Poppies Fest 2023

During the next few weeks we will begin to see our Mexican Gold Poppies, Eschscholzia californica ssp. Mexicana, blooming around the museum gardens.

Poppy plants begin to appear at the end of January and flowers begin to bloom the first weeks of February. The size of the bloom depends on the rainfall from the previous year as well as the seeds deposited from the last bloom.

In years where the bloom is fairly big, poppies cover the Franklin Mountains and Castner Range in a blanket of yellow and orange.

We ask visitors to please respect and help us take care of our poppy flowers and our ecosystem. Do not step, lay or pick the poppy flowers. If the flower dies before time, we lose about 300 seeds per flower that are needed for next year’s bloom.

Our parking lot gate is open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 8:00 AM and closes and locks at 5:00 PM. If you wish to remain in the park after hours, please park outside of the yellow gate.