Visit the Center
Guests are always welcome Monday through Friday** from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Six unique greenhouse spaces offer inspiration through exploration of various biomes. Botanical center pets include two tropical birds – Columbo and Chiquita – and a number of fish. Guests are encouraged to photograph plants, draw, paint, learn or just hang out and have fun in the bright environment!
** Visiting hours change to reflect the UNI academic calendar during breaks and holidays as well as some required Friday closures. Call 319-273-2247 for up to the minute visiting hours.
Staff led guided tours offer an opportunity to see, smell, and touch a distinct collection of plant species from around the world. Tours are typically 30-45 minutes long and can be tailored to a particular ecosystem or learning objective for pre K-12 grade students at no cost to the educator.
Additionally, tours are provided for local organized groups such as, but not limited to: retirement communities, civic groups, wellness programs, artist associations etc. These tours are provided for free, though donations are accepted and encouraged at $2.00/person.
Call 319-273-2247 to schedule your group tour.
Botanical Center Collection
The Botanical Center uniquely provides real life demonstrations of how organisms are connected within their environments.
The permanent collection is curated by staff to represent plant family diversity, economic usage, ethnobotanical significance and public horticulture displays. In addition, short term plantings are utilized for teaching materials and student research as requested by faculty. These plantings are used in various biology courses. Interdepartmental collaboration involves the College of Education, Department of Anthropology and Department of Art.