Hamilton Children’s Garden, Seeds of Wonder and the new Junior Quail Trail now open for children of all ages to enjoy
San Diego Botanic Garden’s popular children’s play areas Hamilton Children’s Garden, Seeds of Wonder and the Garden’s new Junior Quail Trail, an interactive children’s nature experience, are NOW OPEN for SDBG members as well as the general public to enjoy.
For visitor safety, the Garden is taking the following safety precautions and asking for parents and children to abide by the following guidelines:
Parents and all children 2+ must wear face masks or coverings at all times when in the children’s gardens
Households must maintain distances of 6 feet or more from other household groups when in the Garden.
Handwashing and sanitizing stations will be maintained near each children’s garden.
All plastic and metal surfaces in each children’s garden will be disinfected at least once per day.
A restricted number of visitors will be allowed in each children’s garden at a time:
Hamilton Children’s Garden – 50 households; 125 total visitors
Seeds of Wonder Children’s Garden – 25 households; 65 total visitors
Junior Quail Trail – 10 households; 25 total visitors
Waiting areas outside of each of the children’s gardens with 6 feet of social distancing per household will be available
No eating or drinking will be allowed in any of the children’s garden
Most spaces in the nationally-acclaimed Hamilton Children’s Garden will be OPEN for use including Toni’s Tree House, Garden Rhythms, Spell and Smell and Incredible Edibles, a garden area dedicated to exhibiting to children how several of their favorite food items are grown. The Mountain Stream area will be open, but to comply with County reopening regulations, will not have water flowing through it at this time.
Most areas in the Seeds of Wonder children’s garden will be open. The only children’s experience that will not be open is the Playhouse, due to its small enclosed space. Weekly children’s educational programming continues to be suspended until further notice.
The Garden is excited to announce the opening of the Junior Quail Trail, a new garden space in the former Eucalyptus Grove. This new trail focuses on natural materials, body movement and learning from the surrounding environment. The Junior Quail Trail provides an immersive and safe space for children to explore, discover and play outdoors.
“We are absolutely thrilled to reopen our award-winning children’s gardens for families to enjoy. Now, more than ever, children need to play in nature. There is no greater job than running, jumping and playing in the shade of majestic trees under the blue sky,” said San Diego Botanic Garden President & CEO Ari Novy, PhD
San Diego Botanic Garden is open Wednesday – Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm (Closed on Monday & Tuesday). Both guests and members can make reservations via the Garden’s new online ticketing system that can be accessed on the website at: SDBGarden.org.
As a reminder:
Visitors are asked to arrive at their scheduled date/time with their ticket(s) (either printed or on a cell phone) for entry along with their membership card(s).
The Garden’s main entrance has been temporarily moved to the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory at the corner of Ecke Ranch Road and Quail Gardens Drive (300 Quail Gardens Drive). Parking is available at the Conservatory and additional parking is available at San Dieguito Heritage Ranch across the street from the Conservatory.
EVERYONE ages 2+ will be required to have a face covering and wear it when within 6’ of other visitors in all areas of the Garden.
Guest restrooms are sanitized for safety every 2 hours.
For more information and to make reservations, please visit SDBGarden.org.
About San Diego Botanic Garden
Named as one of the “Top 10 Botanic Gardens in North America” by USA TODAY/10Best.com, San Diego Botanic Garden is a beautiful urban retreat nestled on 37-acres in the midst of Encinitas. Visitors enjoy restful vistas, flowering trees, majestic palms and the nation’s largest bamboo collection.
Thanks to our mild Southern California climate, nearly 5,000 plant species from all over the world thrive here. Our diverse topography provides a wide variety of microclimates, giving visitors the sensation of strolling through a tropical rainforest to hiking in the high desert. Four miles of trails wind through 29 uniquely themed gardens including the acclaimed Hamilton Children’s Garden, with fun areas to play in for kids of all ages including Toni’s Tree House, and our new Dickinson Family Education Conservatory, home to rare and unusual tropical plants that can only be grown in this new greenhouse environment.