A cacti extravaganza at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California

Last updated on January 14th, 2025

Just outside downtown Palm Springs, the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium features cacti, succulents, and other desert plants from around the world in a lovingly-landscaped setting.

Photo of towering cacti and a variety of other desert plants along the path through the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

You’ll find an interesting mix of desert plants at the Moorten Botanical Garden.

I’m a big cactus fan. But even if you think of cacti as prickly things that are best avoided, anyone who enjoys being outdoors will find something they like here. If nothing else, it’s a surprisingly green oasis in the city. And desert gardeners and other fans of desert plants will find themselves in a bit of an arid garden paradise!

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A garden with much more than cacti

I’m a big cactus fan, so the idea of a cacti-filled garden first drew me to this place almost 15 years ago. And I was not disappointed by the number of spikey cacti in the garden.

Photo looking down at the top of a cactus at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

View from above a cactus.

But there is more than cacti here. This privately-owned garden is thought to have over 3000 varieties of plants representing more than a dozen arid areas of the world. So, cacti share the stage with a lot of other interesting plants.

Photo of a large green and yellow striped succulent at Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

This would be a cool houseplant if it weren’t taller than me!

Photo of a large green and yellow striped succulent at Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Take a closer look to see beautiful details.

And many trees and plants in the garden are large, mature specimens. Some of the palms and other trees were probably planted in the 1930s. Many other plants and trees were planted in the 1950s. That’s when former Keystone Cop Clark Moorten and wife Patricia bought the property and planted it with desert plants as a demonstration garden for their landscaping business. (The Moortens collected plants in Mexico and far beyond and installed desert landscaping for Palm Spring residents like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Walt Disney.)

Photo of towering cacti and a variety of other desert plants along the path through the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

The garden has been here more than 60 years, so some of the plants are huge.

Wandering through the garden, you’ll discover cacti, agave, aloe, palms, and other plants from near (the Mojave Desert) and far (the South African Succulent Karoo). And, of course, lots of plants from neighboring Baja California and other parts of Mexico.

Photo of agave plants at the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

You’ll see agave of all sizes and varieties throughout the garden.

Photo of small succulents and cacti at the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Not everything in the garden is huge. None of these plants were even a foot high.

You’ll also find a variety of large minerals, fossils, crystals, and old mining equipment scattered about. So, if you are into rocks or rusty old tools and equipment, keep an eye out for those too.

And watch for hummingbirds. There are always a few around!

Photo of a hummingbird resting on a plant at the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Even hummingbirds like to take a break and rest in the garden.

It’s lovely all year, but visit in spring to see cacti in bloom

Of course there are lots of cacti in the garden. And, if you are like me, you probably want to see them in bloom.

Photo of bright pink cactus flowers at the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Cactus blossoms are often brilliant colors.

While a few will put on a show at other times, most cacti bloom in spring or early summer. They were beginning to burst into bloom when I visited in late March as part of a California desert wildflower road trip some years ago.

Read more about seeing cacti in bloom at Moorten

Inside the Cactarium

There’s a small greenhouse at the Moorten Botanical Garden called the “cactarium.” It’s packed with interesting cacti and other plants that are too rare, too fragile, or too small to go out in the gardens.

Photo of the interior of the Cactarium at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Inside the Cactarium.

While both Chester and Patricia Moorten collected and grew desert plants of all types, the Cactarium was Patricia’s special project. She likened it to a terrarium for cacti and succulents.

Look closely and you’ll find all sorts of interesting plants. You may even find some in bloom.

Photo of a very small cactus in bloom inside the Cactarium at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

Such a cute little cactus!

Plan your visit to the Moorten Botanical Garden

Moorten Botanical Garden is an easy stop if you are staying in or passing through Palm Springs or nearby desert cities. Most visitors can easily tour the garden in about an hour.

When you are planning your visit, keep in mind that the garden is always closed on Wednesdays. (I tend to forget this.) And in summer the garden is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and only for limited hours. Always check the garden’s website for the latest information.

Read more about planning your visit to Moorten Botanical Garden

Lodging in Palm Springs

There are so many things to do in Palm Springs and the surrounding area that it is a great place to spend a few days, a week, or longer. Palm Springs and the other desert cities offer a wide variety of options, but the entire region will be very busy (and expensive) during festivals, special events, and when spring brings perfect weather to the area.

Want to immerse yourself in a retro vibe? Palm Springs has several mid-century motels that preserve that feel. While you can pay a lot at the best of them, a few are more affordable. We stayed at one of these years ago and it was a lot of fun. TripAdvisor lets you search for “historic” hotels, which includes mid-century modern as well as other “historic” hotels. Visit Palm Springs has a list by decade, but it seems to only include top end offerings.

Of course, the greater Palm Springs area has an overwhelming number of hotel, motel, inn, and resort options. There’s more on the luxury end of the scale than at the mid-range, but there are affordable options if you book well in advance and aren’t visiting during a major festival or other event.

You’ll find a mix of everything (including whole house rentals) on Expedia, but there isn’t a good way to sort through them if you are looking for a particular vibe. On the other hand, Booking.com actually brings up a list of cool hotels in Palm Springs, none are cheap, but none are standard chain hotels either.

It’s also worth checking vacation rentals on Vrbo or Airbnb. (Vrbo tends to be cheaper, but not always. And you get can get cash back through Rakuten, so I would start there.) I’ve rented both condos and houses (the house I booked for a girlfriends get-away had a gorgeous pool). The best deals here are usually out at the edge of the desert or in more commercial areas. As with other lodging, timing is a key factor in pricing.

Other things to do while in Palm Springs

Palm Springs is the best known of a group of desert cities, some of which seem to blend into one. Once the winter residence of Hollywood stars, musical stars, and celebrities of all sorts, you’ll still find upscale hotels, vintage shops, and dining in Palm Springs and the surrounding area. While it sometimes seems there’s a golf course everywhere you look, there’s also plenty of wilderness hiking just beyond the developed areas.

I’ve listed a few of the things I like to do in and around Palm Springs below. For information on other things to do and see, check the Visit Greater Palm Springs website. (Warning: This is a website that usually doesn’t actually link to the venue or activity you are reading about. Instead, it links back to the same page you are already on.) The Visit Palm Springs website isn’t as comprehensive, but it provides in-depth info on what it does cover. (And it links directly to relevant websites for those places, events, and activities.) If you plan to spend most of your time right in Palm Springs itself, start your planning with their website.

Once you get to town, stop at the Palm Springs Visitor Center. You’ll get great advice on what to see and do (and how to see and do it) and a chance to shop for really cool things. . . and it’s in what was once one of the USA’s coolest gas stations.

Explore downtown Palm Springs

Even if you are only window shopping, there’s plenty to keep you occupied in downtown Palm Springs. . . and you’ll probably end up finding something that just has to go home with you!

The weekly Village Fest

Spend a Thursday evening shopping, eating, and enjoying local entertainment during the weekly Palm Springs Village Fest. Shops, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and other businesses along Palm Drive stay open late as automobile traffic through downtown is replaced by vendors selling arts, crafts, food, and more.

Photo of a very large statue of Marilyn Monroe by Seward Johnson towers over crowds moving between the evening Village Fest and the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California. (Photo © Cindy Carlsson at ExplorationVacation.net)

As always, Marilyn steals the spotlight.

The Palm Springs Art Museum

Palm Springs has a great art museum, unfortunately it’s open on a rather limited schedule. This isn’t a particularly large museum, but you’re sure to find something that delights you, moves you, or makes you think – and maybe all three all at once.

Note that the museum is free during the Thursday night Village Fest. Entry is limited to manage crowding, but that leads to incredibly long lines.

Want to see more? The museum has a satellite location just down the street. The Architecture and Design Center (the Edwards-Harris Pavilion) focuses on midcentury design.  (I’ve never managed to fit it into my visit to Palm Springs, but it looks very worthwhile – the building itself is mid-century landmark.)

Read more about things to see and do in Palm Springs

Like cacti as much as I do? Find more photos from Moorten Botanical Garden here.

Pinterest image with cacti for a story and photos about Moorten Botanical Garden on ExplorationVacation.net

link to posts on California Our California desert wildflower tour

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