Winter closure Botanic Gardens
The Botanic Gardens go into hybernation as of Sunday 1 December 2024. On Friday 1 March you are most welcome again!
New developments
During the winter closure maintenance works and new developments will be realised in the Gardens. Read more about the new bank protection of the fort moat.
Entrance with campus card and USP partner card
Employees of Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht and USP partners keep free entrance to the Gardens. With a campus card or authorised entrance card you can enter from 10am to 16:30pm via the tourniquets. For these card owners the Gardens will be closed from 21 December 2024 up to and including 5 January 2025.
The Tropical greenhouses, the Entrance building and the toilets are closed. Keep in mind that maintenance work will be done and parts of the Gardens may be closed for that reason.
Venue hire during winter closure
Have your end-of-year party in the Botanic Gardens? That is a good idea!
- Venues are for rent as of 1 December up to and including 16 December 2024 on working days.
- No venue hire possible from 21 December 2024 up to and including 28 February 2025.
- All rooms are available for rent daily from 1 March 2025.
Contact
During winter closure we are available limited. Check our contact information for more details.
Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht awarded with twelve NWO Vidi-grants
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded Vidi grants to 109 researchers. Twelve leading researchers at Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht will each receive a Vidi grant of up to €850,000. NWO awards Vidi grants annually, enabling recipients to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their research teams.
ReVoice restores one’s own voice after voice loss
People who lose their voice, for example after surgery for head and neck cancer, want to be able to speak again with a voice that sounds like their own. ReVoice aims to provide this, with the help of AI. With this innovation, head and neck surgeon Weibel Braunius, innovation manager Mart Schoondermark, and patient Boudewijn Faber won the Ureka Mega Challenge 2026 from UMC Utrecht.
A voice for people who can no longer speak
From a winning idea to their own company. In 2025, Julia Berezutskaya and Nick Ramsey won the UMC Utrecht Ureka Mega Challenge with their innovation, Alphabet. Through this challenge, UMC Utrecht supports healthcare professionals and researchers in further developing promising ideas and bringing them into practice. A year later, Julia shares how their innovation has developed and what steps are still to come.
Looking back at Utrecht Science Week: research, education, and entrepreneurship in the spotlight
Utrecht Science Week 2026 has come to a close. For over a week, visitors enjoyed workshops, lectures, group discussions, and tours focused on science and innovation at Utrecht Science Park. With more than thirty program activities across over 25 locations, there were ample opportunities to experience science up close. We look back on a fantastic week that once again highlighted the essential role of collaboration, and the combination of research, education, and entrepreneurship, in addressing the societal challenges of our time.