General Visit Information - York Street

Prior to Your Visit - Payment is due one week prior to the date of the program. See pre-payment instructions below.

• Review the behavior guidelines listed below with your students and adult chaperones.
• Encourage your students to come dressed for the outdoors and quickly changing weather. Layers of clothing, sturdy shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle are highly recommended.
• All groups are required to bring one adult for every 10 students. Please coordinate this in advance as Denver Botanic Gardens reserves the right to refuse admittance to groups with too few adults.
• We require pre-payment for school group visits. You may pay via check or credit card. Payment will be due in full one week prior to the date of program. There will be no refund if the number of children is less on the day of the program.
• Cancellations up to one week before the program date are free of charge. Please consider the payment for school groups canceled less than a week before the program date a contribution to our school programs.
• When paying by check please make the check out to: Denver Botanic Gardens. Mail to: 909 York Street, Denver, CO 80206; Attn: school programs. 
• When making payment by credit card please call our resource center at 720-865-3500.

Behavior Expectations

Denver Botanic Gardens is not a park or playground, but rather a living and growing museum. Please respect the plants and the hard work of our staff by following these behavior guidelines. Groups not following the guidelines may be asked to leave.

• It is okay to touch plants, as long as gentle hands are used.
• Gardens are for looking and enjoying – please do not pick or collect plants.
• Respect our plant life by staying on paths and out of gardens at all times. Even areas which appear to be bare may have newly planted seeds.
• Rocks are habitats for plants and animals – do not climb on rocks.
• Respect our local wildlife by leaving them alone and not feeding them.
• Safety comes first – please walk, don’t run, wherever you go.
• Gardens are a place for people to find peace and serenity – please use quiet voices.
• Please respect the artwork located throughout the Gardens by not touching, climbing, hanging on or kicking the artwork.
• Students are not allowed in the gift shop.

Parking

• Depending on group attendance at the Gardens, buses may be allowed to park along the west side of York Street between 11th Ave. and 9th Ave. When this is the case, buses may stay parked here for the duration of your visit. Do not block the RTD bus stop.
• If this space is full, buses may drop students off at the RTD bus stop and then park elsewhere. Josephine Street is an acceptable parking location. Buses should not park in any of the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Please do not allow buses to load or unload students from a traffic lane along York Street.

Checking In

• Prior to unloading students, one teacher must check-in at the Group Entrance Gate located south of the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center.

Entering the Gardens

• All groups should enter through the Group Entrance Gate located south of the Visitor Center. Please check-in prior to entering.
• If you have a scheduled program, staff will meet you in the Welcome Garden just inside the Group Entrance Gate to escort you to the program location.
• School groups must have an advance reservation to visit the Mordecai Children’s Garden. This reservation is in addition to any other programs or self-guided visits you have scheduled.

Eating Lunch

• Denver Botanic Gardens provides lunch storage inside the Boettcher Memorial Center on the balcony overlooking the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. Storage bins are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Please leave students outside while adults bring lunches to this location.
• Appropriate places to eat lunch in the Gardens include:
  
    - UMB Bank Amphitheater (the sunken grassy area)
  
    - Orangery/Marnie’s Pavilion (indoor alternative in the event of bad weather)
• Groups are not allowed to eat lunch at Offshoots Café or the Hive Garden Bistro – these areas are for paying customers only.
• Please remind students not to feed any animals.
• Please make sure students clean up after themselves and leave no trash behind. Waste receptacles are available for compost (food scraps), recycling (#1-7) and trash. To minimize the impact on our environment, please help students sort their waste appropriately. Extra bags are available in the lunch storage area.