Planning Your Visit
Booking your visit
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Book well in advance
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for Gardens Classroom, Twilight Forest Adventure and Botanical Expeditions - 2 weeks in advance
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for DIY Explorers - 1 business day in advance
Bookings are essential for all groups, including DIY Explorer groups. This allows Education Services to:
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avoid congestion on paths
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make contact with teachers and students if necessary
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facilitate emergency evacuation if required
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collect more accurate visitor statistics
Teacher’s Guide to planning the visit
Fees
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DIY Explorer programs are free.
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Botanical Expeditions - $5.00 per student with a minimum of $50 per visit. Please inform the Guide greeting your group of the number of students on the day.
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Gardens Classroom programs: Kindergarden – Year 12 (full school day; $6.50/student).
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Twilight Forest Adventure - $8 per student, with a minimum of $200 per group.
Payment policy
Cancellation Policy
If you have to cancel your visit let us know so we don’t take time preparing for a non-event, and to make the time available to others.
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for Botanical Expeditions, Twilight Forest Adventures and Gardens Classroom - 7 days in advance.
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for DIY Explorers - 1 day in advance.
 The early planning stages
Interstate visitors
Looking for advice on accommodation and traveling around Canberra, view the Canberra Tourist Information Centre here.
Opening times
The Gardens open from 8.30 am - 5.00 pm during the school year. The Botanical Bookshop and Visitor Centre open between 9.30am - 4.30pm
Education programs are available during school Terms between 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Mon - Fri. Twilight Programs 7 pm - 9 pm.
Amenities
The Education Centre provides:
- a safe place to leave bags and lunches as well as areas to eat lunch and recess
- disabled access
- toilets
- bubblers
- refuge in inclement weather
- sick bay and first aid
The Gardens has a Café. If catering for students is required please arrange directly with Hudsons in the Gardens. Phone: 6248 9680.
Location of Gardens
ANBG Gardens is located on Clunies Ross Street, Acton at the foot of Black Mt within 30 minutes walk to Civic, Canberra's central business district.
Public transport is not available to or from the Gardens. Enquire at the Visitor Centre for closest bus routes.
For guidance on how to get to the Gardens download map here.
Map of the Gardens
Map of the Gardens. Download here.
The Big Day is almost here
Organisation for the day
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Download and print relevant resources from the Education website, especially for the DIY program of your choice.
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Please ensure your group has an adequate ratio of supervising adults to students.
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Bags and lunch baskets may be left at designated areas at the Education Centre ( Banks Building).
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Please take your rubbish home as we are a no-bins Garden.
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Advise students to prepare appropriately for variations in the weather. We expect the program to go ahead regardless.
Occupational Health & Safety
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Download the ANBG Excursion Risk Management document HERE.
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Students must be supervised at all times by a teacher or accompanying adult.
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Some plants may have sharp parts. Some plants may have toxic or irritant properties and students should be discouraged from touching plants and rubbing eyes or placing fingers in mouth.
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There are spiders and stinging or biting insects. Please advise students not to disturb mulch and groundcover and avoid gatherings of ants.
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There are different levels and surfaces of paths. Please advise students to exercise care.
Visitor Code
The Australian National Botanic Gardens is one of the world’s most precious collections of Australian plants. The plant collection is valuable for the community and for scientific research.
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Please keep to the paths
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Do not pick living material
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Please take rubbish home with you
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Do not feed wildlife
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Do not climb rocks, trees or walls
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No ball games, frisbees or kites
On arrival
Coach parking
There are designated coach set down and departure areas. Before leaving the coach please inform students of the Visitor Code of the Gardens. If commencing a walk on arrival please divide into sub-groups of approx 12 students in each.
Greeting
There’s a notice board at the bus stop shelter that lists the Gardens rules.
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Your Botanical Expedition Guide will greet you at the bus stop.
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Your Twilight Forest Adventure Guide will open the front gates and lock you in.
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For Gardens Classroom programs please make your way to the Education Centre. Follow the signs from the foot bridge.
Botanical Expeditions
Divide students into sub groups of 10-12 students, with a maximum of 50 students per one hour session.
Larger groups can be rotated over 2¼ hours with a combination of Botanical Expeditions and DIY Explorers activities, or recess breaks.
Please be punctual as Guides are employed only for the program time specified on the booking. Late arrival means you will not receive the full hour of your booking.
Twilight Forest Adventure
Divide students into sub groups of 10-12 students, with a maximum of 80 people per 1½ hr session.
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Because the Gardens is a Commonwealth Reserve, security of our plant collection is important, so Guides will open the gates to let you in.
Please print this page
ANBG - growing, studying and promoting Australian plants
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