Visit
Plan Your Visit
Hours
- ARBORETUM GARDENS
Open Daily – 9am – 5pm - Norrie’s Gift & Garden Shop
Open Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm - Closure Dates for 2025:
July 4, Nov. 27 & 28, Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, 2026
Admission
- $10 adults
- $8 seniors 65+
- $5 youth 4-17
- free to kids under 4
Payment Options
- Pay Online at our Online Store
- Pay in person with Cash or Checks payable to UC Regents & Deposit into Brown “Pay Here” Tubes in our Visitor Parking Lot
- Pay at the Gift Shop during the Shop’s Open Hours
Enjoy Free Admission if you are:
- A current Arboretum Member (with membership card)
- A current UCSC Student
- A member of participating AHS/ROAM/NARM Reciprocal Admission Program Garden or Museum with card + ID
- Those ONLY shopping or picking up an online order at Norrie’s Gift & Garden Shop
- Everyone on Community Day – all day, the first Tuesday of each month
Garden Etiquette
Please help us maintain the peaceful atmosphere people have come to enjoy. For fire safety and the health of other visitors, there is no smoking.
To protect our collection, endangered species, and educational materials: There is no collecting of any plant or animal material of any kind dead or alive. This also means no collecting of any seeds or cuttings. We are required to mention that collecting tadpoles, harassing or touching the federally protected red-legged frogs is against federal law. Adult supervision of children is required. Take only notes (not labels or flowers), leave only footprints.
For your safety: Please stay on concrete or dirt paths to avoid poison oak, spines, uneven footing and to avoid compacting the soil over tender roots or trampling small plants.
No Pets: UCSC does not allow dogs on campus, which includes the Arboretum.
Pack your trash or locate one of our garbage or recycling bins.
Help protect our rare plant collections by staying on paths, supervising children, and leaving pets at home.
UCSC Classes – Visiting the Arboretum
Many UCSC classes visit the Arboretum for the educational enrichment of our natural outdoor classroom. Learn more and complete the Reservation Form below.
Public Group Visits
Are you part of a gardening group, a bird club or a teacher wishing to bring a group of students to visit and explore the gardens of the Arboretum? Learn more and complete the Reservation Form below.
Getting to the Arboretum
Drive past the UCSC Main Entrance heading north on High Street which turns into Empire Grade (see map).
The entrance to the Garden is on the east side of High Street, about 1/2 mile up High Street past the main entrance on the west side of campus. (right-hand side if you’re going uphill.)
Getting to the UCSC
FROM Highway 17 (north) or Highway 1 (south):
Follow signs for Half Moon Bay / Highway 1 North as you enter Santa Cruz.
Highway 1 becomes Mission Street, stay on it for about 1 mile.
Turn right at Bay Street (traffic light) and continue to the UCSC Main Entrance (Bay & High Street).
Accessibility, Tours, Pets:
- No Pets allowed.
- Many of our pathways & trails are wheelchair, stroller & walker accessible, See map below.
- Our pathway substrates vary throughout the Gardens. Many visitors are able to navigate through the gardens with wheelchairs and strollers.
- See available Tours and Self-Guided Tour resources below.