Tohono Chul Park - Tucson (Arizona), USA Review

Easy to walk paths, lovely gift shop and small museum with changing exhibits. Great place for outdoor lunch.

Delightful garden with plenty of signage and volunteers to learn about the local flora. Bistro, art gallery and 2 gift shops! Plenty of places to enjoy quietly and introspectively.

Dining outside among the birds and trees was refreshing. Service was attentive and the food, very good. Would highly recommend.

Amazing gardens that are full of delightful surprises. Plants and animals complete the scene that show the care and attention given to this gem.

Nice atmosphere, staff was overworked, food was decent but way over priced!

Great location for lunch, the back patio is perfect, food was great!

Totally startled by birds hiding in the bushes, wonderful gift shop and sanctuary

I was very pleased by the recommendation of a co-worker. The chicken and waffles were delicious. It was a wonderful experience eating among nature. The wait staff was also very attentive.

My wife and I celebrated our thirtyfourth wedding anniversary at the Bistro yesterday afternoon. We enjoyed the summer specials including a bottomless mimosa. Service was fantastic.

Good docents. Nice place to spend a morning and learn a bit about the desert. My visit was triggered by J. A. Jance's "Queen of the Night".

Had lunch there. Delicious! Sat outside very nice atmosphere. I will definitely recommend this and go back to walk around the grounds

If you want to see what the old style Tucson looked like before strip malls and Walmart, check this gem out. Prickly pear Margarita's, bottomless prickly pear mimosas, and the food is both amazing and way too much. I'm a big guy and I barely finished. This place is worth the trip.

Great place. Good for little kids, but a rugged stroller is best. The christmas lights are great, but over crowded and cramped. Membership is affordable.

We came for brunch at the restaurant... Absolutely fantastic! Service was wonderful, very attentive and knowledgeable. The server suggested the chicken and waffles, not something I would normally consider but took her suggestion. Delicious! Everything my party ordered was wonderful! Can't wait to go back!

Great staff..fun breakfast time..beautiful breakfast!!

Very beautiful and awesome walking trails on the north side.

Great food but a little dull on sunday but very good any way

The name means Desert Elbow or Desert Corner. It is a delightful spot that features indigenous plants, interesting local art, and educational opportunities. AND, several very nice gift shops.

Food and service are, in my opinion, both unique. The chicken waffle dish was savory and the crusted chicken crunchy and moist all at once. My meal came with a side of lovely looking watermellon, but because I am allergic, the waiter whisked it away and the manager brought a completely redone plate. The cheesy side soup with bacon was as big an attraction as the entree itself. Wonderful experience lunching in the Garden of Allah, so as to speak. The Queen butterflies were out in force in the garden itself. Excellent engagement.

Very peaceful and relaxing and beautiful .Great place to see unusual plants.

Wonderful "oasis" in the desert.
Probably the highlight of our Tucson sojourn. Well marked trails with plaques explaining the plant life. The helpful docents readily answered questions and gave good insights.
Nice gift store and a good selection of plants for sale in the nursery. This is a great place to visit and learn about desert plants, birds and animals

I really enjoyed my visit there. I'll have to visit there when I come back again.

My only regret about this place is that I didn't adequately plan to spend enough time here (and without my kids)!!!

Before I ever visited Tucson, Arizona, I just imagined that it would be a bunch of empty desert space other than a few buildings and maybe some Urban and rural areas. But, since moving here in the summer of 2017, I've actually seen a lot more "life" here than I originally anticipated. In the process I developed a greater appreciation for the unique beauty here.

Tohono Chul Park is a place (among several others) where you get to see a lot of that "life" and beauty. But I really like this place. There is a lot more to also see about the awesome restaurant that is on the premises, however it looks like there is another place on Google reviews to do that. So I will post about that place there.

Anyhow looking at the park and seeing the different types of plant life than what I'm used to really highlights the beauty of Tucson and the desert. This is a must see place for any visitor.

Saw the feedback as very positive and noted price as $6 for a senior so decided to go. When we got there it was $8 for a senior. We went anyway, but was a bit put off by this disparity. We did love the park and ended up spending about 2 hours walking around exploring the park. We loved the plantings and had fun looking at various birds around the park. Also lots of little stones with nice quotes around the paths. Very easy walk for seniors. It is very cute with lots of attention to detail. A bit spendy for such a small park, but in my opinion still happy we went.

Amaizing place, great food, great service and a beautiful view.

Cold and rainy day. Beautiful paths and environment. Interesting for a Midwesterner to visit

It is a pleasant place for lunch after touring the garden.

I stood in front of the "Wait to be seated" sign at the hostess booth for approximately 5 minutes. The hostess, about an arms length in front of me behind the counter, seemed to actively avoid looking at me, talking to wait staff, turning back to talk to customers already inside, and just doing just about anything except talk to me. She then started taking information from the person behind me who was next in line, at which point I turned and walked out. Strangest and most off-putting experience in a restaurant in a long time.

Really love the prickly pear margarita
The chicken salad crossiant was delicious.

Christmas at Tohono Chul is amazing...great food, excellent entertainment and the lights!! A must go!!!

Wow. Outdoor lunch doesn't get a whole lot better than this. We had lunch here on January 29th, 2020, with sunny skies and temps in the 60's. Hummingbirds came to visit nearby flowers in the adjacent Hummingbird garden. The food was absolutely wonderful. Chiles Roleno was delicious, and the quattro salades was great. The dessert was the Chef's whim which was chocolate flan which was out of this world. Great coffee. The wait staff was very nice. I don't know how they could improve.

Wonderful botanical garden and even the restaurant inside, you eat a delight. The variety of plants and flowers to enjoy as well as the greenhouse where you can buy the infinite variety of options in plants. Really beautiful.

Came for Sunday in the park music concert, today's was classical guitar. And, being a member, I got my free prickly pear lemonade.

I love this place and I don t know why it took me this long to do a review! The garden bistro is phenomenal and I always eat breakfast or lunch there every time I go. Over the years they have removed some of my favorites from the menu, but have replaced them with equally great alternatives and it keeps me trying something new. The greenhouse they have has rare plants in it often and along with that they have a knowledgeable staff or docent always around to help. I ask a great quantity of questions when I go, and never do they give off the impression that I am bothering them. Everything there is gorgeous from the parking lot, to the garden bistro, and obviously the park; it is the epitome of desert landscaping/xeriscaping. The events they have year round are fun, engaging, and are often educational. My favorite part is obviously the seasonal plant sales! If you are visiting and/or are in the Tucson area this is a must go! This is one of my favorite places to be!

I recommended to two friends that we lunch at the Garden Bistro yesterday. It was their first time. I had been there once and loved the food, and servers are so polite and welcoming, and the old brick house with local paintings and art is so charming and cozy. Garden Bistro did not disappoint!! Interesting selections on their lunch menu all incorporate locally grown veggies into each dish, including the green chili waffles served with a fresh fruit syrup they make on site. All the portions are large enough to share or take some home in a doggie bag. Their home made desserts are the best around--You cannot leave without having a dessert. They too are big enough to share. The key lime pie is the real thing, and the chocolate truffle cake served with mixed berries is so rich and wonderful.

Always a wonderful experience, any time of the year.

A lovely desert garden with lots of pathways to follow. It was a beautiful day to walk this desert oasis.

Liked being there. Old ranch style atmosphere. Abundance of GOOD food served.

Great brunch menu and yummy prickly pear lemonades made our patio lunch spectacular!

Food and service was great , very friendly staff. Loved the garden.

We went here to see their display of Sonoran Desert Wildflowers. It was exceptional this year. A great place for family and friends to learn our plants!

What a lovely park for a stroll. Came here on a whim for their chiles, chocolate, and dia de los muertos festival and had a great time. Lots of these little critters around and butterflies.

Gorgeous park! One of my favourite places we visited during our Tucson trip. We saw a hummingbird nest and Cooper's hawks. Nice walking trails. We ate breakfast at the bistro in the hummingbird garden and the food was excellent.

Wonderful gardens to stroll through at your own pace.

Happened upon this place. Exceptional food and surroundings.

I love this place! The atmosphere, the quiet, & the food are amazing. Can't wait for it to warm up & enjoy this place outdoors.

Beautiful little park! Nice respite from all the hustle & bustle. You can walk amongst the whispy cacti & hear the wind & birds. Lots to see, lizards, birds, reptiles & a tortoise to boot. When yr done, stop by the 2 gift shops to pick out a nice gift for yourself &/or others.

The breakfast was well done and very different. I had prickly pear on eggs!!

Absolutely beautiful park in Tucson, will be paying for the yearly pass!

Great place to walk and see plants and animals. Membership or entry required.

Really love this place. Whenever my parents are in town I make it a point to try to come here because ALL and I mean ALL of the food is amazing! The atmosphere is welcoming and the outdoor patio is gorgeous with a small portion of the gardens. It s usually nice enough outside to sit comfortably and enjoy an amazing meal!

It is a wonderfully calm piece of nature in Tucson. Just make sure you leave before 5:00 p.m. or you will have to find the back gate to get out.

A nice relaxing place for brunch. The menu isn t large but had just enough to please everyone. The mimosas and mojitos were good. The food is a few dollars more than I would usually spend on a breakfast meal but you are also paying for the garden atmosphere. I would come back again in the future.

Place is great, the eatery ruins it with its pathetic games. They sell bottomless drinks, but after 2, they wont ask you if you need anything and wont come to your table again, just drop the check off. The sorry looking waitress said " we werent sure you needed anything" . I guess they work by telepathy. Sell 2 drinks not bottomless, otherwise its a scam.

Walk slow, be alert. You'll be amazed at the beauty in this place

The Endowment of the Arts provides active duty military members free access to museums during the summer and Tohono Chul was a participating member. We drove from Surprise to visit some museums on the 1st of June. It was still early in the morning, so the heat was not in full swing.

The park is nice and quaint. I have been to three arboretums and botanical gardens and they were much bigger and well developed, but I enjoyed the simplicity of this place. The lizards were everywhere and that was very enjoyable. The different regions within the park made for a pleasing escape. The water area was very relaxing and enjoyable. Sadly none of the tortoises were out to say hi when we visited.

The flora was very diverse and numerous. We also saw many different birds in the area while visiting. The guides were very helpful and you could tell they enjoyed being a part of the park experience. The park is a nice visit, but I'd suggest going before May and after September unless you like it hot.

Love this place! Good food but very over priced. Our waitress was very nice and we had fun with her $58 for two for lunch is expensive!

What a wonderful place to walk around in, Not only were all the different cacti interesting to see, the fact that the cactus all support each other in how they grow together was astonishing to me. While walking through l also noticed that surrounding these beautiful cacti were jasper and crystals. I felt the need to be surrounded by nature and I loved my visit.

A really beautiful and peaceful garden. There are multiple different themed garden areas with thousands of beautiful plants and trees.

What a cool place to visit. I went to this place to get some video for my you tube channel Go Further Bug. Great trail system that takes you through many different beautiful cacti specimens and other plant species. love all the micro climates. All this beauty in a very busy part of town.

Absolutely beautiful place to spend an evening and the new event center area is perfect. The perfect mix of indoors and outdoors together. Even with the large open walk throughs the area was warm and inviting. Delicious appetizers at the event we attended. Holiday lights throughout are a definite winter wonderland. Would absolutely recommend.

Beautiful setting, amazing menu, delicious dishes. Patio was the best seating. Views are amazing too.

Tohono chul is an exquisite garden to visit for plants, birds, art & dining. It is a marvelous place to walk alone, or join a guided tour with a docent. The docents are knowledgeable & friendly.

Beautiful place with great staff and docents. We went on a tour that was extremely informational and interesting. Lovely way to spend a morning.