Botanical Garden

A university garden

The Botanical Garden is part of the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. It sits on the remains of the old city ramparts at Gothersgade 128, just a short walk from Nørreport station, making it one of the most central green spaces in the city. Unlike an ordinary park, it still serves research and teaching today - for instance as a gene bank for wild plants - while remaining free and open to everyone.

The garden as it stands today dates back to the 19th century. In 1871, members of the Danish parliament planted the first tree on the former ramparts, with the layout inspired by gardens in England and Belgium. What began as a simple teaching garden grew into a landscaped collection with a lake, hills and glasshouses.

What to expect

The garden combines an open, freely accessible landscape park with a series of glasshouses:

• The park, with an artificial lake, a rock garden and old trees - free to enter and a good spot to catch your breath in the middle of the city.
• The Palm House, the architectural centrepiece: a historic glass-and-steel structure with tropical and subtropical plants spread over several levels. Admission applies here.
• The Butterfly House, included in the Palm House ticket.
• More glasshouses with collections ranging from alpine and arctic plants to cacti, orchids and carnivorous plants.

If you only want to walk through the park, you don't need a ticket. The glasshouses require a Palm House ticket. Note that parts of the Palm House currently have restricted access due to renovation work - it's worth checking the official website before your visit.

Admission, hours and tickets

The garden is free and open year-round: in summer (1 March to 24 October) daily from 08:30 to 18:00, in winter (25 October to 28 February) daily from 08:30 to 16:00. The Palm House charges admission and keeps its own, shorter hours:

• Palm House summer: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Mondays only in July and August.
• Palm House winter: Tue-Sun 10:00-15:30, closed Mondays.
• Last admission is 15 minutes before closing.

Admission costs 70 DKK for adults, 40 DKK each for children aged 3 to 17 and students, with children up to 2 free (as of 2026, confirm in the webshop). Tickets are sold online with a time slot; booking ahead through the official webshop is recommended. The entire garden is closed on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and on 1 January.

Visiting & best time

Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for the park, or closer to 2 to 3 hours with the Palm House and Butterfly House. The garden is at its best from spring to early summer, when the plants are in bloom. Mornings shortly after opening are quietest - especially worth it for the Palm House. In bad weather, the glasshouses make a good fallback plan.

If you're short on time, the garden makes a pleasant stop but isn't essential: to skip the admission fee, enjoy the park for free and leave the Palm House for another visit.

Getting there & combining your visit

The main entrance is at Gothersgade 128 in Indre By (the city centre), just a short walk from Nørreport station, a hub for the metro, S-train, regional trains and buses. The garden has no car park of its own.

Directly opposite are Rosenborg Castle, home to the crown jewels, and the city's oldest park, Kongens Have - both combine well with the garden for a green morning out. For a break, the nearby Torvehallerne market at Nørreport is a good option. To round out the natural history theme, pair your visit with the Hirschsprung Collection at Østre Anlæg. For planning ahead, see the attractions overview and the Copenhagen with kids guide.