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All 353 San Diego Attractions »

Botanical Building and Lily Pond

1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92103
1-619-239-0512
A peek inside
Orchid flower in the Botanical Building
10
14
50 visitor photos
Ranked #10 of 193 attractions in San Diego
4.5 of 5 stars 54 Reviews
Type: Gardens
Description: Over 1,200 tropical and flowering varieties of plants are to be found beneath the domed, wooden-lath structure of the Botanical Building.
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54 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    41
    10
    3
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Date Rating
Big Bear Lake, California
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“May flowers”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

if you are into plants, you will already have put this one on your list. a very relaxing and soothing hour - a good place to bring a picnic lunch, as well More

Was this review helpful? Yes
san diego
Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Beautiful”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

This is so pretty if you are a photo buff, perfect place for photos. This is centrally located in Balboa park the perfect stopping point for a photo op! More

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See 10 more reviews by hortonms for San Diego
Mayfield, Kentucky, United States
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Gorgeous and Serene!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

The highlight of our San Diego trolley tour was definitely the stop at the botanical gardens. Rose gardens, cacti gardens, botanical building, and lily pond were all breathtaking. This stop is a must in getting a true sense of San Diego horticulture. More

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See 5 more reviews by agranier for San Diego
Edmonton, Canada
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
“enjoyed it”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

Was the only thing we had time to explore at Balboa Park, enjoyed it More

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See 3 more reviews by Missy_Chico for San Diego
Phoenix
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“FREE”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

Free is good. Few flowers mostly strange plants I have never seen before. More

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See 6 more reviews by Phoenix52 for San Diego
Cape Cod MA
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
“BALBOA masterpiece”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2012

Serene and lovely....you can meander all you want. More

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See 5 more reviews by SheddyCapeCodMA for San Diego
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Beautiful garden, and FREE!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2012

I went on a Tuesday and it was free! The wooden structure is very nice and many types of plants inside. The ponds outside are full of lilies, definitely a good place to wander around for 15 minutes. More

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See 5 more reviews by richnut for San Diego
Wilmington, Ohio
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Beautiful!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2012

Absolutely peaceful and gorgeous!! Many different plants..even a "rub and smell" section of herbs!! More

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See 4 more reviews by Rachel C for San Diego
Houston, Texas
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Beautiful free exhibit.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 1, 2012

The fauna and flora were terrific. This exhibit was full of great smells. More

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See 7 more reviews by casajasso for San Diego
San Francisco, California
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Beautiful architecture”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 1, 2012

We didn't get to go in because it was closed but the outside is beautiful and there were a lot of brides and grooms getting their pictures taken here, so we know we came to a very special spot. :) Oh, and the lily pond is so pretty. More

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See 10 more reviews by Avrilx for San Diego

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Botanical Building and Lily Pond
1549 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92103
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