at 10 a.m. on the first day of the month and are limited. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., (9 a.m.-5 p.m. in winter). Free tickets do not include special programming. 
The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)
Fullerton Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton (near the CSUF baseball field off Yorba Linda Boulevard). arboretum.fullerton.edu
This is a lovely place to take a spring stroll through 26 acres of desert, Mediterranean, woodland and cultivated gardens. It includes rare, threatened and endangered plants. Look for turtles in the pond. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s a box where you can pay a $5 suggested donation if you feel inclined. Open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed on Cal State Fullerton holidays.
Huntington Library and Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd. San Marino. 626-405-2100. huntington.org/free-day.
Everyone should have the chance to visit this gorgeous, 207-acre estate, which includes 130 acres of gardens, at least once. Expect 16 themed gardens full of rare plants, rare and precious book displays and an art museum to boot. Note, however, that you have to be diligent to score tickets to their once-a-month free day on the first Thursday of the month, because they go fast. To try for them, you need to be online and ready at 9 a.m. on the last Thursday of the month, because the tickets are released then for the following month. Don’t wait until 9:01 a.m. (seriously). The limit is 5 tickets per household. It’s worth the effort. Enjoy all it has to offer but don’t expect to be able to see it all in one day. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Expect a lot of walking, although they do have wheelchairs on loan.
Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden. 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. arboretum.org/free-day-tickets/
If you’ve never been to this beauty spot, you should make the trip. It’s free only on the third Tuesday of each month, and you must get advance tickets. This means you need to be online at 9 am on the first day of the month you want to visit, because that’s when the tickets become available, and as you might guess, they’re popular. March tickets are already gone. If you want to try for April, be online on Tuesday, April 1 for the free day on April 15. And come on, you can probably use a day at this 127-acre garden after you file your taxes, right? You’ll be asked to select an entry time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can order up to 5 tickets per reservation. Be aware that Arcadia can be hot during the summer.
Niguel Botanical Preserve, Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel. niguelbotanicalpreserve@yahoo.com. niguelbotanicalpreserve.org
This 18-acre garden demonstrates drought-tolerant plants that grow well along the Southern California coast. The collection includes plants from similar climates, including California/Baja California, Chile, Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean. These plants also attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and more. There’s also a rose garden, an English garden temple and a labyrinth. It’s open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.
South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula. 424-452-0920. southcoastbotanicgarden.org.
This 87-acre beauty is free on the third Tuesday of each month. You can make reservations online. View more than 2,500 plant species including from Australia, the Mediterranean and Africa. Also, check out the rose garden, fern collection, desert, fuchsia and Japanese gardens. Some 200 bird species also visit annually. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children’s Discovery Center. 39611 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen. (909) 790-3698, wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/oakglen
This garden comprises 220 acres including oak and conifer forests, chaparral, ponds, streams, grasslands and more. Some of the venues added since the property was acquired by the Wildlands Conservancy include Hummingbird Hill, Falling Waters, and The Artist’s Palette. Further expansion is also planned. There’s also a children’s center to learn about nature. Open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in March; 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. from April-Oct.
Sunnylands Center and Gardens, 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. 760-202-2222, sunnylands.org.
Visit the 15-acre grounds at the former estate of the late Walter and Leonore Annenberg, including nine acres of desert gardens. The gardens are always free, but access to the home is by reserved paid tour only. Open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Dr., Los Angeles. (Campus parking in Structure 2 costs $15, or look for street parking.) botgard.ucla.edu.
This free garden encompasses 7.5 acres including California natives, desert, ferns, palms, bromeliads, herbarium and more. It’s open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. You can bring your leashed pooch, too.
UCR Botanic Gardens, 1 Botanic Gardens Drive, Riverside. 951-827-7090, ucrbg@ucr.edu, gardens.ucr.edu.
This hilly space comprises 40 acres of a living plant museum with 3,500 species and thousands of specimens from around the world, particularly from dry and arid regions. It’s open M-F 8-3, also the 1st and 3rd Sunday 8-1:30. World gardens include Australia, Baja California, South Africa, Latin America, Mediterranean and more. Special areas include butterfly, herb, rose, iris, lilac, Native American and redwood gardens, a turtle pond and a fruit orchard. Check the website for parking rules.