University of Leicester Botanic Garden — Attraction in Oadby and Wigston

I recently visited the gardens, on a nice sunny day. It was a lovely, calm, serene place. There are many beautiful species of flora here. It was wonderful to see the southern magnolia in full bloom, with flowers as big as my hand and face.

The only downside was the greenhouse closing times and the rude manner in which a staff member spoke to me, hence 4 stars.

I phoned in advance to ask if the glasshouses were open as this was my main reason to visit. Showing my daughter the special cacti housed here. The switchboard told me it would be asscesible till closing at 5pm. Unfortunately this was not the case, they were mistaken. The glasshouses closed at 3pm. 10 minutes before we arrived. When I approached the lady licking them up, she was rather rude with an irritated air to her voice, telling me i was wrong and the switchboard wouldn't have said this and that she has to go. She made me feel like a nuisance when I had planned ahead and been given the wrong information. No people skills at all.

The acers here are beautiful, some in need of a prune but overall it's a lovely place for a picnic and relax. This place is good for mental health reasons, it helps to make you feel like you're out of the city for a...

I love this place. There are so many wonderful and often unusual specimens to see and it is always a delight to visit at any time of the year. When we visited, the fuchsia collection was looking magnificent. The trees and shrubs are always so special and the Caucasian Oak tree was looking completely amazing. In addition the herbs are a major feature and the acers are graceful and elegant. Visiting here always lifts my spirits and it gives me a real sense of joy. To sum up, this place is an absolute treasure and a real credit not only to the University of Leicester but to the city too. Visited again to-day....still fantastic! Update 28.11.22...still A-MAY-ZING. Went again on 28.02.24...the garden looked fantastic with lovely Spring flowers showing....

I've lived in the area for over 20 years but this was my first visit. A lovely calm oasis, beautiful plants and well-maintainted gardens. I'm not interested in gardening but even for a layman like me, the variety of cacti was just incredible (the spherical cactus from Mexico was about 4ft in diameter!). Will visit again for sure. I couldn't find any place to lock my bike even though the website says there's a bike rack at the entrance (maybe I missed it) so I locked it to the main sign at the entry. If it's raining, take cover and visit the glasshouses (open weekdays only) or one of the specially designed shelters. Seems like the low-scoring reviews were a bit mean-spirited - this is a lovely relaxing...