Botanical Garden

The botanical garden and lemonarium have been on my list of places to visit ever since I went to the Forest Museum last April. We didn't make it to the lemonarium this time, but, after all this time, I finally managed to go to the botanical garden. I met Elizabeth and our friend, Lilia, and her daughter at 2 pm. The entire morning looked overcast, but when I checked the forecast it said a some rain for the hour before I left and warm temperatures. As luck would have it, it rained the ENTIRE time we were there, and I definitely was not dressed for it. Thankfully, I put my hair up in a pony tail (a last minute decision) and thought it would be a good idea to go back from my umbrella. Unfortunately, I didn't think to bring my jacket. It literally rained from when we got there until we left, and then as soon as Elizabeth and I started to walk to the bus stop it completely stopped. Oh, Mother Nature.

The grounds of the garden weren't as full as I'm used to seeing in other places, but it was still a nice walk around, which would have been nicer without the rain. Actually, don't trust that opinion though because, since it was raining, I don't think we walked every where we could have walked. We had a really long winter here, so I'm glad that we went when we did because all the tulips were in bloom. Tulips are my favorite flowers, but I really hate that they don't last very long. There were other flowers and vegetables growing around us. There were about 20 different types of onions. I wish it hadn't been raining because I would have taken more pictures of the grounds. It was just really hard to hold an umbrella and a camera all while in a dress.

There is a building on the grounds that holds more tropical plants. It costs 100 rubles to get inside of the gardens, and we were unsure if we would have to pay an additional fee to get into it. Luckily, we didn't. My photos don't do the inside justice. It wasn't that unique, but I loved how the plants were growing through the rafters and up the walls. It was a nice break from the rain outside and gave me a chance to warm up. I even found 50 rubles (>$1) on the ground. I'll make sure not to spend it all in one place.

How to get to the botanical garden
95 Mendeleeva St., across from VDNKh-Expo Center

Hours of operation
Seasonal: May to October
9 am - 9 pm (last available entry at 8 pm)

Cost of entry (Tickets may be purchased at the entrance to the botanical garden. You must show your ticket before you enter the grounds)
Adults: 100 rubles*
Children 3-18: 50 rubles*
Children under 3: Free*

*Price includes an optional tour which we didn't not take. Tours of the greenhouses are an additional charge.