Services

There are many ways to enjoy the VanDusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory. Click quicklinks below to learn more about restaurants, guided and self-guided tours, tips for enjoying the garden, shopping, and limited mobility access.

VBGA Volunteer Guides offer walking tours and golf cart tours for those with mobility challenges. A limited number of tours may be available between 1-4 pm daily from April 1st to Thanksgiving, on a first-come-first-served basis. Due to the availability of volunteers we cannot guarantee tours. 

To access Self-Guided Botanical Tours, click here.

  • +Food Services

    AT VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN

    Shaughnessy Restaurant

    The Shaughnessy Restaurant is fine dining in the heart of Vancouver. Located in Garden Pavilion, Shaughnessy provides a retreat like no other. Casual elegance, soothing ambiance, and picturesque garden vistas create the perfect background to your dining experience. The seasonal, innovative, and contemporary West Coast menu focuses on fresh ingredients. Open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, and brunch on weekends. Patio open seasonally.

    The Garden Cafe at VanDusen

    Nestled inside VanDusen’s stunning Visitor Centre, The Garden Café offers a beautiful view of the surrounding domestic and exotic flora. Aligning perfectly with VanDusen Botanical Garden’s living building philosophy, The Garden Café offers Fair Trade coffees, handcrafted hot and cold beverages, handmade sandwiches, soups, curries, and locally-inspired epicurean entrees that change daily. Please call 604-267-4966 for daily menu offerings.

    The Afternoon Tea package is available daily on first come first served basis. The popular picnic baskets are also available in the summer and is subject to availability. Due to volume, The Garden Café is unable to reserve afternoon tea packages or picnic baskets.

    The inside space accommodates 58 people and the heated patio 40.

    Visit the Garden Cafe and Truffles Fine Foods Catering here.

    AT BLOEDEL CONSERVATORY

    Bottled refreshments and ice cream, are available for purchase on site.

    Seasons in the Park

    Dine at the highest point of Vancouver. Seasons in the Park offers fine dining in the heart of Queen Elizabeth overlooking the stunning Vancouver skyline. Seasons in the Park offers weekend brunch and seasonal patio. Visit the winebar to try a large selection of wines from around the world and British Columbia or to sample our chef’s pairings.

  • +Tours

    Guided Tours

    VBGA Volunteer Guides offer walking tours and golf cart tours for those with mobility challenges (a maximum of 2 visitors per cart from the same household/bubble). A limited number of tours may be available between 1-4 pm daily from April 1st to Thanksgiving (Cart) or October 31st (Walking), on a first-come-first-served basis. Due to the availability of volunteers during Covid-19, we cannot guarantee tours and they are not available to be booked in advance. 

    Please enjoy the seasonal self-guided tour prepared by VBGA volunteer guides by clicking here. 

    Assisting Guests with Mobility Impairments

    Safety is our highest priority for our guests, volunteers, and staff. Volunteers may not assist guests with mobility impairments, due to the risk of injury to both the guest and volunteer with walking aides, transfers or mobility assistance of any kind including getting in or out of our guided tour golf cart, wheelchair, or lending an arm to assist someone in standing. Guests requiring such support should be accompanied by someone able to assist them. Due to safety reasons, we are unable to accept bookings from long-term care facilities for guided tours.

    Self-Guided Tours

    Inquire at the Information Desk regarding seasonal self-guided tour pamphlets. These highlight plants or plant families that are at their seasonal peak in any given month.

    Bloedel Conservatory

    Tours are not available at the Bloedel Conservatory. Due to Covid-19 Roving Docents will not be available on site.

  • +Shops

    The VanDusen seed collectors store can be accessed online.

    Garden Shop at VanDusen Botanical Garden

    VanDusen’s Garden Shop always has something new sprouting up in fashion, home, garden and lifestyle accessories. From artisanal soaps made locally, to kitchenware and VanDusen Garden honey, the VanDusen Gift Shop has a variety of products for all visitors. Seeds, gardening tools and gardening books are also available. Located in the Visitor Centre, the Garden Shop is open during Garden hours.

    The Plant Shop patio features seasonal plants for your own garden! Kindly note that plants are usually available from early April to early September. Please call the Gift Shop in advance if you are specifically looking for plants to check on availability. The Gift Shop can be reached at 604-257-8665.

    VanDusen Seed Collectors Store

    The VanDusen Volunteer Seed Collectors have been collecting, cleaning, packaging and selling our seeds at VanDusen Botanical Garden since 1982. Since 2002, we have been offering seeds online for growing perennials, annuals, biennials, shrubs, Coastal BC native plants, trees, ferns, vines, rhododendrons and more. Click here to find out what seeds are available online.

    Gift Shop at Bloedel Conservatory

    The Conservatory Gift Shop at Bloedel has items for sale, ranging from jewellery to souvenirs of the city.

  • +Purchase Seeds

    Support the Garden, purchase seeds

    Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, The VanDusen Volunteer Seed Collectors have been collecting, cleaning, packaging and selling seeds at VanDusen Botanical Garden since 1982. Seeds have been available for purchase online since 2002 for growing perennials, annuals, biennials, shrubs, Coastal BC native plants, trees, ferns, vines, rhododendrons and more.

    As new harvests ripen from over 650 plant species, the best seeds are collected, cleaned, prepared and stored to ensure the highest viability possible. In keeping with the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Vision and Mission Statement, the seeds collected contribute to conserving plant biodiversity and environmental sustainability. Plants at the Garden are cared for using an Integrated Pest Management system to minimize pesticide use.

    Seeds collected from VanDusen Botanical Gardens are available online and at our annual Seedy Saturday event in February. Proceeds from seed sales support education and other projects in the Garden.

  • +Accessibility

    VanDusen visitors can enjoy the Garden and Conservatory year round regardless of their mobility.

    Facility and Garden access

    The Visitor Centre, Administration Building, Floral Hall, Shaughnessy Restaurant, and most paved garden paths and Bloedel Conservatory are fully accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walkers.

    Touring the Garden

    Many of the pathways, both paved and unpaved, can be uneven. Care should be taken for those using walking aids. Some steps do not have handrails or handrails on both sides.

    Service animals

    Working guide and service dogs are welcome. Leave pets at home.

    Accessible toilets

    Accessible washrooms are located in the Visitor Centre. Some accessible portable washrooms are available in the garden.

    Bloedel: Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located in the Bloedel Conservatory on the Plaza across from Conservatory entrance.

    Parking

    The VanDusen Botanical Garden parking lot is located on West 37th Ave, just off of Oak St. Accessible parking spots are available and parking is free. There is an accessible drop-off loop just off of Oak St at the front entrance of the garden.

    Admission

    Required attendants of those needing assistance are offered free access. Simply let our staff at the admission desk know and a complimentary ticket will be processed for the attendant.

    Sensory

    At times, vehicles and machinery such as lawn mowers may be at work in the garden that could affect those with sensory issues.  Sensory Support Kits, including tinted glasses, noise-cancelling earmuffs, and other items are available for neurodivergent patrons. Ask admission staff (Bloedel) or membership staff (VanDusen) if you would like to borrow a kit during your visit.

  • +Enjoying the Gardens

    Before you set out on your self-guided tour, review these tips on how to best enjoy the garden:

    • Take in the fresh air – and please, no smoking (it’s the law).
    • Working guide and service dogs are welcome. Leave pets at home. BC Government Guide & Service Dog Fact Sheet
    • Stretch your legs – the Garden is a fabulous place in which to walk. Rollerblades, skate boards, bicycles and tricycles are not permitted (baby strollers are fine).
    • Wander and explore – but please avoid walking in the plant beds.
    • Help us protect the collection by not picking plants or flowers, or by removing any of the plant labels.
    • Enjoy the wildlife – birds, turtles, geese, ducks, fish etc.  To ensure they stay wild, please do not feed them.

    Enjoying Bloedel Conservatory:

    Please review these tips on how to best enjoy the Conservatory:

    • Take in the tropical air – its like a mini vacation without the airfare!
    • Certified guide dogs are welcome – but please do not bring any other animals (e.g. dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.).
    • Talking to the parrots is encouraged – many will talk back!
    • Please do not touch, attempt to handle or feed the exotic birds. Do not clap loudly or throw things at the birds to get their attention.
    • Stretch your legs – but please no running! Birds often walk along the pathways (and some are babies).
    • Explore – but please avoid walking in the plant beds.
    • Help us protect the collection by not picking plants or flowers, or by removing any of the plant labels.
    • Extendible selfie-sticks are not allowed at the Conservatory.