A small "medical garden" (Hortus Medicus) was founded in Jena as early as 1586, which later became the "Hortus Botanicus". However, its modern development is closely linked to the name of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Even today, a mighty old ginkgo tree is a reminder of this era of the botanical garden. On an area of 4.5 hectares, around 10,000 plant species from important vegetation units of the earth are cultivated and aesthetically effectively demonstrated in open-air and greenhouse facilities. The outdoor areas include an arboretum with around 900 deciduous and coniferous species, an alpinum with around 2,500 species and a small hill that is home to representatives of Jenens' species-rich limestone flora. In the greenhouses you can admire the variety of colors, shapes and scents of the tropical to subtropical plant world.

The greenhouses are divided into a cactus and succulent house, a hard leaf and laurel forest house, a combined palm and tropical house, a small aquarium and paludarium house and finally a Victoria house with the Amazonian giant water lily (Victoria) with its unusually large leaves. The botanical garden in Jena is located in the center of the city and is an institution of the Friedrich Schiller University. It is part of the Institute of Special Botany.