Winter closure Botanic Gardens

Date:
Botanische Tuinen winter

The Botanic Gardens go into hybernation as of Sunday 1 December 2024. On Friday 1 March you are most welcome again!

New developments

During the winter closure maintenance works and new developments will be realised in the Gardens. Read more about the new bank protection of the fort moat.

Entrance with campus card and USP partner card

Employees of Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht and USP partners keep free entrance to the Gardens. With a campus card or authorised entrance card you can enter from 10am to 16:30pm via the tourniquets. For these card owners the Gardens will be closed from 21 December 2024 up to and including 5 January 2025.

The Tropical greenhouses, the Entrance building and the toilets are closed. Keep in mind that maintenance work will be done and parts of the Gardens may be closed for that reason.

Venue hire during winter closure

Have your end-of-year party in the Botanic Gardens? That is a good idea!

  • Venues are for rent as of 1 December up to and including 16 December 2024 on working days.
  • No venue hire possible from 21 December 2024 up to and including 28 February 2025.
  • All rooms are available for rent daily from 1 March 2025.

Contact

During winter closure we are available limited. Check our contact information for more details.

Utrecht Science Park Summer Café: Farewell to Managing Director Jan Henk van der Velden

On Monday, 6 July, the Utrecht Science Park Summer Café took place at Grand Café Living on Utrecht Science Park. This edition was dedicated to the farewell of Jan Henk van der Velden, Managing Director of the Utrecht Science Park Foundation, after nine years in which he played a key role in the development and positioning of the ecosystem.

UMC Utrecht is to get a new main entrance and a green campus park

The north side of UMC Utrecht is set to undergo a major redevelopment in the coming years. Utrecht City Council and the teaching hospital have presented plans for a new main entrance, a central car park and a green reception area designed to improve connections between the hospitals at Utrecht Science Park. The plans have now been submitted to the city council.

Petra Baarendse

Petra Baarendse appointed new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park as of 1 September

Utrecht, 2 July 2026 – As of 1 September 2026, Petra Baarendse will take office as the new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park. She succeeds Jan Henk van der Velden, who has stepped down and will take on a new role as Managing Director of Stichting Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug.

Opening Utrecht Science Week with keynote by Juliette Legler on the hidden influence of environmental chemicals

On Friday, September 25, the annual science festival ‘Utrecht Science Week’ kicks off once again at Utrecht Science Park. We are pleased to announce that this year, Prof. Dr. Ir. Juliette Legler will deliver the Utrecht Science Lecture. Juliette Legler is Professor of Toxicology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and leads the ‘One Health Toxicology’ group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS).