Red Butte Garden and Arboretum Free Days

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is free published dates. Six ZAP-funded free admission days a year, all open to everyone: Arbor Day (last Friday in April), Pioneer Day (July 24), Labor Day, Zeke Dumke, Jr. Day (first Monday in October; Oct 5 in 2026), and the Holiday Open House & Art Fair (first Saturday and Sunday of December; Dec 5-6, 2026). EBT/WIC/SNAP cardholders get in free any day, up to four guests. None stated for daily admission Verified on Red Butte Garden and Arboretum's own page, last checked 2026-10-02.

At a glance

The math

Regular adult admission at Red Butte Garden is $18, so timing the visit to the free window keeps $36 in a couple's pocket and up to $72 for a family of four — each published date. And since this free day is open to everyone, it's the cheapest possible way through the door.

Upcoming free days

• Saturday, Dec 5, 2026 — published by the institution
• Sunday, Dec 6, 2026 — published by the institution

Dates as published by the institution. Confirm on the official page before you go.

Know before you go

• Who qualifies: everyone — no residency requirement on this one.
• Reservations: None stated for daily admission.
• What's covered: Daily garden admission (Oct-Dec hours 9am-5pm).
• Schedule detail: Six ZAP free days a year; Oct 5, 2026 comes from the official 'first Monday of every October' rule, Dec 5-6, 2026 is published.
• Worth knowing: Admission is half price all December, January, and February, so the free Holiday Open House weekend leads into the garden's cheapest season.

Other ways in, no calendar required

• Households with a SNAP EBT card can use Museums for All: free-to-$5 admission for up to four, valid during regular hours at 1,700+ institutions across the country — look up Red Butte Garden on the official participant list.
• Zoo and aquarium memberships travel: the AZA reciprocal program gets members of other accredited zoos free or half-price admission at participating institutions — run your card through our reciprocity lookup before paying the gate rate.

Dates don't line up?

Regular tickets ($18 adult) are on redbuttegarden.org — skip third-party sellers, the official price is the floor. A membership card from another city's museum or zoo might work here too — the reciprocity lookup answers it in one search.

Also free in Salt Lake City

Utah Museum of Fine Arts (1st wednesday monthly 10am–8pm) · Natural History Museum of Utah (published dates) · Utah's Hogle Zoo (no regular free day) — or see the full free museum days in Salt Lake City guide.

↥ Check another museum →   Browse all free museum & zoo days →

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