The University of Arizona

Summer Hours, Summer Flowers

Guided tours next weekend include a geology walk Saturday, May 26 at 8:00 a.m. guided by Kristen Gholson, and also a butterfly walk Saturday at 8:30 a.m. guided by ASU Professor Ron Rutowski. Learn about edible desert plants Sunday -- Mike Hills is our special guest tour guide for our Edible And Medicinal Desert Plants Walk Sunday May 27. Read more about
guided summer nature walks and weekend events
Boyce Thompson Arboretum opens at 6:00 a.m. during May, June, July and August. Photography workshops next month include a camera basics class June 9 with Michael Madsen -- and a special Hummingbird Photography Class June 16 with Paul Landau. The beautiful flowers in the photo at right is a seven-foot-tall Matilija Poppy near the Smith Building -- Jennifer Beavers shared the lovely closeup.
Weekend nature walks are included with daily admission of $9 for adults, $4.50 for ages 5-12. Please consider annual membership -- they start at $45 for a couple and allow a full year's access to the Arboretum, and memberships are the best way you can help support BTA!
Bring a picnic - and please be aware of summer fire restrictions: propane is allowed, but not charcoal or wood fires. Every day of May, June, July and August the Arboretum is open from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Final admissions are taken at 2:00 p.m. so those last visitors have one full hour to enjoy the gardens.
Annual memberships start at $45 for a couple or $60 for a family -- buy yours when you arrive for a visit this week. Membership is the best possible way you can help support the Arboretum and our mission of desert plant conservation and education.
Try a new restaurant when you visit: our neighboring town of Superior just five-minutes drive from the Arboretum has ten restaurants to choose from! Several offer discounts if you show your BTA admission stub or your membership card. Cafe Piedra Roja offers a buy-one-get-one-at-half-price meal deal. Steven McNeely's Diner offers free frinks. Visit the Buckboard Cafe, closest of all to BTA, or other local restaurants and ask your server if they offer an Arboretum-specific discount .
Bring your dog, pets are welcome at the Arboretum, provided they are well-behaved and leashed at all times. Invite friends and bring a picnic - outdoor tables and charcoal grilles are shaded by trees in our picnic ground. Do you need Maps and Directions? Arizona State Parks has an excellent map/direction page. The Arboretum is an
Arizona State Park located at Highway 60 milepost #223 near the historic copper mining town of Superior, 55 miles due east of Phoenix. The drive takes about two hours from Tucson via highway 79 North through Florence to highway 60 -- then turn right and continue east another twelve miles. Trails are Wheelchair Accessible There is no restaurant at the Arboretum but sandwiches, drinks and snacks are available in our gift shop. Picnic tables and charcoal grills are available for visitors to use; propane and charcoal are allowed, wood fires are not. Read about the Arboretum's 75-year heritage, our history page describes how the Arboretum has grown to include two miles of trails and into a place for children to learn and for all ages to appreciate the beauty and importance of desert ecosystems.Explore the gardens on a virtual tour!

Paul Landau Macros - To - Cosmos Photography Exhibited June and July
A new exhibit opens in June in our Visitor Center Art Gallery showcasing Scottsdale artist Paul Landau's feather-crisp hummingbird macros and awe-inspiring galaxies, and worlds in between
Preview the Paul Landau exhibit