I really enjoy walking around the Botanic Garden with my family. Everyone I have met there has been…read morevery friendly and helpful. There are fun places for children to play, and every time we go, we find a wonderful new area or feature we didn't know about.

I always enjoy the Botanic Gardens but 2024 is the first time I attended the Lightscape festival…read more It was so worth the time and the trip and the parking! I took my Mom who I learned my gawking skills from and we had an excellent time walking and gawking at all of the amazingly designed lighting exhibits. It is very dark in the area say take time to slow down and watch for the entrance and parking signs and people. There were quite a few parking attendants around to point people toward spots and away from full lots. We went the day after Thanksgiving and it was full but it didn't take us long to find a parking spot. There were signs and the attendants also pointed everyone in the direction to the entrance. At the front, security checked bags and scanned tickets and ushered people into the park. Guides at the front suggested a route which included following the arrows lighted along the routes through the garden. It was so gorgeous! People were quite respectful of others trying to get photos of displays and couple and group photos. At one location I became the honorary photographer after helping out a few people. We walked around and posed and all for over three hours. It was a well spent wholesome family evening. You're killing it, SD Botanic Garden!

Small free area with lot of plants to look at. Multiple entrances and exits so you don't have to…read morecrowd in one area. It looks like a green house from a distance but the whole building has air gaps to allow breeze.

What do you mean no lilies in the lily pond?…read more Zero. Also, pay parking is awful. I can forgive the no lilies, but the parking situation - abhorrent.

Great outdoor spaces with lots of nature to enjoy. My favorite is the covered table overlooking…read morethe pond. There an admission fee, but very reasonable considering you're supporting a great cause. We'll be shore to come back with more time to enjoy all the garden sections.

Such a beautiful and amazing place. I am usually here for drinking events, like Meading in the…read moreGarden. The paths for walking through the grounds are well kept, it's so nice to look at the garden views and different kinds of plants and trails. There is also a children's area to play in. The further you explore, you will find wildlife, dinosaur statues, sculptures and more. It's a great place to visit if you want to take a break and enjoy nature. There is plenty of free parking, you just pay a small entrance fee to get in, it's totally worth it.

We arrived here so excited to explore the gardens, but we couldn't find it anywhere! Not sure if it…read moreclosed or if it's under construction. Lots of fencing around the campus. Looks like major work is getting done. We were definitely a little disappointed. :(

The Botanic Garden on the campus of Southwestern College is an unknown and underappreciated beauty…read more I visited today as part of a large garden tour, and was genuinely impressed with its tidiness and charm. The native plant section, in particular, was full of vigor and everything looked fabulous. The garden has an extensive succulent collection and lots of places to sit and just unwind, enjoying the open space. Next time you're in the area, definitely stop by with a picnic lunch to savour the solitude.

This is my review # 4000 and what an honor to review a hidden gem in Paradise Hills! the Paradise…read moreHills native gardens caught me by surprise last week when I was in the area. I searched on Yelp for interesting things to do around and found this. I am into gardens, trees, plants, flowers. I love nature and value enormously the effort that many volunteers have put to create this from a landfill. It is amazing. I did a long hour meditation walk around the park, checking every label to learn about the local flora. Learned also about 4 varieties of trees you can only find in San Diego county. I encounter a group of volunteers discussing the next planting they will be working on, chat with them and kept enjoying my own company in a meditative state. It is a great place to relax, very recommended a visit for nature lovers and people who like to get off the beaten path too. There are so many different corners and angles in San Diego and this neighborhood is an interesting discovery

This used to be an old weedy landfill. Paradise Gardeners has turned this into a nice place to walk…read morearound among the native plants.

I haven't been here in years and it's just as great as I remember. Definitely worth taking a trip…read moreup when if visiting Catalina Island. The Catalina Island Conservancy group maintains this modest sized botanical garden and the Wrigley Memorial. If you gut a ticket for entry you can take their Jurassic Park type shuttle ride up to the gardens. I didn't know that so we hiked up and took the ride down. You can also rent a bike or golf cart and ride up. There are numerous trails to hike once up there and the beautiful Garden to Skyline hike is worth the effort. We didn't have time for it this trip which was a bummer, but it was a great visit nonetheless. The memorial reminds me of one of my favorite childhood movies- Labyrinth with David Bowie, and offers many neat opportunities for cool pictures. I hope to come back again and do the hike to the skyline where you get an epic view of the ocean.

Definitely a place to visit when touring Avalon, Catalina Island. From the port, it's about a 15…read moreminute ride, 40 for walking. We downloaded the Ride Circuit app and it's a $2 fee per ride, which you can't really beat! The place also does student discounts, which is a nice touch. Walking through the first part was nice. Reading information on the little cards about the plants and taking different routes. We actually got to see a tiny fox! It is uphill, nothing too crazy, just bring some water. The memorial at the top of the hill is worth your time. It is a climb up the stairs, so be prepared. Once you get to the top and oversee the garden and have a view of the port, you'll for sure gasp in surprise of the view. Pretty cool seeing a structure preserved! If you take the left path when you get to the memorial, you'll come across a little area called Little Fox Hollow. I'd recommend visiting and walking through. For little ones, but you can make it fun as an adult too! On the right path, there is a hiking trail about a mile long. A lot steeper than when you start from the entrance to the memorial. We didn't get fully to the top due to exhaustion. It gives a higher view than the memorial structure. Overall, I'd definitely come back when I visit Avalon, Catalina Island!

We enjoyed walking around the Walkabout Australia area. We've been here a few times and enjoyed the…read moredown low atmosphere. We sat at the bench and watched the albino kangaroo for quite some time. Hmmm....maybe it was called a wallaby! This area of the Safari Park is dedicated to the Australian Habitat. There's kangaroos and wallabies. We liked the free roaming atmosphere. It's very peaceful.

I came through this area at dark and could not see anything. Very little lights on the pathways,…read moreand all the animals were hiding, asleep. The park should have just closed at dark. The only cool part was the platypus, which you CAN see after dark because they live inside. Very disappointing to come to the park after dark.

Tim T and Yally did a great job telling us more about this beautiful garden. Was so excited to do…read morethe self-guided tour and enjoy the calm scenery. Plants were delight tolerant and blooming. Loved every minute of it! Can easily spend and hour or two here.

This garden is a special place. Everyone working here was friendly and the garden is very well kept…read moreup. There is a mini butterfly garden and areas for children. The whole place was well maintained. Large outdoor amphitheater area.

Bonus they have two free parking lots. Note that this year, 2026, they are doing some major…read moreupgrades and renovations so some areas are closed. We look forward to visiting again.

They're open in limited capacity so it's not going to take longer than an hour to tour the grounds…read more Parking was $6.50 Not sure when construction finishes but it shouldnt take long because we spoke to someone there who said the city will want to expedite construction to open the restaurant. Beautiful still. We came the day before Mother's Day for the rose show. Looking forward to coming back when construction completes because at $5 admission that is kind of a rip for how much is there. It took us longer because I recognized someone at the rose show and my son is really into plants but for an average person I'd say 30-45 min is really how much is there right now until they finish the remodel