Jardin botanique de Lyon, Lyon: what to see and when to go

This botanical garden in Lyon covers 8 hectares and holds around 15,000 plants from many regions. Visitors can see outdoor collections, historic roses, peonies, and extensive greenhouses with tropical and alpine species. Entry is free on weekdays.

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Holds about 15,000 plant species and varieties
Founded in 1857, with roots back to 1796
Features 6,000 greenhouse species including century-old camellias
Has 750 historic rose varieties and 200 peonies recognized by CCVS
Entry is free on weekdays

What is Jardin botanique de Lyon?

The garden spans 8 hectares and is home to about 15,000 different plants. Visitors find outdoor beds with temperate plants, shrubs, wild and historic roses, peonies, alpine plants, and water lilies. Several large greenhouses house tropical species, carnivorous plants, orchids, azaleas, cacti, and more. The garden is part of a larger city park and is open to the public.

The history of Jardin botanique de Lyon

The present garden was founded in 1857, following earlier botanical gardens in Lyon that began in 1796. Over time, it has grown to become the largest municipal botanical garden in France. Its collections have expanded to include thousands of species from around the world, and it has developed specialized areas for various plant groups.

What there is to see

The garden is organized with outdoor beds for temperate and alpine plants, and specialized sections for roses, peonies, and water lilies. The greenhouses, covering 6,500 square metres, include a central pavilion for tropical plants, a greenhouse-aquarium for Amazonian water lilies, a Dutch greenhouse for carnivorous plants, and smaller greenhouses for orchids, azaleas, and cacti.

When to go

Open to the public on weekdays at no cost, the garden is a place for learning about plant diversity and for enjoying walks among its collections. It is used for botanical study, conservation, and as a peaceful spot for visitors in the city.

Parts and collections

Notable collections include over 100 species of wild roses, 750 types of historic roses, 200 peony varieties recognized by the CCVS, 1,800 alpine species, and 50 kinds of water lilies. The greenhouses feature century-old camellias and a wide range of tropical and carnivorous plants.

Why Jardin botanique de Lyon matters

As France's largest municipal botanical garden, it plays a key role in plant conservation and education. Its historic rose and peony collections are recognized nationally. The garden is a valued green space for residents and visitors, reflecting Lyon's long tradition of botanical study.

Questions people ask about Jardin botanique de Lyon

Where is the Jardin botanique de Lyon located?

It is in Lyon, France, within a large city park in the 6th arrondissement.

What can I see at the garden?

You can explore outdoor beds with temperate and alpine plants, collections of roses and peonies, and extensive greenhouses with tropical, carnivorous, and aquatic plants.

How old is the garden?

The current garden was established in 1857, but earlier botanical gardens in Lyon date back to 1796.

Is there an entry fee?

No, the garden is open to visitors on weekdays without charge.

What makes the garden special?

It is France's largest municipal botanical garden, with notable collections of roses, peonies, alpine and tropical plants.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Jardin botanique de Lyon", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Opening times, prices and bloom dates change: check with the place before you travel. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Sim's Park, Coonoor: Thangaraj Kumaravel, CC BY 2.0, source

Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute: No machine-readable author provided. Shyamal assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY 2.5, source

Baldha Garden: Muntasir du, Public domain, source

Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source

Parc floral de Paris: Christophe Meneboeuf, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Lautaret Alpine Garden: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Domaine du Rayol: No machine-readable author provided. Jod-let assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 2.5, source

Parc Floral de la Source: Croquant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Jardin botanique de Lyon