The Succulent House and Show House are on the site of the original greeenhouse, built in 1892, and were rebuilt in 1901. For many years horticulture classes were held here.

Today the Succulent House contains plants suited to deserts and dry habitats. All have adapted ways to store water in fleshy leaves or stems and, as their spines and thorns attest, ways to keep that water from thirsty herbivores. The house is divided in half geographically. On the south side are plants from Africa and Europe, while those on the north side are from North and South America.

True cacti, such as the Peruvian apple cactus (Cereus peruvianus), are found only in the Americas. However, succulents can be found in many plant families, for example the lily family, which includes the aloe plant (Aloe barbadensis).