Visiting the Garden

Hours

• 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
• 1-5 p.m. Sundays
• Closed Mondays and University holidays
• Free, no reservation necessary

Directions and Parking

We’re located at 100 Old Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill, on the corner of Old Mason Farm Road and Fordham Boulevard (15-501). Garden visitors can park for free in our lot, but note that the gates are locked at 5 p.m.: if you’re planning to hike on the Piedmont Nature Trails outside the Garden, you’ll need to park in the overflow lot outside the gates or in the back on Laurel Hill Road.

On weekdays, the Chapel Hill Transit B Route stops just outside the entrance to the Garden. We have bike racks, and there are pedestrian crossings at Old Mason Farm Road and Manning Drive for those coming from campus. Note that Chapel Hill Transit currently runs the B Route through a subcontract using Carolina Livery vans, which do not have RealTime tracking. The vans have a large B in the windshield and on the door.

Please Note

• Leashed pets are welcome on the Piedmont Nature Trails outside the gates, but no pets are allowed inside the main garden gates.
• We have a picnic area with designated waste and recycle bins, and a new seating area near our Daily Plant Sale pavilion.

What is there to do?

Outdoors

• Stroll through our Display Gardens
• Explore the 35th annual Sculpture in the Garden, up through December 3, 2023
• Take a walk on the Piedmont Nature Trails behind the Garden
• Check out our Daily Plant Sale (purchase plants inside the Garden Shop)
• Play a game with our Giant Chess Set (Landmark G on the map)

Indoors

• Peruse our Garden Shop! (You can also shop online here.)
• Enjoy the Peacock Discovery Room, an indoor space for families with nature-themed activities and books.
• Explore the latest exhibit in the DeBerry Gallery for Botanical Art & Illustration
• Learn about native seeds in our Saving Our Seeds educational exhibit

Beyond the Garden

We manage over 1,200 acres of gardens and natural areas, including campus treasures like Coker Arboretum and Battle Park and nature preserves like Mason Farm Biological Reserve and Parker Preserve in southern Chapel Hill. Learn how to visit our different spaces at ncbg.unc.edu/visit.