ABQ BioPark
Located beside the Rio Grande at 2601 Central Avenue NW in Albuquerque, this BioPark Botanic Garden is over 36 acres full of whimsical gardens designed to delight all senses. This year-round exhibit feature Mediterranean and Desert Conservatories, Japanese and formal gardens, a 1920’s farm, and a BUGarium. You can also visit the Butterflies and Bees exhibit featuring some of the unique native pollinators in New Mexico. This exhibit features around 40 species of native moths and butterflies and other famous pollinators like fig beetles and non-stinging native bees.
The park’s botanic garden showcases southwest plants and other arid climates. It also displays a butterfly pavilion, plants of different local New Mexico habitats, medicinal plants, and other attractions. It also includes a 10,000-square-foot glass conservatory. One wing of the greenhouse is home to native Mediterranean plants from Spain, Turkey, South Africa, Portugal, Chile, Australia, and California. The other wing houses xeric plants from North American deserts. New Mexico Architectural Foundation awarded the BioPark Botanic Garden design as Architecture + Community Award in 2019.
The Botanic Garden features 13 recognizable gardens: Mediterranean and Desert Conservatories, El Jardin de la Curandera, Pollinator, Jardin Redondo, Xeric Garden, Japanese Garden, the Spanish/Moorish garden, High Desert Rose, Deserts of the Southwest, Orchard Garden, the Children’s Fantasy Garden, Cottonwood Gallery, and the well-known Model Railroad Garden that offers working trains that are a kids favorite.
The Sanctuary Pond buzzes with dragonflies and damselflies activity all year round -except in winter-plants grow around the pond allowing visitors to admire several species at once. This sanctuary is part of the first public park of the BUGarium, and the Anthropoid Rearing Lab has been operating behind the scenes since April 2009.
Located near the Dragonfly Sanctuary Pond and the Butterfly Pavillon, the park’s BUGarium features complex naturalistic habitats designed to display the unseen wonders of bugs worldwide. The park has been collecting and maintaining insects for the BUGarium.
ABQ Bioark features a central water feature and high walls enclosing the yard’s privacy. These walls contain fruit trees (mainly pomegranates and colonnade apples). There are shade trees, flowers, fragrant herbs, and nicely tiled benches. This makes the ABQ BioPark an oasis, especially during the summer heat.