Sunday, November 1, 2026
Greg Guild
Join Us at the Desert Botanical Garden
Event
Please join us for a visit to the spectacular Desert Botanical Garden on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Founded in 1939, the Garden encompasses 140 acres in Phoenix’s Papago Park and features nearly 4,800 plant species. It is especially known for its extraordinary living collections of desert plants, along with art exhibitions, seasonal displays, and special events.
Location
Desert Botanical Garden
1201 N. Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Website: https://dbg.org/
Parking and Meet-Up
Parking is free. From the parking lot, it is a short walk to the Garden entrance. We will meet in the area just before the ticket booths—look for the Penn banner. Please arrive by 12:45 p.m. so we have time to socialize and organize into smaller groups before the tour begins at 1:00 p.m.
Desert Discovery Tour
We will begin with a one-hour, docent-led Desert Discovery Tour, designed to introduce us to the scope and diversity of the Garden. The tour is an easy walk along concrete and crushed-stone pathways, with very little elevation change. It highlights the Garden’s plant collections and the remarkable diversity of form, texture, and color found among cacti and succulents from around the world. After the guided tour, you are welcome to continue exploring the Garden on your own. There is plenty to see!
It’s also a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while catching up with old Penn friends and making new connections. We hope the relaxed setting will encourage plenty of good conversations along the way!
Food and Dining
There are two dining options within the Garden:
Gertrude’s is the Garden’s full-service restaurant. Reservations are often necessary and can fill quickly. If you would like to eat there, we recommend making your own reservation as soon as you register for the Club visit.
Patio Café offers a casual grab-and-go menu with tacos, salads, wraps, soups, sweets, beverages, and snacks. No reservation is required.
Dining information & reservations: https://dbg.org/visit/dining-and-shopping/
Cost
$50 per person, which includes Garden admission and our group tour.
Desert Botanical Garden members: $15 per person for the group tour.
Other Attractions
Your Garden admission also includes access to several special attractions:
-
Cohn Family Butterfly Pavilion
https://dbg.org/events/fall-butterflies/2026-09-26/ -
Super Bloom Art Exhibit
https://dbg.org/events/superbloom/2026-11-01/ -
Fall Garden After Dark — if you stay until sunset, approximately 5:40 p.m., you can enjoy the Garden’s beautifully illuminated trails.
https://dbg.org/events/fall-garden-after-dark/2026-10-01/ -
Self-guided thematic tours are also available on your mobile phone.
https://dbg.org/visit/tours/
How Much Time Should You Allow?
The guided tour, some time for personal exploration, and a quick bite will probably take about three hours. Of course, you are welcome to stay longer. Before your visit, we encourage you to spend a few minutes exploring the Garden’s website to see everything that will be available that day: https://dbg.org/
We hope you’ll join us for what should be a beautiful and enjoyable afternoon at one of Phoenix’s most distinctive attractions.
Contact for questions: Greg Guild, [email protected]; 215-275-5542
