Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise: Photos, Reviews & Location

Year-round living museum with self-guided tours through 33 acres of unique native & exotic gardens.

At a glance

#9 of 39 Tourist attractions in Boise

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

3.2 km from the center of Boise

Rating breakdown

5 ★78%
4 ★15%
3 ★4%
2 ★1%
1 ★2%

2355 N Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712

idahobotanicalgarden.org

(208) 343-8649

Photos of Idaho Botanical Garden (164)

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Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise – photo 10

Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise – photo 11

Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Idaho Botanical Garden?: Idaho Botanical Garden is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 5,817 reviews.
How does Idaho Botanical Garden rank in Boise?: Idaho Botanical Garden is #9 of 39 Tourist attractions in Boise by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Idaho Botanical Garden located?: 2355 N Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712 — 3.2 km from the center of Boise.
How can I contact Idaho Botanical Garden?: Phone: (208) 343-8649 · Website: idahobotanicalgarden.org

Reviews (14)

Lindsay Page 2024 May 03

The Idaho Botanical Garden holds a special place in our family's heart, and for good reason. Every visit is a fun adventure!

Throughout the year, the Garden offers a plethora of activities that cater to all ages and interests, making it a favorite destination for our family. Our absolute highlight is the Fall Festival. It's a well-planned celebration that seamlessly blends the magic of the season with the beauty of nature.

Picture this: live music, artsy stuff to make, yummy local food stalls... it's a party, alright! And it's all happening right there amidst the beautiful greenery.

What truly sets the Idaho Botanical Garden apart is its ability to inspire a love for nature in young minds. Our toddlers are always ecstatic to roam the gardens, soaking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the natural world. It's a hands-on learning experience that sparks their curiosity and fosters a deep appreciation for the environment.

Whether it's strolling through the vibrant gardens in spring, enjoying the pumpkin-filled festivities in fall, or partaking in the myriad of activities year-round, the Idaho Botanical Garden never fails to delight and inspire. It's a gem of a destination that offers something truly magical for everyone in the family.

Jennie Post 2024 Jan 04

Love this place! Went to the light display at night. Vendors with food & drink too. Fun times!

Luanne Ostrow 2023 Dec 30

"Winter Garden A-Glow" lights glistening, snow globe bar bringing good cheer, and stocking stuffer gift shop offering unique holiday gifts made this year's winter garden spectacular!

Hannah Phillips 2023 Dec 16

Went to their annual Holiday Lights show. Well worth the $18 adult entry donation, which directly benefits the Garden. Situated on a high hillside overlooking Boise, is quite the sight at night. Family fun, lots of warming holiday fires, hot cocoa and cookies for visitors. Photo ops galore, especially the Candy Cane Forest. A delightful visit.
Some of the trails might accommodate wheelchairs; however, it might be difficult to navigate in dark, with rocks, going uphill, and crowds.

Chuck Hersey 2023 Dec 12

The garden is beautiful year round. But spring and winter are my favorite.
Winter Gatden a glow is absolutely the best treat.
Besides the promotion of pride, the event is fun. Just plan your venture accordingly.
Dress warm and good hiking shoes because there is plenty of trails to cover to see all the beautiful lights.

Dee Anderson 2023 Oct 14

We embraced the rhythms, colors, and flavors of Hispanic Heritage Day at Idaho Botanical Garden! What better backdrop than this blue sky, foothills and foliage!

Sam Morris 2023 Oct 13

Incredible garden. Some things not to miss are zone 2 landscapes and natural area, the tree house/fort, the koi pond and the English garden. Definitely would recommend visiting if your in Boise.

Care Wirta 2023 Aug 22

went to outlaw fields for the boygenius show and it was beautiful! also amazing to go during the winter when they have their christmas light shows.

Jeff Benton 2023 Jul 21

I love the Idaho Botanical Garden as a venue. I have seen a lot of great shows there. The show on the 14th of July was a slight departure from my usual experience. The music playlist chosen prior to Big Head Todd was fantastic. Whoever chose that playlist deserves to be commended. Awesome job! Big Head Todd and the Monsters were great!! Excellent music, good crowd connection, great guitar work by Todd. The headliner was Blues Traveler, who I love; however, their live show was a jumble and kind of mushed together. They played a resonable version of Last Dance With Mary Jane, but people were being didappointed and started leaving early. I don't think I would go to another Blues Traveler show, but I would absolutelt see Big Head Todd and the Monsters again!

Geeg Wiles 2023 Jul 02

An easily accessible and well-kept grounds that used to be part of the prison gardens! Great place to see as a new person to the area or visitor. We enjoyed an iced tea from Zero Six Coffee Fix right down the road as we walked around the ever-forking paths of the property!

Nina Scanlon 2023 Jul 01

I love going to the botanical gardens especially when we've had a lot of rain. I love to see all the different flowers, trees, and plants. I especially love the English garden area.

Marika Lyons 2023 Jun 17

Every time I travel places I have to visit the Botanical Gardens. I had a great time here. Went on June 8th, the weather was perfect. I could spend the whole day here. So relaxing! We got the double pass where you can visit the Botanical Gardens and the Old Idaho Penitentiary good savings

Sara Beth Wade 2023 Jun 05

As a first-time visitor, I was not super impressed when I first walked in - but the gardens really don't get going until you get past the open concert field and up to the hillside. Then it's wonder on wonder in a series of small gardens, like a walled English garden, a kid's play garden, desert plants, native plants, all sorts. The woman who sold me my ticket recommended a way to go and she was right - once you get to the main part, with the bathrooms and gift shop on your right and the English garden to your left, sort of head to the right up the hill, make your way to the top, and walk down a small "back way" trail to the firewise garden. To do this, make sure you find the Lewis & Clark trail, which zig zags all the way up the hill. Once you finally reach the top (it's long!) there's a Sacagawea statue - walk up some stone step behind that to access the trail. But any way you visit, it's going to take some wandering around to see everything.

I ended up buying a combo ticket for the Botanical Garden and the Penitentiary, which are side-by-side, for $15, which I think saved $5 (garden=$12, old pen=$8). They're very much intertwined - the botanical gardens are in the old yards for the penitentiary, so there items of interest in the garden relating to the prison - like a cemetery, foundations, and out buildings. And in the Old Pen, there are beautiful roses and other flowers throughout.

There is lots of free parking in front of the gardens that's good for both locations.

Julia Royal 2023 Jan 18

Beautiful!! We loved the gorgeous and creative decorations and bright lights!! It is a lot larger than it looks! I loved that there were places you could get warm nuts and coffee as well to stay warm! Would not recommend coming before they close unless you can go through it very quickly. Would definitely recommend to plan for a bit to see everything. Really neat though!! It’s all inside a castle, so you have that castle feel as well! Definitely worth seeing.