Albuquerque - Embrace the holiday spirit at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden during the daylight hours through the month of December. December Garden Holidays focuses attention on various themed displays visible throughout the facility during the day. Four thousand ‘Freedom’ poinsettias, meticulously grown by the BioPark Horticulture staff, are stunning with their vibrant deep reds and golden whites as they bring a sparkle to many of the displays. Botanic Garden hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm daily. The holiday poinsettia show is included with general admission ($7 adults; $3 seniors and children).
The Mediterranean Conservatory is the scene of a Classic Holiday display. The conservatory has the majority of the red and gold poinsettias, arranged in tiered baskets, hanging from railings and walls and placed among the existing collection of Mediterranean plants. The Desert Conservatory is home to a Southwest Holiday, featuring red and yellow ornamental peppers, mounds of silvery dusty miller, and red Christmas cactus surrounded by wreaths made of dried grasses and chile ristras.
Activities complement two additional displays Wednesdays - Sundays. Wagon rides at the Heritage Farm are part of an Old Fashioned Holiday from Wednesday - Sunday 10:30am-12:30pm. Throughout the day visitors can relax in the adobe farmhouse with a decorated tree and more poinsettias. The garden railroad is a Holiday in Miniature and operates 1:00 – 4:00, with an interactive rail car operated by Santa. After viewing the garden, visitors can warm up in the Shark Reef Café with hot chocolate and special desserts, at tables decorated with compact poinsettias and dried arrangements. Everywhere you go at the garden, the holiday spirit is hard to miss.
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The BioPark is an accessible facility and a division of the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department. If you need assistance for your visit, please call (505) 768-2000 or 311 (Relay NM or 711), preferably with three days advance notice. Visit the BioPark website at www.cabq.gov/biopark for more information about our facilities and programs.
Same day combo admission to the BioPark’s zoo, aquarium and botanic garden is $12 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older and for children 3-12. New Mexico BioPark Society membership confers FREE general admission to all BioPark facilities and discounts to many special events, including summer concerts. Find out more about becoming a BioPark Society member at nmbioparksociety.org.
The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.