Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven

The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven is a one-of-a-kind outdoor museum where visitors can learn about bees and the plants that help them survive. In the fall of 2009, Häagen-Dazs sponsored The Haven. The garden is free to visit during daylight hours throughout the year. The Haven is conveniently accessible to downtown Davis, yet far enough away to seem like a genuine haven, and is located next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis.

When you arrive at the Haven, a beautiful garden with two huge pillars enclosing a green gate greets you. The first thing that may catch your eye is these mosaic pillars! They have wonderful honey colors and are created from 3D tiles as well as mosaicked bees working in their hives or pollinating flowers. If you look closely at each pillar there will be images of bee sculptures going across them too which makes it an even more interesting sight to see for yourself when coming here.

A large bee welcomes you as soon as you enter the Haven. It's not scary though, because it is a work of art made up of thousands of small tiles - each one unique and beautiful in its own right. This piece was created by UC Davis' Art/Science Fusion project in 2009 called "Miss Bee Haven." The hexagonal seat has colorful mosaic bees working on flowers! Look out for other pieces using this same design throughout the garden too.

The garden is a celebration of the connection between bees, plants, and food. From tomatoes to gourds, bee's efforts can be found in many different vegetables. Butterflies also create beautiful mosaics as they flutter around all kinds of plants that help us grow and eat healthy foods like broccoli and carrots. The life cycle from the egg until the adult bee is depicted on one of three big round pots located next to the vegetable area where we plant these types of crops!