Missouri Botanical Garden
St. Louis, Missouri
Along with the New York Botanical Garden and England’s Kew Gardens, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the top gardens in the world thanks to its extensive library and herbarium.
The herbarium is one of the largest in the world, now holding around 6.3 million specimens, including some that date back to 1682. The library contains nearly 6,600 rare books, including an original copy of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species.” Private tours of both areas are available upon request and tailored to the interests of each group.
“You may come for the beauty, but when you exercise some of the other options, you can get quite the education,” said Katie O’Sullivan, public information officer for the garden. Although O’Sullivan says you can get a good overview of the facility in one to two hours, “there are ways to customize from one hour to a day, and most people doing other options besides just the regular tour stay around four hours, including a meal.”
In addition to the garden overview walking tour, one of the most popular options, groups can opt for themed tours that focus on the garden’s sustainability initiatives, the Japanese Garden or the Victoria District, which includes the museum building and the grove house as well as the history of the garden.
Because the garden spreads over 79 acres, even with an entire day, it’s difficult to take it in by foot, so smaller groups can also opt for a tram tour, which can accommodate groups of 15 to 36 for a private tour through most of the grounds.
www.missouribotanicalgarden.org
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Columbus, Ohio
Celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, the Franklin Park Conservatory, a Victorian glass greenhouse, has been an integral part of the Columbus landscape throughout much of the evolution of the city. But over the years, the conservatory has also come a long way from a simple greenhouse in a public park.
“Locally, it’s the plant collections that set us apart,” said visitor experience manager Dee Ashworth. “We have plants from all over the world, but we’re also most known for two other things: our tropical butterfly show and our permanent collection of Chihuly glass art.”
For more than 20 years, the conservatory has released butterflies into the Pacific Island room every year from March to September, and 2,000 butterflies are in free flight in the room at any given time. The fluttering butterflies perfectly mirror the extensive collection of glass art by Dale Chihuly, which was purchased by friends of the conservatory for $7 million. The entire collection is now on display, although it occasionally rotates with other exhibits.
Ashworth advised that groups steer clear of mornings in April and May if possible because of Franklin Park’s rigorous school-group program. “They typically clear out by 1 p.m., but many days in April and May, we have 500 kids in the morning,” she said. She recommends groups also try September to get three shows for the price of one, as the butterfly show, the summer art show and the fall harvest show overlap.
Afternoons are also ideal for groups because of daily events in the glassblowing hot rooms and the butterfly room. Each afternoon, new butterfly hatchlings are released en masse, and the on-site glassblowers do demonstrations at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Des Moines, Iowa
Though many of the botanical gardens in the Midwest have been around for decades if not more than 100 years, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a relatively new kid on the block in many ways.
Local garden clubs have been dreaming of a botanical garden in this space since 1929, but setbacks in funding, most notably from the Great Depression and World War II, have caused the facility to develop in bits and pieces, and fits and spurts, over the years before finally blossoming in 2013. After a landmark campaign titled “A New Beginning,” enough funds were raised to create a 501(c)(3) and lease the land from the city to create the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden as it exists today.
The past two years have seen an explosion of changes as both the indoor conservatory spaces and the outdoor gardens have been refreshed, renovated or completely overhauled to finally achieve the original vision for a place where locals and visitors can interact with both nature and the local art community in a distinct urban setting.
“We’re really in the heart of downtown Des Moines,” said Eldree Baer, marketing and guest experience department head. “We have a new, vibrant outdoor botanical garden and an urban setting, so we get the best of both worlds.”
A new tour program launched last fall offers groups guided visits of the 10 gardens now open on seven acres of outdoor space while the renovation of the remaining seven acres is completed. A 30- to 40-minute overview tour is now available, but additional options for custom tours and classes are on the docket for the next growing season.
