On a Thursday in early November, Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street lets in general-admission visitors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Three weeks later, on a Thursday in December, the same gates open at 9 a.m. and close to daytime visitors at 2:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. they open again for Blossoms of Light, which needs its own ticket.
From late October to Jan. 10, more of York Street's day goes to ticketed evening programs while daytime hours get shorter, and the change reaches past the Gardens' walls. It decides when a neighbor can walk in on an ordinary membership, which mornings in November set up the holidays, and which blocks of 11th and 12th Avenues turn into permit-only parking after dark.
Shorter days at the Gardens
On the Gardens' calendar, the daytime cuts and the evening programs fall on the same dates.
| Dates | Daytime general admission | Also on the calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 28–31 | Closes at 2 p.m. | Ghosts in the Gardens in the evening |
| Nov. 1–18 | Winter hours, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Blossoms ticket sales open at 10 a.m., Nov. 4–9 |
| Nov. 19 | Holiday hours begin, 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | Photographing Blossoms of Light, 4–7 p.m. |
| Nov. 20–Dec. 31 | 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | Blossoms of Light, 4:30–9 p.m., except Nov. 26 and Dec. 25 |
During holiday hours the daytime window shrinks from seven hours to five and a half. And a general-admission ticket doesn't cover the evening. The Gardens sells Blossoms of Light separately, and a daytime pass won't get you in after 4:30. If you'd planned a quiet afternoon walk among the late-season grasses in December, go before lunch.
This week's after-hours program
By the time this post is published, Glow at the Gardens has finished its two October runs, Oct. 15–18 and Oct. 21–24, and Ghosts in the Gardens takes over the evenings. This year Glow added three color-coded, one-way paths that visitors could take in any order, so it may come back with a different layout next fall.
Ghosts in the Gardens is self-guided. Storytellers along the route share accounts from staff, security guards' encounters with the unexplained, and the history of the ground once known as "The Boneyard." Visitors can also step inside the Waring House, the Beaux-Arts mansion on the grounds. New stories start every 15 minutes, and the full route takes about 90 minutes.
The remaining dates are:
- Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30, from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4:30 to 9:15 p.m.
Tickets are $34, or $29 for members. The program is open to ages 12 and up with a parent, and it isn't recommended for younger children. Masks and costumes aren't allowed, which is worth knowing for a Halloween-night slot. Most of the route is outdoors.
The first week of November decides December
Ghosts ends on Halloween. A few days later, the Gardens opens sales for its biggest season, and timing that week matters more than for any other ticket York Street sells. Tickets for winter and holiday events at York Street and Chatfield Farms all go on sale on the same schedule:
- Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10 a.m.: President's Circle, Garden Leader, Director's Circle, Four Seasons, Patron, Supporter and Gardens Plus members.
- Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.: Friends & Family members.
- Friday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.: Dual Plus and Individual Plus members.
- Monday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.: The general public.
Each release uses an online queue. Anyone already waiting at 10 a.m. is put in random order, so logging in a few minutes early doesn't put you ahead of someone else who is also waiting at 10. Membership doesn't guarantee a ticket. Everyone older than 2 needs one, and the Gardens doesn't offer group pricing. Prices are still listed as TBA.
Plans change between early November and late December, and the Gardens has a rule for that. You can switch to another date, if space is available, up to 72 hours before your entry time for a $5 fee. Members don't pay the fee. Exchanges go through the Resource Center at 720-865-3500, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The Gardens also says its own website is the only official place to buy Blossoms tickets, and it won't support tickets bought from a third party.
Blossoms of Light runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 10, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. The grounds are cleared by 9:45 p.m., and the event is closed Nov. 26 and Dec. 25. The Gardens asks visitors to arrive within 30 minutes of the time on their ticket. A smaller sensory-friendly night with limited capacity is set for Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., for guests with sensory sensitivities and their families. Offshoots Café and the Hive Garden Bistro sell holiday treats and warm drinks during the event.
Where evening crowds meet the curb
The Gardens' parking garage, which you can enter from York Street or Josephine Street, is free. The Gardens warns that its spaces are limited and fill quickly during Blossoms. When the garage is full, cars move onto nearby streets, and that's where the evening calendar shows up on residential blocks.
Denver handles this through a Botanic Gardens residential parking permit area, built under the city's Curbside Area Management Plan for the area. In June 2024, the city removed Gardens restrictions and residential permit parking at 1100 Race Street and on parts of 11th and 12th Avenues, citing their distance from the Gardens, their small number of permit spaces and low participation. A second phase was scheduled for October and November 2024. It was set to change the permit from one tied to a single block to one that works anywhere in the restricted area, and to extend eligibility to a list of addresses on Vine, Columbine and 11th Avenue. The city's flyer also describes a third phase planned for the second quarter of 2025: a review of the blocks with input from a stakeholder group, with any sign changes listed as "TBD."
The Gardens' Blossoms page still links to last season's 2025 restriction map. That map lists these blocks where the Botanic Gardens permit is valid:
- 2100–2299 E. 12th Avenue
- 2100–2599 E. 11th Avenue
- 2200–2399 E. 9th Avenue
- 1000–1199 Columbine Street
- 1100–1199 Vine, Gaylord and Elizabeth Streets
The 2025 map's restriction signs read "NO 5PM - 9PM" and "TOW AWAY ZONE." On posted dates, every vehicle on a restricted street needs a current residential permit. Street signs are the final word for this season. The Gardens says it isn't responsible for tickets or towing fees.
For residents at eligible addresses, the city's residential parking permit page lists $20 for an annual vehicle-specific permit and $25 for an annual flex permit. Applications are accepted online or by mail, with no walk-in service. Applicants need proof of residence, and a vehicle-specific permit also requires a Colorado driver license and current registration. This is general information, not legal advice. Check eligibility and current rules for your address with the City and County of Denver.
Getting there without a car
For neighbors close enough to skip the garage, the Gardens points to RTD Route 24 on York and Josephine Streets and Route 10 on 12th Avenue, and there are bike racks at the York Street main entrance.
Colfax has changed since last holiday season. Since Sept. 27, the two center lanes of East Colfax from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard have been bus-only. Route 15 and 15L riders board from center platforms, and cars use the outer lanes. Denverite reported that opening those lanes finished construction on that stretch, that work has moved farther east, and that full bus rapid transit service is projected for 2027. Anyone driving across Colfax on a December evening will find a different street layout from the one they used last year.
Exhibits for a morning visit
Three indoor exhibitions and one outdoor installation run past Blossoms into 2027:
- The Place of Flowers: Works by Daisy Patton, through Jan. 31, 2027
- Curious Companions: Fungi, Parasites and Carnivores, through Jan. 31, 2027
- Realm of Wonder: Izumi Yokoyama, through Feb. 7, 2027
- Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism | Outdoor Extension, outdoors through spring 2027
All four fit inside a December visit that ends at 2:30 p.m.
Dinner before or after, on Colfax
Before or after an evening slot, the closest new option is on Colfax. Westword reported in August that Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza, at 3424 E. Colfax Ave., is running in the former Enzo's End space under new owner Simon Campari.
The 12th Avenue options are thinner than they were a year ago. Briar Patch, at 1222 Madison St., ended brunch and dinner service in September after about 14 months, the Denver Post reported. Under the Umbrella Cafe and Bakery, at 3507 E. 12th Ave., appeared in Westword's May closure roundup. If you have a 4:30 entry time on a Saturday in December, plan to eat first on Colfax or after the 9:45 p.m. clearing.
If you'd like help working out which nearby blocks fall under the Gardens' evening restrictions, or how the York Street calendar affects timing on a home near it, the Wolfe Bouc Team is happy to talk it through. Request a Private Consultation.
