Cactus Garden Balboa Park

Although one of the smaller gardens in Balboa Park, the Kate O. Sessions Cactus Garden is an historical relic of the parks early days, and features some of the biggest cacti and succulents in the park.

This Balboa Park cactus garden was created in 1935 as a feature for the California Pacific International Exposition. Cacti and succulents were brought from all around the globe including Australia and South Africa, showcasing the exotic and hardy plants that thrive in warmer, drier climates. QR codes accompany various sections of the park which link to a map and index for all the beautiful plants you’ll encounter.

The cactus garden hours are 24/7, and it located directly behind the Balboa Park Club. It’s well worth perusing and takes only 15 minutes, or more, depending how much you enjoy staring at these wondrous botanicals.

Great For

• Learning about San Diego
• Soaking up the sun
• Family activity
• Getting some alone time

A Closer Look

Kate Sessions is the matriarch of Balboa Park, having planted thousands of trees (literally), along with many other beautiful plants, cacti, succulents, and botanicals that make this park so beautiful to walk through. Other gardens feature cacti and succulents, but the Kate O Sessions Cactus Garden also preserves a part of the history of Balboa Park that makes it all the more interesting.