Mathias Botanical Garden

Guided Garden Tour - February 1
2025-02-01 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on February 1, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Botany Brown Bag: Changing Behavior in Changing Cities by Joey Di Liberto and Suu Zhou
2025-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join us for a new Botany Brown Bag Public Lecture Series!
Our Botany Brown Bag series is continued by Joey Di Liberto and Suu Zhou, who will give a talk entitled “Changing Behavior in Changing Cities: Shifting Trends in Urban Bird Behavior Across Seasons and Cityscapes” on Monday, February 3 at 12pm.
As cities expand, more and more animals have been forced to adapt to the environmental challenges within cities. Learn how birds like juncos may be coping by changing important ecological attributes of their life history, such as their behavior.
Make sure to bring your walking shoes and your lunch!

Guided Garden Tour - March 1
2025-03-01 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on March 1, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Botany Workshop: Container Gardening
2025-03-01 11:00 - 12:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join us for a continuation of January’s container gardening workshop—this time including edible plants grown in containers! Learn from the Garden’s Assistant Director Allison Keeney and Museum Scientist Matthew Southall.
This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion on March 1, 2025 from 11am-12pm.

Botanical Art Class with Konstanze Rausch
2025-03-01 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-05 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-07 13:00 - 15:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Dive into the world of botanical-inspired art with this workshop led by artist and instructor Konstanze Rausch!
Join the Garden for this hands-on experience as we explore a variety of captivating mediums and innovative techniques. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to unleash your inner artist!
This event is free. RSVP here.

Guided Garden Tour - April 5
2025-04-05 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on April 5, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Botany Brown Bag with Dr. Kate Eisen
2025-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join us for a new Botany Brown Bag Public Lecture Series!
Our Botany Brown Bag series is continued by Dr. Kate Eisen, who will give a talk entitled “Clarkia Research Past, Present, and Future: An Evolutionary and Ecological Tour of One of California’s Most Charismatic Genera” on Thursday, April 24 at 12 pm.
Make sure to bring your lunch!

City Nature Challenge
2025-04-26 10:00 - 15:00
The City Nature Challenge 10th Anniversary is here and the Garden is excited to participate! Our extensive collection is host to plenty of native and nonnative birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, and more. Join us as we host two hands-on iNaturalist training sessions and upload our observations to better understand the biodiversity within our living museum!
This event is free and open to the public! Follow the Eventbrite link to sign up for the 10 am or 1 pm session!

Guided Garden Tour - May 3
2025-05-03 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on May 3, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Clarkia Flower Festival
2025-05-17 10:00 - 16:00 | UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Join the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden on May 17 and celebrate nature with a day of fun activities connecting you to your community!
About Clarkia Flower Festival:
This inaugural annual event is more than just a festival; it represents a significant step toward fostering community spirit, celebrating nature, and supporting local organizations. With engaging activities for all ages, the festival is a powerful platform to connect participants with the environment, share knowledge about sustainability, and create lasting memories.
Event Highlights:

Tables from local organizations
Nature Walks
Engaging talks and activities about nature
Delicious food trucks
A fun beer garden
Live music
Arts and crafts for everyone

Opening Ceremony:
Jewell Terrace
10 AM: Blessing Ceremony by Chief Anthony Redblood Morales of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribal Council
Speakers:
La Kretz Garden Pavilion
11 AM: Clarkia Research Past, Present, and Future: An Evolutionary and Ecological Tour of One of California’s Most Charismatic Genera by Dr. Kate Eisen from Loyola Marymount University
12 PM: Gather and Weave: Artistic Expressions with Plants and Fibers by UCLA Professor, Dr. Theresa Ambo and UCLA alumni (co 2008) Todd Ambo, enrolled member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation
1 PM: Changing Behavior in Changing Cities: Shifting Trends in Urban Bird Behavior Across Seasons and Cityscapes with UCLA Ornithology Researchers Suu Zhou and Joey Di Liberto
Activities:

Paper Poppy Mobile Activity

Park’s Patio from 11 AM to 1 PM
Presented by: The Fowler Museum at UCLA

Herbarium Open House

Botany Building from 12 PM to 2 PM

BioQuest: iNaturalist Activity

Desert Garden at 11:30 AM and 2 PM

Botanical Illustration Activity

La Kretz Garden Pavilion from 2 PM to 4 PM

Spring Plant Pageant: A Celebration of Botanical Beauty and Evolutionary Oddities

Park’s Patio from 11 AM to 3 PM

Garden Tours will be held every hour starting at 10:30 AM with our last tour at 2:30 PM

Starting at La Kretz Garden Pavilion
Live Music:
Outdoor Amphitheater
Presented by: UCLA Radio
10:30-11:15: Evergreen
11:30-12:15: Emmanuelle
12:30-1:15: Fine Print
1:30-2:15: Becca
2:30-3:15: Dakota Dry
3:30-4:15: Short Skirt
Food Vendors:

The Taco Cartel
Ciao Bella
DD’s Chick and Cat Shack
Sunseri’s Bar and Beverage Catering

Community Partners:

Theodore Payne Foundation
Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribal Council
Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation
Save the Vireo
Los Angeles Public Library
Citizens for LA Wildlife
Friends of the LA River
National Wildlife Federation
TAWA Compost
The Xerces Society
Bruin Birding Club
California Public Interest Research Group
UCLA cityLAB
UCLA Botanical Club
Tree People
LARC
The Growing Works
The Green Team
LA Works
Project Phoenix
Climate Designers LA
North East Trees

Special thanks to our sponsors, UCLA Department of Life Sciences, the W Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath

Special thanks to our UCLA partners: UCLA Radio, Sage Hill, and The Fowler Museum at UCLA

Parking Information:

Visit this link for more information about visitor parking and an interactive map of parking lots on campus.
In addition to the parking options featured on the map, the Ralphs located on Weyburn also offers two hour parking validation with purchase inside.

Guided Garden Tour - June 7
2025-06-07 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on June 7, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Botany Workshop: Plant Propagation
2025-06-07 11:00 - 12:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join us for a workshop on plant propagation! Learn from the Garden’s Assistant Director Allison Keeney and Museum Scientist Matthew Southall.
This event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are not required. Meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion on June 6 from 11am-12pm.

Guided Garden Tour - July 5
2025-07-05 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on July 5, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Guided Garden Tour - August 2
2025-07-05 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on August 2, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Third Thursdays: Twilight in the Garden - July 17
2025-07-17 17:30 - 19:30 | UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
See the sunset from the Garden at Third Thursdays, our summer twilight series. Meet new friends at the wine bar, then kick back and enjoy live music!
Enjoy performances by Brandon Tran and Bahji. Thanks to UCLA Radio for sourcing artists and producing music for our Twilight in the Garden event series.
Admission for each event is $10. Purchase tickets here. Skip the line and buy tickets ahead of time!
We cannot accept cash. If you are paying at the door, you will need a card number that you can enter into our online storefront.
Free admission for ages 12 and under. We do not refund tickets.

This event is all-ages, but the wine bar is 21+. Bring your government-issued photo ID if you would like to enter the wine bar. Alcohol sales are separate from the admission fee.
Picnics are welcome. Outside alcohol is not allowed.
Check in at the Patio Gate (Park’s Patio). See a map of the Garden for reference; the nearest cross street is Charles E Young Dr S and Tiverton Dr. The street address is 707 Tiverton Dr.
Parking: We recommend UCLA Structure 2. It is $6 for 2 hours on a weekday evening. Parking is free for 2 hours at Ralphs Westwood with validation and a purchase from the store.

Twilight in the Garden on Third Thursdays:
7/17/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/21/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
9/18/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Twilight in the Garden - August 21
2025-08-21 17:30 - 19:30 | UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
See the sunset from the Garden at Third Thursdays, our summer twilight series. Meet new friends at the wine bar, then kick back and enjoy live music! Performance by Branden Brown.
Purchase tickets here
Admission for each event is $10. Skip the line and buy tickets ahead of time.
We cannot accept cash. If you are paying at the door, you will need a card number that you can enter into our online storefront.
Free admission for ages 12 and under. We do not refund tickets.

This event is all-ages, but the wine bar is 21+. Bring your government-issued photo ID if you would like to enter the wine bar. Alcohol sales are separate from the admission fee.
Picnics are welcome and encouraged. Outside alcohol is not allowed.
Check in at the Patio Gate (Park’s Patio). See a map of the Garden for reference; the nearest cross street is Charles E Young Dr S and Tiverton Dr. The street address is 707 Tiverton Dr.
Parking: We recommend UCLA Structure 2. It is $6 for 2 hours on a weekday evening. Parking is free for 2 hours at Ralphs Westwood with validation and a purchase from the store.

Twilight in the Garden on Third Thursdays:
7/17/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/21/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
9/18/25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden extends our gratitude to UCLA Radio for sourcing artists and producing music for our Twilight in the Garden event series.

Guided Garden Tour - September 6
2025-09-06 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on September 6, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

CANCELED: Twilight in the Garden - September 18
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:30 | UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Thank you for your interest in attending our upcoming Twilight in the Garden. Unfortunately, we have decided to cancel the event out of an abundance of caution due to upcoming inclement weather. If you have already purchased tickets at our storefront, please contact botanicalgarden@ucla.edu for reimbursements. Otherwise, we will consider your payment a donation to the Garden. We hope you are able to join us at Fall Fest on October 18 from 12-4 pm.

Guided Garden Tour - October 4
2025-10-04 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on October 4, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Fall Fest
2025-10-18 12:00 - 16:00 | UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Fall for plants at the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden’s annual Fall Fest on October 18, 2025, from 12-4 pm!
This event is completely free to attend, no RSVP required!
Spend an afternoon at the Garden with friends and family enjoying arts and crafts like weaving, button making, botanical illustration and more. Enjoy a talk from Assistant Director Allison Keeney about succulents and stick around to learn about basket weaving.
Are you a new to campus and interested in learning more about what UCLA has to offer? We’ve got you covered! There will be UCLA clubs and organizations such as Plant Futures at UCLA, Bruin Earth Solutions, Bruin Birding Club, Congo Basin Institute, RefineLA, Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS), Environmental Humanities Reading Group (EHRG), The Backpacking Club at UCLA, and Radical Imagination Coalition (RIC) tabling at this event, along with community partners Angel City Chorale and Alter Care Line.
If you joined us for our previous events like the Clarkia Flower Festival and last year’s Fall Fest, you’ll know we always provide amazing live music performances! This event will be no different with amazing live music performances from artists like Fire Safety, Jenna Rae, Going Outside, and Aidan Rockwell.
Never been to the Garden before? Take a 45 minute tour of the Garden with one of our amazing guides and learn all about the Garden! Tours will be held every hour starting at 12 pm with our last tour taking place at 3 pm.
Make sure to bring your wallet! Food trucks Rice Balls of Fire and Ciao Bella will be onsite and there will be a plant sale by Californica Nursery! We will also have art vendors like Margaret Gallagher, Falk Ceramics, Samal Tayag, Kai Yung, and Sunny Tran selling their work at Fall Fest. You can also support us and events like this by purchasing our merchandise. Stop by our table to buy our swag and learn more about upcoming events at the Garden this fall!
Continue to check back in as we make more announcements about what to expect at Fall Fest.
If you have any questions about this event or would like to get involved, please reach out to botanicalgarden@ucla.edu.
We can’t wait to see you there!

Botany Brown Bag with Dr. Pam Soltis
2025-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join us for a new Botany Brown Bag Public Lecture Series!
Our Botany Brown Bag series is continued by Dr. Pam Soltis, who will give a talk titled “Using Natural History Collections to Address 21st Century Societal Problems” on Thursday, October 30 at 12 pm.
Make sure to bring your lunch!
This event is free and open to the public, no RSVP required!
Pamela Soltis is a Distinguished Professor and Curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. She is also Director of the UF Biodiversity Institute and Director of Research for iDigBio, the NSF-sponsored National Coordinating Center for Biodiversity Collections. Her research addresses patterns and processes of plant evolution, including phylogeny and polyploidy. This work spans genomic to landscape scales, with applications for biodiversity assessment, conservation, and agriculture. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US National Academy of Sciences, where she recently served as Secretary of Biological Sciences.

Guided Garden Tour - November 1
2025-11-01 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on November 1, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Día de los Muertos: Mourning and Remembering through Ecological Change
2025-11-01 11:00 - 13:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Día de los Muertos: Mourning and Remembering through Ecological Change will explore cross-cultural grief in the context of environmental and species loss. Join us on November 1 from 11am-1pm at the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden for ofrendas, art, and talks on topics such as deforestation, extinction, and environmental colonialism and imperialism. We’ll have snacks and drinks including champurrado and a variety of pan dulces. Come early for a Guided Garden tour at 10 am.
This event is free and open to the public; it is hosted by the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS), Environmental Humanities Reading Group (EHRG), and Radical Imagination Coalition (RIC), and is co-sponsored by the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden and Center for Developing Leadership in Science (CDLS).
If you are interested in contributing an ofrenda, art, or your time to this event, please email Elijah Catalan (elijahcatalan@g.ucla.edu) and Olivia Simon (oliviameyers@g.ucla.edu) with a short description of how you would like to be involved and “Día de los Muertos: Request to Participate” in the subject line.

Wreath Making Class
2025-11-22 10:30 - 12:00 | UCLA La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Get in the holiday spirit at this festive class on Saturday, November 22 from 10:30 am to 12 pm in La Kretz Garden Pavilion! Assistant Director Allison Keeney will lead a hands-on workshop about how to make a grapevine wreath like the one featured on the flyer to adorn your door.
All supplies provided, space is limited. Tickets can be purchased here. Admission is $25.
UPDATE 11/12/2025: Tickets for this event are sold out and can no longer be purchased via our website. If you are interested in being added to the waitlist for this event, please reach out to botanicalgarden@ucla.edu with your name and number of guests (limited to 2 guests per email).

Botany of the Holidays
2025-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 | La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Save the date! Join the Garden for our annual holiday event where we dive into the botanical histories of holiday traditions from around the world.
This year, Botany of the Holidays will take place on Thursday, December 4 from 12 pm to 1 pm in La Kretz Garden Pavilion. This event is free and open to the public, no RSVP required. More details will be announced soon!

Guided Garden Tour - December 6
2025-12-06 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on December 6, 2025 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Guided Garden Tour - January 17
2026-01-17 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on January 17, 2026 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.

Guided Garden Tour - February 7
2026-02-07 10:00 - 11:00 | 707 Tiverton Dr, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, US
Join a Garden Guide for a free tour on February 7, 2026 at 10 am. Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe!
You’ll hear the stories of selected plants in the Garden and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Tours meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the Garden and are given a grace period of 5 minutes.

Our tours are free; become a member to support free public programming and access member-exclusive events.
