UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Welcome to another Travel Tuesday! We’re back in northern California again this time around because I like to state-hop everywhere.

Last summer, shortly after I graduated from med school, I got to go home(!) to spend some time with my friends + family for a bit, and I happened to bump into one of my childhood church friends.

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I hadn’t seen her in maybe….6(?!) years, so we made plans to hang out later in the week, and decided to start with lunch and then go hang out at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley.

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…She unfortunately sprained her ankle whilst walking her new puppy 2 days before, but insisted that she’d be fine traipsing all over the gardens in crutches despite my numerous, “Are you sure’s?/We could do something else!”

I had a deep-dish pizza for the first time! :O

 


UC Botanical Garden (Berkeley, CA)

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Location: 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720-5045
Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily (no entry after 4:30 pm) –Ā It’sĀ closed on the first Tuesday of every month, as well as on major US holidays.
Parking: Pay lot ($1/hour) available across from main entrance

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The first Wednesday of each month is free. (It’s also free if you’re a UCB student/staff/faculty/UC Botanical Garden member/child under 5.)

Otherwise, adults pay $10, seniors (65+) and non-UCB students pay $8, teenagers pay $5, and children 5-12 pay $2!

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The UC Botanical Garden isĀ a gorgeous place! I’d recommend it to anyone unless you hate the outdoors, in which case…well, you’re missin’ out but to each their own. If you’re allergic to plant life/pollen, I suppose I couldn’t recommend that you come here either unless allergy meds usually provide you with some relief.

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They have different exhibitsĀ throughout the year,Ā as well as seasonal programs/workshops, summer camps, special events, summer concerts and tours!

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The UC Botanical Garden is divided up by region and each region is subdivided, so checking out the map would probably be a good idea!

  • Mediterranean
  • South America
  • Australasia
  • Asia
  • Southern Africa
  • Deserts of the Americas
  • Eastern North America
  • Mexico/Central America
  • California

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The Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden was one of my personal favorites, sinceĀ I’m really interested in traditional Chinese medicine and would love to learn more about the herbs + ingredients used in their medicines (as well as how to do acupuncture).

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There are over 12,000 different types of plants here, so expect to spend at least 2 hours here! Brace yourselves…for lots of pictures of pretty flowers + trees! :D (Although I imagine you kinda figured this would be the case by now.)

If you get tired/sleepy, there are benches and grassy fields every here and there where you can sit and/or take a nap!

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Two of my other favorite placesĀ were…the Garden of Old Roses (twas super pretty there!) and the Crops of the World Garden (because yay for food)!

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Free docent tours are available to the public at 1:30 pm, Thursday-Sunday year-round! You can also check out the garden map beforehand to plan your visit!

 

…and of course, we need a silly one to complete the day. :D

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We finished off the day in the early evening since I had to get back to downtown Berkeley to do my CPR recert, but we had some extra time left, so we stopped by a Thai restaurant and got some Thai iced tea to cool off! :]

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  • Have you ever visited a botanical garden? What’s your favorite place to explore?
  • Do you tend to pack all the events and activities ever into your days?

Permanent link to this article: https://www.fairyburger.com/uc-botanical-garden-berkeley/

14 comments

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    • Ricardo on February 28, 2017 at 12:16 am
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    Japanese Tea Garden across the bridge in GGP will always be my go to spot. Plus I can still do the free day for residence since my Driver’s license hasn’t expired yet with my old SF address =D

    1. hahaha, that’s awesome! Yay for hidden perks! :P
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

  1. I love that it started with some deep dish ;)
    O! You…or I can take you….to Duke Farms here in NJ! It is such a beautiful botanical garden/estate grounds…it is amazing! We’ll go this summer ;)
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast Bites (Allergy-Free, Vegan)My Profile

    1. Twas delicious!

      And yay for Duke Farms! I went there once in July but didn’t manage to explore the whole thing! We need to go this summer! <3! Then I can finish my post! ;P
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

  2. You always find the most beautiful places to explore!

    I love botanical gardens because they’re always filled with so many unique and beautiful trees and flowers – and often times that means butterflies and dragonflies too!
    Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Random Ramblings: Why Saving the Best For Last is Actually a Cover UpMy Profile

    1. Thanks, Kristy! <3

      I definitely agree! I need to go find another one to visit in the spring! :]!
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

  3. So lovely!! I think my brother is possibly going to Berkeley for law school so I will have to come and visit!! So many beautiful places to explore!

    1. Ah, that’s so awesome! Congrats to your brother, and I hope you get to visit there! :]
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

  4. Gorgeous photographs. It is still winter where I live, so this post was a nice reminder of spring.

    1. It’s still really cold here as well, but I’m hoping it’ll start to warm up soon! *-*

  5. It’s fun to catch up with old friends. This sounds really beautiful and I LOVE all the photos. Your friend is a trooper for using crutches to get around.

    -lauren
    ShootingStarsMag recently posted…The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi BuiMy Profile

    1. Agreed! And forreals, I felt so bad! :[ I offered to give her a piggyback ride around the gardens but she said she’d be okay. x_x
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

  6. I’ve never been to the botanical garden in Berkeley Farrah! I’m going to check it out asap :)
    Mary recently posted…DIY Marble Stationery #craftyfridaysMy Profile

    1. Yay! Let me know what you think! :D
      Farrah recently posted…Turkey Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Sourdough CrustMy Profile

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