Tohono Chul

Nice and relaxing garden with some nice variation and trails. It's bigger than I expected as you can walk behind the buildings with some decent length trails in the back. It took me several visits to figure out that I could walk back there.I haven't tried the restaurant but it seems popular. Saying that I feel like they've missed out on an opportunity to serve coffee and tea in the garden. I'd definitely stop by more often to get a drink and read a book if they had a coffee shop on the premises.

The ambience of the garden and great food make this place very special!Service has gone downhill a little. Hopefully that will change.Their Prickly Pear drink is one of my favorites.

Tohono Cho has become my daughter's favorite place to spend time at least during the cooler months. We take our toddler anywhere from 2 to 3 times a week to walk the property and play at the Childrens Museum area. The Childrens Museum area generally is pretty good and the volunteers and staff Host some fun activities that adults and the children can partake in. And the volunteers at the park in general are super sweet and helpful, there's one in particular, Fran, whom my daughter really enjoys the grounds are just really natural and peaceful. It's a great place to get some sunshine and nature.

We arrived for brunch on a Sunday about 10:30. There was a 45 minute wait, but, once seated, it was not overly crowded and our meal was delicious.Beautiful scenery on the back patio, nice front patio with high top table and chairs to wait.Our server was fantastic and it was a great brunch experience!!

Fun fact: Tohono Chul means desert corner in O'odham. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Tohono Chul. As Desert Botanical Garden members, we got free admission to this botanical garden since it is a member of the American Horticultural Society/AHS. We went during Memorial Day weekend in the late morning. The high was around 90 that day and as we walked around it did get a bit warm but in the shade it felt fine. The lovely guide at the front (Thanks Carol!) showed me the best paths to take that were shaded to eventually get to the children's area in the far end of the park. I was also interested in the tortoises here (They have a few resident desert tortoises) and there are a few in areas that aren't labeled on the map. The children's area is in the back area of the park and there are easily seen signs that direct you to the right way to get there. We had a nice walk through the park to the children's area and saw multiple lizards, butterflies, lovely flowers, a ground squirrel and I spied a cardinal when we got to our destination! This is probably a cool place to do birdwatching due to all the variety of plant and animal life here.The children's area is pretty cool, with a lot of outdoor activities and a smaller indoor component that has all the most popular activities from other children's museums I've seen. There's a scarf tunnel, pretend grocery store area, Lite Brite table, mini slide and wooden road building area. There are lots of books available for reading too both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor activities include clay sculpting, a water pump, a climbable tractor, fairy garden and a lot of sit n spins just to name a few.It was also cool to go to the greenhouse area to see all the different plants available for sale. There are so many varieties here and most of them are plants that you will see at the park so if there's one that you like on your trip here, chances are you'll be able to buy the same type of plant at the greenhouse.Details (as of 5-2024):- AHS reciprocal admission member- Children's Museum is included in admission- Children under 5 free admission- Free admission for active-duty military & their families from May 18 - September 2- Art gallery and bistro also on site

Nice garden. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the plants and finding cute hummingbirds and other birds and cool insects in and on the plants! Nice layout! I'd be a regular if I lived nearby.

We are members and attend several events per year. We also take out-of-town guests here so they can experience part of the Sonoran Desert. Some of our favorite events are Chillin' at the Chul in the summer, Chiles/Chocolate/Day of the Dead in the Fall, and Holiday Nights. All of the gardens are lovely, and the website includes plant lists if you're local and want to replicate it. The exhibition gallery is not to be missed, with some permanent and special exhibits. It's a lovely cool spot in the hot summer months. The Bistro has its own Yelp entry, but the outdoor seating puts you in the midst of a wonderful garden...often with hummingbirds and butterflies entertaining you. Tohono Chul is a lovely oasis in town. Check it out.

Never heard of Tohono Chul until very recently, but one visit is all it took to become a fan of this above any other botanical garden in the state. Art installations, live music, a greenhouse with plants for sale, and some quick bites make this a fun and stress-free date. We're in spooky season, so when I went I got to check out their glowing pumpkin exhibit throughout the park. Strolling through the winding path is so relaxing, even if you have to look out for lizards and snakes lurking around (this is real nature!). Then I had a green chili quesadilla from the snack bar--came out fast and is actually really satisfying! There are also tacos and Sonoran dogs (I had a bite--I hate hot dogs but this was actually good) and some basic alcoholic beverages. It would be an opportunity for some higher end dining, but they opted for an affordable snack bar instead. It does not take away from the experience. Before leaving, I checked out what they had for sale in the greenhouse. These plants were less expensive than going to a place like Home Depot's garden section. My mind was blown! I already have a couple succulents, but I'm kicking myself for not purchasing another. I sure will on my next visit! Overall, this is a great place to admire and celebrate the Sonoran Desert's biodiversity. But even if you don't care too much about plants, it's a chill spot with plenty of entertainment. I really recommend making this a date night!

A group of 4 seniors enjoyed brunch at the Bistro and then toured the gardens. A wonderful February outing! The Bistro service was very slow. We were on a wait list that took over 45 minutes to be seated. (Only seating available indoors today.) The wait getting our food after it was ordered took longer than expected. But the food was well worth the wait! Very attractive presentations and delicious! The gardens were delightful! Very nice landscape architectural design! Very nice mature plants, clean/ well groomed with attractive art sculptures throughout. There were two interesting and well stocked gift shops and one store with plants. Pleasant staff. We enjoyed the art gallery with a special art exhibit about the US / Mexican boarder

Terrible service, you could tell that she didn't want to be at work. Will not be going back