Tickets and Times

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Opening times

The Botanic Garden is open almost every day of the year, including Sundays and Bank Holidays, but does close shortly before Christmas and re-open after New Year when Durham University itself is closed - for more information on the exact dates please contact Event Durham.

Period	Opening time
Summer (March to October)	10am to 4:30pm
Winter (November to February)	10:30am to 4pm

As we are approaching our Christmas closure period, the Botanic Garden is to change its operating hours to now close at 3:30pm from Monday 16 December until Friday 20 December.

Please note, the Botanic Garden will be closing for the Christmas period from 4pm on Friday 20 December and will re-open at 10:30am on Monday 6 January.

Our operating hours from Monday 6 January - Sunday 12 January will be 10:30am until 3pm.

Admission and exit points

The Botanic Garden Kiosk (Howlands Park and Ride) entrance is a swipe card system which can be accessed by Season Ticket Holders, Friends of the Garden and Campus Card Holders only.

The small car park at the Visitor Centre offers free parking, please leave your car registration at the Visitor Centre to avoid a parking ticket. Payment is by card only.

Visitors can use either entrance to leave the gardens.

Daily admission charges

Ticket type	Cost
Adult	£5.00
Concessions (over 60s, students with valid NUS card, registered disabled, wheelchair users)	£4.50
Children (16 years and under), Carers*, Durham University Campus Card Holders	Free of charge
RHS Members	Free entry - every Monday and the first Saturday of each month Please note, it will be every Monday and Thursday in 2025.

Season tickets

Valid for one year from date of purchase, available from the Visitor Centre.

Ticket type

Cost

Adult

£20.00

Concessions (over 60s, students with valid NUS card, registered disabled, wheelchair users)

£15.00

Group rates

£4.25 per person. Only available to pre-booked groups of 10 or more adults.

Please book by contacting Event Durham.

* Definition of Carer

Helper/Carer - This is defined as a person dedicated to the full-time care of a specific person on a 1:1 basis. A helper/carer is not someone who is part of a group and generally doesn't need to offer personal assistance to an individual, merely there as part of the group visit. Helper/carers have free entry on the understanding they are not visiting the garden but are there to facilitate the visit for the person they are assisting.