Entry into the Gardens is via the car park on Westbourne Road.

The car park has 120 spaces, which are available on a first come, first served basis.

You cannot book a space in advance.

We have 6 disabled parking bays located on the first row of car park by the welcome sign. They are marked out in blue. Blue Badges must be displayed.

All visitors (including those with Blue Badges) MUST input their vehicle registration on the parking machine in the reception. People with Blue Badges can park for free and other visitors are charged £3. All income raised from the car park helps support our charity.

The Blue Badge parking spaces are 244cm wide and have 90 cm marked zones to each side.

For special events we may be able to offer more spaces, if these are in use then a parking attendant will be able to guide you towards them on the day.

The main entrance is accessible from the car park look for Gardens Entrance sign.

The car park surface is tarmac and can support pushchairs and wheelchairs, but it can become slippery in icy weather.

There is a small decline on the ramped access that can be accessed by wheelchair, mobility scooter and pushchair users.

We do not have any Electric Vehicle Charging Points at the Gardens.

Three coach bays are clearly marked out on car park for coaches/minibuses. If you require use of a coach bay please speak to the Welcome team before arrival to ensure availability.

Bicycle racks are also available. You’ll find the Bicycle Shelter to the left of the car park entrance.

Please note cyclists must provide their own bicycles lock.

Bicycles are not permitted inside the Gardens.

Visitor Entrance:

There are two doors to access the entry way. One via a slope (on the left side of the entry way) the other via 3 steps (on the right side of the entry way). Doors are 150cm wide. Doors have a low visual contrast. Width of the inside of the entry way is 214cm when there is a plant display.

There are automatic doors into the Welcome Area which are 114cm wide.

The Welcome Area is under glass and can vary in temperature, to be very warm on hot days or very cold on cooler days.

Noise levels can vary in the Welcome Area based on visitor footfall and season.

The Welcome Area is on ground level with tiled flooring.

Due to the nature of glass there is a lot of natural light but on darker days we will use artificial lights to light the area.

Welcome Area:

The Welcome Desk is in the centre of the Welcome Area measuring 115cm high.

The Welcome Desk functions as a reception desk to the Gardens where you can purchase tickets, memberships or enquire.

On busy days, there may be a queue. We recommend booking your ticket online to shorten your wait.

There is a metal bench near to the Welcome Desk.

Entry is via either the turnstile or the side opening gate, 140cm wide, immediately adjacent to Welcome Desk.

This area can have high levels of background noise during peak times.

Toilets (Women’s, Men’s and Accessible / baby change) are situated to the right of the Welcome Desk as you enter. The door to the accessible toilet/baby change is 73cm wide. Please note, toilets are regularly checked by all gender staff.

There are 5 mobility scooters and 3 wheelchairs that are available for visitors to hire.

It is advisable to contact us in advance to check availability. For enquiries, please call our Welcome Team on 0121 454 1860 or email: [email protected]

The wheelchairs and scooters are free to hire.

The wheelchairs and scooters are available from our Welcome Area, just beyond the Welcome Desk. The wheelchairs and scooters are 26m away from the entry to the building.

They are available for collection from the Welcome Desk.

On arrival you’ll be asked to complete a form which highlights the terms and conditions and safety advice of hiring the equipment.

We advise that scooters stay on the paths when exploring the Gardens as the mobility scooters may struggle on other surfaces. Not all our pathways are accessible by scooter or wheelchairs – please ask at the Welcome Desk for the best accessible route.

The Gardens do not have fixed locations for the majority of its seating.

There are benches made of wood around the Gardens grounds which can vary in height but are around 40cm from ground level.

We have moveable picnic tables that are usually located in the Strech Tent. The picnic table seats are 45cms from ground level.

The tables in and around the Medicine Bakery Café are 78cm high from ground level.

There is a metal bench kept near to the Welcome Desk.

The Lily House: 

We try and maintain the Lily House at a minimum temperature of 16 °C.

The Lily House is reached via the Welcome Area through automatically opening double sliding doors, 140cm wide.

It has a gentle slope and leads to the Palm House. This pathway is 118cm wide on the lefthand side and 125cm on the right.

There is an open pond situated in the centre of the Lily House. The rim of the pond is 53cm high. The water in the pond is deep.

Automatic double sliding doors open to the Palm House, 130cm wide.

Palm House & Japanese Garden: 

We try to maintain the Palm House at a minimum temperature of 13 °C.

There is a small central water fountain with open water. The rim of this fountain is 40cm high.

This Glasshouse has an upper decked walkway with steps and a ramp, 135cm wide, providing access to lower area and entrance to the Mediterranean House, Terrace and Garden Suite.

The Japanese Garden can also be accessed via this area. There are two routes to the Japanese Garden.

Access via Stairs: From the lefthand side inside the Palm House there is a small set of stairs, two up and two down. Once over these, turn left through and head through the doors into the Japanese Garden. You would need to pass through a single set of manual double doors, at 140cm wide.

Stair free access: Leaving the Palm House via the far end doors and following the sloped accessible path towards Medicine Bakery Café and turning left. Go through the doors to a small inside area and straight through the opposite doors to exit into the Japanese Garden, there are two manual double doors, each at 140cm wide.

The Mediterranean House:

We try to maintain the Mediterranean House at a minimum temperature of 10 °C.

You can access the Mediterranean House from the Palm House using the entrance at the foot of the ramp to the right; the door is 84 cm wide and has a transparent PVC Strip Curtain.

The path for the Mediterranean House is 105cm at its narrowest point.

There is a Barrel Arch indoors-area between the Mediterranean House and Arid House. It has a small display of plants and provides stepped access to the Terrace, and level access to the Palm Bar, via manual double doors that are 200cm wide. The doors in and out of the Glasshouses from this area are 100cm wide.

The Arid House

We try to maintain the Arid House at a minimum temperature of 7 °C.

You can access the Terrace through a manual door at each end of the Arid Glasshouse, this door is 100cm wide. Once you exit there is a ramp with a handrail.

The path for the Mediterranean House is 105cm at its narrowest point.

The Arid House has a paved pathway, 145cm wide, that is bordered with a low stone edge.

The plants in the Arid House consist of cacti and other plants that might be particularly spikey.

You can also access the Terrace Suite through the manual double opening doors, 130cm wide, halfway into the Glasshouse.

Pathways

The Gardens have an extensive network of paths that are accessible and suitable for users of mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Many of these paths slope, however there is a recommended route for wheelchair users, or those looking for a shorter and easier walk. Ask at the Welcome Desk for more details.

Most paths in the external areas are Tarmac.

The Alan King Alpine Garden and Rhododendron path are gravel.

The Hugh Nettlefold Rock Garden is a dirt path which can muddy.

The Woodland Walk and the Ferne Garden are served by woodchip or grass paths.

There are two small greenhouses in the Alan King Alpine Garden, the Hartley House and the Churcher House, as pictured bellow. The doors to enter these greenhouses are 60cm wide

Toilets, (male, female and accessible/baby change) can be found at the end of the Terrace. The entrance to the accessible toilet is 75cm.

The Medicine Bakery Café can be found at the eastern side of the Terrace and has indoor and outdoor seating. We ask that only paying customers sit inside the Café, but visitors bringing their own food are welcome to picnic on the Terrace picnic benches.

For Health and Safety reasons scooters are not permitted inside the Café and should be parked safely.

The Medicine Bakery Café can be accessed from the Terrace via a ramp situated adjacent to the Subtropical House entrance and exited via a second ramp from the back of the café.

The ramp to entrance is 120cm wide. The doors to the entrance and exit are 135cm wide. The exit ramp is 140cm wide.

An up to date menu can be found online by following this link: https://birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/plan-your-visit/food-drink/
Medicine Bakery aim to cater to all dietary requirements; if you have a specific allergy or dietary requirement, please inform them of any allergens you may have before ordering as whilst they do their best they cannot guarantee there is no trace of eggs, wheat, or nuts.

There is outdoor seating at the entrance of Medicine Bakery Café and picnic benches on the Terrace.

There are self-service food displays of varying heights and a service counter which is 93cm high.

Cash and Card are accepted.

Toilets are available in the Café (men and women for Medicine Bakery Café customers only), with doors 75cm wide and a corridor with a tight turning, meaning these are unlikely to be suitable for wheelchair users.

The Medicine Bakery Café can have high levels of background noise during peak times.

All three banqueting suites are wheelchair accessible.

The Garden Suite is entered from the Subtropical House on decked and tiled pathways. A ramped path leading to side opening double doors provides access into the Suite from the west side of the glasshouse.

The Terrace Suite is accessed via the Arid House by a slabbed pathway and side opening double doors. This suite has a slight raised balcony area with ramps to the dance floor, bar and toilets.

The Loudon Suite is adjacent to Medicine Bakery Café and there is a wheelchair/scooter accessible entrance.

There are gents, ladies and an accessible toilets in the right-hand corner of the Terrace suite and in the Events Entrance reception. These toilets are only open on a case by case basis.

The Gardens Shop can be accessed without paying to go into the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The Shop offers a range of choice from indoor and outdoor plants, gardening tools, toiletries, clothing, stationary, greeting cards, toys, homeware, confectionary and cold drinks, souvenirs and gifts.

You can enter the Gardens Shop through the Welcome Area, or on exit from the Botanical Gardens.

Entry from the Gardens is via the turnstile or gate, 100cm wide, within the Welcome Area.

The shop is inside with an and outdoor plant sales area.

The shop has two levels: the upper level has a wheelchair-accessible tiled floor and tiled ramp, 80cm wide, to the lower level.

The Pay Desk is on the upper level which is 85cms high.

The lower-level leads to the outdoor plant sales area, which is also paved and level.

The accessible doors to the outdoor plant sales area are 129cm wide.

There is a small Glasshouse outside for cacti, succulents and house plants – the doors to this glasshouse are 130cm wide. Access around the glasshouse is via a tiled path, 80cm wide.

Baskets are available for shoppers by the Pay Desk and in the outside sales area.

Access through the main entrance of the Learning Centre is 120cm wide.

Our education classrooms are on the ground and first floor.

The first floor is accessed via the spiral staircase at the north end of our Main Entrance foyer.

There is no disabled access to rooms on the first floor.

There are accessible toilets on the ground floor. The door to these is 83cm wide.

The Gallery doubles as a third classroom and is accessed via double side opening doors in the Welcome Area.

All toilet doors open inwards.

Customer toilets are to the right-hand side of the Welcome Area. Our wheelchair and scooter accessible toilet are on the ground floor in this area. This toilet contains a wall-mounted baby changing facility. The door to the accessible toilet/baby change is 73cm wide.

Additional toilets are outside at the western end of the Terrace. These are accessed by level paths. The ladies facilities have an accessible toilet with wall-mounted baby change. The entrance to the toilets are 75cm wide.

Toilets in the Medicine Bakery Café are level access and contain a wall mounted baby change, they are not wheelchair or scooter accessible. The doors 75cm wide and are preceded by a short corridor with tight turning.

There are gents, ladies and an accessible toilets in the right-hand corner of the Terrace Suite and in the Events Entrance These toilets are only open on a case-by-case basis.

There are accessible toilets and ladies on the ground floor of the Learning Centre, and gents’ toilets on the first floor. These toilets are only in use for people using the Learning Centre and not general public. The door to the accessible toilet is 83cm wide.

All staff receive regular training in first aid and emergency evacuation procedures.

Our fire alarm is a continuous ringing of a bell. A receptionist will make an announcement over the public address system if an evacuation is required. Should you require it, someone will assist you with evacuation from the Gardens or to a safe fire assembly point within our site.

We have five ear defenders available for people who may require them on site. If you would like to use them, please let welcome team know and they will be able to arrange this.

If there is anything we can do to help with information before your visit, please call us on 0121 454 1860 or email [email protected].