Winter Garden
Open every day from 10am and at its best December – late March.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s Winter Garden celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019. It was the first winter garden to be created at a botanic garden in the UK and remains at the forefront of winter garden planting, demonstrating a wide a variety of plants to give as much winter interest as possible.
Pick up our Winter Garden plant list at our ticket offices and borrow a Winter Garden trail (available at the Winter Garden entrances).
Snowdrop Trail
The snowdrops are expected to be in bloom from late January to late-February.
Almost 40 different varieties feature in our Snowdrop Trail, guiding you to the snowdrop ‘hot spots’, scattered throughout the Garden. The trail includes information about the varieties we grow, plus ‘how to grow tips’, snowdrop science, history, folklore and more.
Pick up a Snowdrop trail leaflet from our ticket offices.
Tours
Free Drop-in Winter Interest Tours every Sunday, 12 January – 23 February, at 2pm
Enjoy a free-of-charge Garden tour with one of our expert guides, taking in the Garden’s winter highlights.
- Tours last one hour and start from the Glasshouse Terrace
- Tours are free-of-charge but normal Garden admission charges apply
- To join a tour, visitors must sign up at the main Brookside ticket office
- Places are allocated on a first-come basis and numbers are limited
- Not recommended for children under 12 years
Private pre-bookable group Winter Highlights Tours, followed by hot drink and cake in the Garden Café: January – February
Pre-book a 1 hour guided tour of the Garden’s winter highlights – an ideal way to make the most of a visit with friends or colleagues.
- Choose any day until end February, at 10am or 1.30pm
- Pre-booked groups only of up to 20 people
- Groups of 10 people or fewer, minimum tour charge of £60 plus normal Garden admission charges
- Groups of more than 10 people, tour charge of £6 per person plus normal Garden admission charges
- Charges for these seasonal tours include a drink & cake at the Garden Café
To book a tour, call 01223 748450 (at least 2 weeks’ advance booking notice required).
Twilight at the Museums: Freaky Flowers (and other weird plants)
Wednesday 19 February (4.30 – 7.30pm)
Twilight at the Museums: Freaky Flowers (and other weird plants)
Join us at our Twilight night-time adventure around the Glasshouses to find out about some of the most amazing species in the plant kingdom. From plants that disguise themselves as pebbles, to plants that like nothing more than to eat shrew poo, there are some seriously freaky plants growing at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Don’t forget to bring a torch!
Please note entry is via Brookside Gate only and the Garden is not fully dark until after 5.30pm.
Admission is free after 4.30pm. Last admission 7.30pm. Twilight ‘What’s On’ programmes will be available from the Garden and all other participating Cambridge museums from mid-January.
Cam Lates – Garden Kitchen Takeover
Friday 21 February (6.30 – 8.30pm)
Cam Lates – Garden Kitchen Takeover
Kick start your weekend with local independent, The Garden Kitchen, as they take over the Glasshouse Range for the evening.
Two drinks are included with the price of your ticket, with a choice of wine, prosecco, or lager from local brewer Calverley. The Garden Kitchen will also have a ‘small bites’ offering of home-made snacks, 4 for £5, and their famous sausage rolls, with vegetarian alternative.
In addition, our 80 metre Glasshouse Range will be filled with imaginative illuminations that will dazzle and delight as you explore our diverse plant collection through changing climates.
