Botanical Building in Balboa Park

If exotic orchids catch your imagination, the place to go is the Botanical Building set in beautiful Balboa Park. This lath greenhouse structure is home to an amazing collection of orchids as well as palms, ferns and other tropical plants.

The extensive collection displays the diversity of the orchid species with a wide variety of speculator colors, sizes and shapes, all in a natural setting. With over 35,000 known orchid species though-out every continent except Antarctica, the orchid has adapted to live in many environments including rainforests, mountains and grasslands.

Not only are the plants spectacular, but the greenhouse itself is a work of historic art. Built for the first World’s Fair Exposition in 1915-16, it was part of the extensive landscaping earning the name “The Garden Fair” for the exposition. The arboretum is one of the largest wood greenhouses in the world and is a great example of classic architecture, evoking feelings of natural beauty and serenity. The adjacent lily pond along with the Botanical Building creates one of the most picturesque views in all of Balboa Park.