Western Colorado Botanical Gardens is a 15-acre public garden in Grand Junction, set along the Colorado River and connected to the river trail system. Founded in 1994 on reclaimed land once strewn with used tires, junk car parts, and dead batteries, it has expanded since 2003 into a landscaped destination managed by STRIVE. Its major features include a butterfly house and a 4,000-square-foot tropical greenhouse with more than 600 orchids and other plants from around the world. Outdoor spaces include themed gardens, especially a Native Garden modeled on Colorado’s Grand Valley and the region’s geological zones, highlighting both horticulture and environmental recovery.