Experience the tropical rainforest throughout the year

Welcome to the Botanic Garden of the University of Turku

The Botanic Garden is open for both adults and children throughout the year. The collection of over 5000 plant species is a living display of the diversity of the plant kingdom. The Garden has plants from all climate zones, from rainforest to desert

Opening hours

Outdoor garden

Every day from 8 am to 8 pm

Greenhouses and café

Tuesday, 11 am to 5 pm
Wednesday, 11 am to 8 pm
Thursday–Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm

Doors and the café close at 4.50 pm.
Wednesdays the café closes 5.50 pm and the doors 7.30 pm

Planned closures

  • Closed on Finnish Indepence day 6.12.
  • Closed both on Christmas eve and day 24.12.–25.12.
  • Closed on New Year’s Day 1.1.
  • Closed on Epiphany 6.1.

 

The Botanical Garden on Instagram

@utubotgar

Entrance fees to the greenhouses

  • Adults 9 €
  • Young (7 to 17 years), students, conscripts, civil servants, pensioners 6 €
  • Under 7 years free with parents
  • Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children, 1 adult + 3 children) 23 €
  • Group ticket (10 person) 70 €

We accept the Museum card.

Free entrance to the outdoor gardens.

Getting there

Public transport
Bus 8 from kauppatori travels at least once an hour to Ruissalo. The bus passes by the railway station, and there are bus stops on both sides of the road there. To get to Ruissalo, take the bus stop on the same side as the railway station. Timetables: www.foli.fi/en

Cycling or walking
Ruissaloon is easy to reach by bike. The most direct path when walking to the Botanic Garden is to follow the pedestrian lane next to the main Ruissalo road. The bicyle lane makes a small diversion from the road, past the fields and shoreline forest of Kansanpuisto.

By car
The main parking place is signposted some 200 metres before the Garden. There is a pedestrian walkway to the Garden. The smaller parking place next to the Garden should during rush hours be reserved for buses and disabled parking. When coming from outside Turku, it is worth following signs to the Ruissalo camping site or spa until reaching the bridge that connects Ruissalo with the mainland. The Botanical Garden is about two kilometres from the bridge (the camping site and spa are further ahead along the same road).

Accessibility

The Garden Accessibility Survey has been completed in  2020. We aim to provide a good access for everyone. The Greenhouse building has been completed in 1998.

The Garden is accessible but we strongly recommend an attendant for the Greenhouse visit.  Please note that some areas and paths are not fully accessible due to the nature of the garden. Unfortunately there is no map for the recommended route in the Greenhouses but we try to make one. It may be difficult or impossible to avoid touching the plants when You move in the Greenhouses. Please inform the staff if pots broke or drop in the pool.

There are seats in the Greenhouses. The lightning inside can be glaring but it depends on the prevailing light outside. Our plants need artificial ligthning when natural lights levels are too low.

A drop off point is outside the Greenhouse main entrance and can be accessed through the garden’s maintenance road.

Unfortunately, attendants cannot be provided, but entry is provided for one carer free of charge accompanying visitor whose disability necessitates his/her support.

Booking guided tours or facilities

Guided tours of the outdoor gardens and/or the greenhouses are available. We recommend a maximum of fifteen people per guide. The price is 85 €/hour from Mondays to Saturdays and 115 €/hour on Sundays. VAT (25,5%) is included. The entrance fee to the greenhouses is not included.

The Garden’s seminar room can be booked for private events, training and meetings. The fee is 50 € for the first hour, and 20 €/hour after that (VAT 25,5% is included). The price outside the opening hours  is different.

Guided tours or the seminar room can be booked by email puutarharuissalo@utu.fi. You can also call +358 50 302 6613 (Merja Kastu) Mon-Thu 8AM – 1.30 PM. Email is preferred.

Catering is organised by Sunborn. Enquiries can also be directed to the café, 044 55 66 157.

Feedback and enquiries about plants should preferably be sent by email, to puutarharuissalo@utu.fi

Shop

Seedlings, seeds, outdoor and indoor plants and items such as cards and bags can be purchased at the café. Seeds can also be sent by post (invoicing fee 15 € + VAT), enquiries to puutarharuissalo@utu.fi.

Photography

Please take into account the following advice for photography at the Botanic Garden of the University of Turku. The Garden is a popular place for photography, so we want to make sure that the process is as convenient and comfortable as possible for both photographers and staff. Non-commercial photography is always allowed, for free, under the following terms. The Garden takes a fee for commercial photography or for making special arrangements for photography.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: puutarharuissalo@utu.fi

The Botanic Garden

Turun yliopiston kasvitieteellinen puutarha – Botanic Garden – University of Turku

Please mention where you took the photograph when publishing photos. The Botanical Garden uses the hashtags #turunyliopistonkasvitieteellinenpuutarha or #utubotgar.

When taking photographs, do bear in mind the law and good taste (politeness to others).  The Garden is not liable for any contraventions of these.

Photographs for private use

Visitors are welcome to take photos of the exhibitions and of their visit (note that the entrance fee to the greenhouses must be paid if taking photos there). We ask that you mention where you took the photo if publishing on e.g. Facebook or Instagram.

Photography for theses

Photography related to theses published at the University of Turku is free. We recommend contacting the Garden in advance.

Editorial content

Photography of editorial content related to the natural sciences or to the University of Turku (e.g. portraits) is free. A fee is taken for other photography.

We ask that you contact the Botanic Garden in advance so we can agree on a convenient time and day. Please mention what kind of photography you are planning, for what purpose  and where it would be published.

Portraits

Portraits taken by a professional photographer, such as wedding, student, portfolio, or election photos can be arranged by appointment at the Botanic Garden. The Garden takes a fee for such photography, and you should contact us in advance to agree on a time.

Blogs

Commercial blogs and fashion photography need to pay a fee. Please contact us in advance to agree on a time.

Advertisements and other commercial photography

A fee is taken for photos that willl be used commercially, e.g. in adverts. Please contact the Garden in advance to agree on a time. Large scale photography, or other photography that requires special arrangements, should be agreed at least a month in advance.

Fees

Portraits, other editorial content and commercial blogs during opening hours

105 € / 1 hour – max. 6 adults

Commercial photography and filming, e.g. for advertisements or films.

Contact to the garden’s office

VAT is included in all fees (25,5%, entrance fees are 10% VAT).

Rules

The following are not allowed at the Botanical Garden:

  • collecting plants or plant parts
  • breaking branches or otherwise harming the plants
  • moving or damaging plant labels
  • cycling
  • driving a motorised vehicle

Dogs are welcome, but should be kept on a leash. Dogs may also be carried in the greenhouses.

Ask water for Your dog in the cafe.

  • Children must be under adult supervision at all times

There are many wild animals (mammals, amphibians, insects) at the Garden, some of which could in principle cause damage or spread disease. The Botanic Garden cannot be held liable for any damage or illness caused by wild animals.

Regulations on the use of genetic resources (Nagoya Protocol)

The Nagoya protocol is an international agreement regulating access to genetic resources and sharing of the benefits arising from their use. The protocol entered into force in 2014 and Finland became a party when the protocol was incorporated into domestic law in 2016. The protocol defines “genetic resources” as including all non-human biological material that contains DNA.

The protocol allows each state to define terms under which its genetic resources may be used.  In Finland, there are no restrictions and all genetic resources may be freely used. The one exception is using traditional knowledge of the Sami people on genetic resources, for which prior informed consent is required.

When importing biological resources to Finland for research, you should check if the country of origin requires prior consent for use of the genetic resource. If it does, consent should be got before importing.

The Botanic Garden of the University of Turku has commited to following the Nagoya Protocol. We thus ask that when donating material to the Garden, you fill in a donation form.

More information on the Nagoya Protocol: https://collections.utu.fi/geenivarat

Contact details

Botanic Garden of the University of Turku
Ruissalon puistotie 215
20100 Turku, Finland

Office open Mon-Thu  8 am – 1:30 pm
Tel. +358 50 4090 151 (office)
puutarharuissalo@utu.fi

Café Vanha Tammi
tel. +358 44 55 66 157
Sunborn Catering
p. 0300 44550
(0,65 €/min + pvm/mpm)
sales@sunborn.fi