Botanical Garden Summer Festival Ruhr University Bochum

The Botanical Garden and its Summer Festival

In the middle of the campus of the Ruhr University Bochum lies the Botanical Garden of the RUB — a green oasis in the south of Bochum, in the Querenburg district. Founded in 1971, the garden houses one of the most diverse plant collections in North Rhine-Westphalia on around 13 hectares: show houses with tropical plants, succulents, a Chinese garden, themed gardens on evolution, and a systematically arranged outdoor area. Once a year — at the beginning of summer — the garden transforms into a festival ground: the Summer Festival.

June 21, 2026 — the 55th Birthday

In 2026, the Summer Festival falls on Sunday, June 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is not just any year: the Botanical Garden celebrates its 55th birthday. In 1971, it was established as a scientific garden for the then-young Ruhr University — today it is a place for research, teaching, and recreation.

Highlight 2026 — the Reopening of the South Africa House

The central program point of the 2026 Summer Festival is the reopening of the South Africa House. The show house had been comprehensively redesigned in recent months — with revised planting, new exhibition didactics, and a stronger focus on the unique Fynbos flora of the South African Cape region. Just in time for the Summer Festival, the house will open its doors again.

Program for Families

The Summer Festival is traditionally a family festival. Distributed throughout the garden:

• Guided tours of the plant collections and show houses
• Hands-on activities for children focusing on plants, insects, and biodiversity
• Plant sales — many rare and unusual species directly from the garden's stock
• Culinary delights: sausages, waffles, drinks, cakes
• Live music on the meadow

The full program will be published in the weeks before June 21 on boga.ruhr-uni-bochum.de.

Free Admission — the Garden as a Public Good

The Botanical Garden is accessible free of charge all year round. The Summer Festival is also free — a deliberate statement: the garden belongs to the university, but it just as much belongs to the people of Bochum and all visitors. In good weather, thousands attend the Summer Festival.

Bochum and the Botanical Garden

Bochum (around 370,000 inhabitants) is the sixth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and is located in the heart of the Ruhr area. The Botanical Garden of the Ruhr University is a special feature: not all universities have one — and in this size, it is outstanding even in comparison within NRW. In addition, the Mining Museum, the Jahrhunderthalle, and the Schauspielhaus shape Bochum's cultural landscape.