Hours and Directions

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

Hours

Holiday hours at Matthaei: Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,
and New Year’s Eve. Open New Year’s Day 10 am-4:30 pm. Nature
trails open sunrise to sunset.

Winter Hours (Labor Day – Mid May)
Monday, Tuesday 10 am to 4:30 pm
Wednesday 10 am to 8 pm
Thursday – Sunday 10 am to 4:30 pm

Summer hours (Mid May – Labor Day)
Daily 10 am – 8 pm
Trails: daily sunrise to sunset

Conservatory admission is free.
Donations welcome!

Nature Walking Trails

Open 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset. Trails not maintained in winter.
Free admission.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Trail

Trail head begins near Campus Farm off Dixboro Rd. and connects to Parker Mill Park and the Washtenaw Border to Border Trail system. Open year-round; trail not maintained in winter. Click here to learn more about the trail..

Parking at Matthaei

Please park only in designated parking areas, which are identified by numbered spaces at the main entrance to the lobby/conservatory, in the west parking lot and in the parking lot near the campus farm/shared use trail. Parking cost is $1.70 per hour, with a $5 maximum per day. Parking pay kiosks accept credit cards and coins. Matthaei-Nichols members park for free. Follow instructions on kiosk to enter space number then member number. Click here for more parking information.

Free Transportation to Matthaei

We offer free transportation to Matthaei Botanical Gardens for University of Michigan classes and groups. Click here for more information.

Another free option for getting to and from Matthaei is the RITMO ride. In partnership with Ford Motor Company, the University of Michigan RITMO College of Engineering Research Project is piloting a free shuttle system (RITMO Transit) on North Campus. The route includes Matthaei Botanical Gardens as a stop.

To register or learn more about the free RITMO ride, click here.

Nichols Arboretum

Hours

Arboretum open 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset. Visitor Center open daily mid-May through Labor Day – Saturday & Sunday through mid-November.
Free admission.

For additional information on parking locations please refer to this PDF map:

Directions to Matthaei

Directions to Nichols Arboretum

Nichols Arboretum is located adjacent to U-M’s Central Campus in Ann Arbor.

All trails within the Arboretum’s borders are closed to motorized vehicles. This includes Nichols Drive, which follows the river within the Arb after visitors have entered the Arboretum from U-M lot M-29.