Tohono Chul | Gardens, Galleries, and Bistro

Beautiful grounds, kind groundskeepers, relaxing and radiant all year round! Came here for the first time last year to find some peace after the loss of a pet, immediately bought a membership and love coming here on my days off! Great place for photography, nature journaling, talking with friends. It’s always very relaxing and serene. The bistro is also absolutely delicious, love taking family there when they come to town!

Beautiful gardens and some quite interesting events. A wonderful place to get some ideas for your own garden and to explore with kids there’s plenty to do here and you can spend hours walking around and looking at cactus and rocks and weird plants. We saw a bobcat and quail and some other animals there aren’t really people here to explain things to you, but there’s a nice little shop and a café and places to, hang out and drink, coffee or tea

Amazing service and delicious food, I did have to wait 20 minutes to be seated but it's to be expected with how good it was than you get to walk if off at the garden, the cherry on top 😀

I really hate to leave a bad review - but - this requires it. I went out to lunch with a friend. It was too hot at 100 degrees to sit outside or visit the Gardens but we did hit the gift shop and bistro. The gift shop is cute and has a wide variety of items priced competitively. The problem I had was the salad at the bistro. There is literally nothing good I can say about it. The Heritage salad. A few pieces of very wilted spring greens, some things like barley that there was way too much of, tomatoes that appeared to be canned tomatoes, a couple tiny pieces of squash. Some overly vinegared dressing. My friend had the same, and agrees with me. There was nothing good about it. And for $21! Was not worth it at all. Hope to come back in cooler weather to visit the gardens and may try the bistro again.

This is one of the first places I take someone who comes in from out of town to visit. “Chillin at Chul” is a beautiful way to spend a Friday or Saturday evening. The music, people, and environment are always great. Lots of little trails and a whole back garden for kids to explore and play around in.

“Guitars Under the Stars” is another great event that’s held in the garden bistro and definitely worth checking out. Great food and service. Indoor and outdoor seating for big and small groups.

We’ve also attended the seasonal movie showings that Tohono Chul hosts around the holidays. Very fun. Worth checking out, especially if you have children.

Lovely time, great sunset, nice music, drinks and food. Watched a very cute tortoise in the gardens.

First time visiting & didn't get to explore the entirety of the property. Entrance grants access to the children's museum as well. Stroller friendly-ish... paths can get a little rough but are wide enough to navigate. Early morning or late afternoon/evening is highly recommended, unless you love the heat. Lots of wildlife: birds, bugs, lizards on the main paths. Plants for sale, art for sale, water & vending machines available as well as on site restaurant. Plenty of seating areas with pretty views and art exhibitions. We were gifted this entrance fee but need to go again and finish exploring everything we didnt get to see!

Chillin' at Chul was great! There was free admission, good food and drinks and live music. It was much cooler in the gardens than down in the city and we had a great time exploring and just chatting on the porch swings.
Bring bug spray or wear long sleeves. The mosquitoes bit us a lot.

Great Monsoon Market with arts, food, children's pavillion

Delicious breakfast. Beautiful scenery. We will definitely be back.

A beautiful spot for a walk or wedding! Amazing gardens with plenty to explore. I photographed a wedding here in 2025 and it was so nice to have a private area to have the ceremony, cake cutting, and dances.

Tohono Chul is a delight that cannot be missed. The gardens feature wonderful examples of native and desert-friendly plants through winding trails. You'll pass through everything from cactus and butterfly gardens to ripirian areas and learn about the plants and their history and uses along the way.

I have been here in all seasons, and even in summer, which is traditionally the more dormant time for our desert plants, there is still so much to see and enjoy, including summer bloomers and wildlife. But come early (the park opens at 7). Also in summer, on Friday and Saturday nights, they have free live music.

At the far end of the site is an art gallery, which is worth a visit, and in the courtyard, the gift shop has local specialties. If you've been inspired by your visit, Tohono Chul nursery has native plants for sale.

No visit is complete without stopping in at the restaurant, which has indoor seating and also outdoor seating in the courtyard or in the back under the trees. Beautiful. The menu offers unique takes on traditional dishes and a few surprises. For example, local heirloom beans, squash and cactus can be found on the menu. The prickly pear margarita is quite nice. I am partial to the trio of tacos. The restaurant is a little expensive, but I think it's worth it.

Although it doesn't make up the whole experience, who greets you at the front admission desk can color your opinion and your general experience a lot. The young woman who checked a friend and I in for admission was incredibly rude and made the whole interaction extremely awkward...

Took the tour off native edible and useful plants! It was great.

Lovely gardens, 2 museum shops & bistro. An easy walk for 1-2 hours for even me with using a walker!