UC Davis Botanical Conservatory — Attraction in Davis

The UC Davis Botanical Conservatory is a surprisingly disappointing spot for a campus that claims to be research-driven and environmentally focused. The collection feels neglected, under-curated, and lacking in educational value. It’s more of a forgotten corner than a destination — and unfortunately, that reflects the broader state of UC Davis itself.

Rather than inspiring curiosity or pride, the Conservatory feels like a missed opportunity. There’s little engagement, poor signage, and not much to show for a university that promotes itself as a leader in plant sciences. It’s yet another example of UC Davis investing in surface-level appearances while letting quality, maintenance, and student value slide.

This place doesn’t elevate the school — it exposes how far UC Davis has drifted from...

Very fun field trip with kids after completing a botany unit. The conservatory is awesome with many different plants, some very rare and exotic, others just impressively huge and well adapted. Ryan was very friendly and gave us a tour, answered all of our questions and threw in some bonuses - gave kids some seeds and plants to propagate and showed a demonstration of the firecracker plant. We had so much fun. Will definitely plan another...

A beautiful collection and a must see on campus! The botanical conservatory will be sure to amaze you! A perfect family friendly adventure! Sign in before entry, and enjoy exploring the vast collection! Note: if you are visiting on a weekday you have to pay to park in lots/structure by app or kiosk at the parking structure. Parking on the weekend is free, but they're not usually open on...