A botanical garden and arboretum in the Salt Lake City foothills, next to the Natural History Museum of Utah. Its main paths are wheelchair and stroller accessible, some older paths are steeper, and the Natural Area hiking trails are unpaved.
Know before you go. Red Butte Garden doesn't list sensory hours or a quiet room. Here's what it does say about its paths, sound, water and wildlife.
Hours
October to December, 9 am to 5 pm; January and February, 10 am to 5 pm; March, 9 am to 5 pm; April, 9 am to 7:30 pm; May to August, 9 am to 9 pm (Saturdays from 7 am); September, 9 am to 7:30 pm. On concert dates the garden closes at 5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2026) and December 24, 2026 through January 1, 2027. On Wednesday, December 9, 2026, the garden closes at noon.
Walter P. Cottam Visitor Center, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Stay close“Stay out of fountains, ponds, and streams to protect both yourself and our water features.”
“Musical instruments, amplified sound, and portable speakers are not allowed.”
“some older sections of the Garden may be harder to navigate, such as the Four Seasons and Waysides paths, which have steeper inclines.”
“The Natural Area hiking trails are unpaved and not accessible for wheelchairs.”
“For your safety and theirs, do not approach wildlife, please respect them from a distance.”
“Children under age 14 must be supervised by an adult at all times.”
A short loop near the Visitor Center can be the whole visit.
To ask for a disability accommodation, the garden sends you to the University of Utah Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX: use its Visitor Accommodation Request Form, email oeo@utah.edu, or call 801-581-8365.
The main paths are wheelchair and stroller accessible; the Four Seasons and Waysides paths have steeper inclines, and the Natural Area hiking trails are unpaved and not accessible for wheelchairs.
Musical instruments, amplified sound and portable speakers aren't allowed; approved private events in reserved areas may have music.
Admission is half price in December, January and February, and a professional personal care assistant who comes with a guest with a disability gets in free.
Admission: $18 ages 18 to 64; $15 for seniors 65+, military with ID and non-U of U students; $10 ages 3 to 17; free for 2 and under. Free daily for garden members, tribal citizens, U of U faculty, staff and students with a valid UCard, EBT, WIC or SNAP cardholders with a photo ID (up to 4 guests, through Museums for All), and CASA caregivers with a Utah State Courts CASA badge (up to 6 guests). Military personnel with ID get in free on Veterans Day. Groups of 15 or more get special rates with a reservation. Ticketed events aren't included in admission, and rates may change without notice.
Free admission days (Salt Lake County ZAP): the Holiday Open House & Art Fair, December 5 and 6, 2026 (garden 9 am to 5 pm, art fair in the Orangerie 10 am to 5 pm), the last Friday of April (Arbor Day), July 24 (Pioneer Day), Labor Day, and the first Monday of October. For the Holiday Open House, the garden says the route will be busy with holiday shoppers on Saturday, so allow extra time or go Sunday. Small-group picnics are discouraged on free days.
Picnics: groups of 1 to 14 can picnic without a reservation, at tables for up to 6 in the Courtyard, Wayside Rests and Water Conservation Garden, or on the Water Pavilion, Rose Garden or Amphitheatre lawns for up to 14. No cooking or sporting games, the garden can't store or refrigerate food, and you pack out your garbage.
Not allowed: motorized scooters, bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, balls, frisbees, balloons, glitter or confetti, and drones. Wheelchairs, mobility devices and strollers are welcome, controlled by an adult. Only service animals are allowed. Parts of the garden may be closed for private events, programs, construction or maintenance; regular admission still applies.
Getting around: four complimentary wheelchairs are lent first come, first served at the front desk (no motorized wheelchairs or scooters). There are two elevators and two private family restrooms on the second floor of the Visitor Center. The turnstile exits aren't wheelchair accessible; exit through the Visitor Center.
Getting there: Wakara Way ends in the garden's parking lot, next to the Natural History Museum of Utah. UTA buses don't stop at the garden. The free University of Utah Campus Shuttle (Sunnyside Route) stops at Natural History Museum/Red Butte Garden, Monday to Friday, 6 am to 6 pm, when the university is in session; walks from TRAX take 20 to 30 minutes, with uphill sections and areas without sidewalks.
Call
801-585-0556Red Butte Garden front desk801-581-8365University of Utah Office of Equal Opportunity (accommodation requests)
