Botanic Garden at Smith College, Annual Spring Bulb Show
March 1 - March 16
The Annual Spring Bulb Show Botanic Garden of Smith College
With over 8,000 bulbs brought to flower, you won’t want to miss this year’s Spring Bulb Show. From daffodils to hyacinths, tulips (of course) to freesia, fritillaria to muscari, Lyman Conservatory will be the place you want to visit come early March. Our greenhouse horticulturists and Smith College work study students have been hard at work coaxing these bulbs to flower for the show.
The annual Bulb Show is a Smith College tradition that began in the early 1900s. Ordinarily blooming at different times throughout the spring, the flowers have been coaxed into blooming simultaneously. In October, Smith College horticulture students potted bulbs and put them into cold storage. Starting in January, the bulbs are moved into the greenhouses and with careful timing and temperature control they are all blooming in time for the Show.
The 2024 show runs from Saturday, March 1 through Sunday March 16. The plant house will be open for extended hours for the show:
- 9 am – 10 am daily, members only hours
- 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday – Thursday
- 10 am – 8 pm, Fridays & Saturdays
The suggested donation is $5.00. Special members-only hours, daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 am (please bring your membership card or you may join when you get here), provide a less crowded experience of the show.
The Botanic Garden is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available on College Lane for the two weeks of the Bulb Show.
Parking
There are two visitor parking spaces and one handicapped space in front of Lyman Plant House. There is on-street parking on Elm Street near central campus. Visitor spots are in the Smith College parking garage on West Street, metered parking is on Green Street and a long-term municipal lot is behind the Forbes Library on West Street. The Smith College parking map outlines options.
On weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays, permit-only campus lots open up for general parking.
The Spring Bulb Show always opens the first Saturday in March and runs for two weeks including the third weekend.
