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The Water Conservation Garden

Part of East County, our guide to El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Lakeside and Alpine.

The Water Conservation Garden, at 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West in El Cajon, has nearly six acres of themed water-wise gardens. It is open Tuesday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The garden offers a free day the second Friday of every month. Regular admission prices are not confirmed.Checked October 23, 2026.

~6Acres of Gardens
2nd FriFree Day Each Month
Not ConfirmedAdmission Price
Sun, MonClosed
Address12122 Cuyamaca College Dr West, El Cajon, CA 92019. Phone 619-660-0614 ext. 16.
HoursTuesday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday and Monday closed. Gift shop Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members get early entry at 8:30 a.m. July to September.
AdmissionSee event site. The pages we read give no prices and point to the garden’s phone line.
Free Friday“Enjoy a free day at The Garden the 2nd Friday of every month!” 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with mini-tours at 10 a.m., arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and prizes, a water rebate booth, the Heritage of the Americas Museum open and free, and plant sales. A musical performance needs registration.
ParkingFree in the main lot and the museum lot; Lot 4 at Cuyamaca College is $2 per day, per the Free Friday page.
What It HasNative plants, a vegetable garden, irrigation and mulch exhibits and a native butterfly pavilion that is “open spring and summer each year.”
Next ToHeritage of the Americas Museum is next door on the Cuyamaca College campus.

Dates on Our Events Page

The garden’s own event feed lists Free Friday dates, Water District Wave-In Days, Tomatomania (March 5 to 6, 2027) and The Lost Leprachaun (March 20 to 27, 2027, spelled that way on the page). See our East County events page. Hours for those events are not confirmed.

The Water Conservation Garden Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Admission prices: not confirmed.
  • Butterfly pavilion dates for 2027: not confirmed.
  • Free Friday dates beyond the “2nd Friday” rule: the feed lists them, but some listings say the schedule is to be announced.
  • Holiday closures: the site links a list we did not read.
  • A PDF titled “Garden Tips and Rules for Families” was not read.
  • Map point is borrowed from the museum next door and is approximate.

More in East County

FAQ

When is Free Friday at the Water Conservation Garden?

The garden says the second Friday of every month, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its feed lists November 13 and December 11, 2026 and monthly dates into 2027.

How much does the garden cost?

We could not confirm it. The pages we read give no price, so call 619-660-0614 ext. 16 or check the garden’s site.

Sources

  1. The Water Conservation Garden
  2. The Garden: Plan Your Day
  3. The Garden: Free Friday

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.