The Free State National Botanical garden dates back to 1965.

During the 1963 Kirstenbosch Jubilee Year Tour, it was decided that the Free State warranted a botanical garden for the cultivation and displayed of the varied flora of the province. This garden, on the outskirts of Bloemfontein, spans a valley between picturesque dolerite koppies with the natural vegetation comprising tall grassland and woodland, dominated by magnificent wild olive and karee trees.