Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

EXPLORING, EXPLAINING AND CELEBRATING THE WORLD OF PLANTS.

MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS AGO, COMMUNITY LEADERS SAW THE NEED FOR AN URBAN GARDEN IN THE HEART OF DES MOINES AND AFTER YEARS OF PERSISTENCE, THEIR VISION CAME TO LIFE WITH THE OPENING OF THE (FORMERLY NAMED) BOTANICAL CENTER IN 1979. THE ORIGINAL BOTANICAL CENTER WAS PART OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES' PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND OPERATED AS SUCH WITH THE DOMED CONSERVATORY, HOUSING A TROPICAL PLANT COLLECTION, AND A COUPLE OF CLASSROOMS. MUNICIPAL OVERSIGHT OF THE BOTANICAL CENTER CONTINUED THROUGH THE EARLY 2010'S. AT THAT TIME, FOUR COMMUNITY LEADERS FORMER DES MOINES MAYOR TOM URBAN, BUZ BRENTON, FRED WEITZ, AND JANIS RUAN LED THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BOTANICAL CENTER INTO THE GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN. THIS TRANSFORMATION RESULTED IN THE CLOSURE OF ROBERT D. RAY DRIVE SO THAT OUTDOOR GARDENS COULD BE CONSTRUCTED ALONG THE DES MOINES RIVER. THE GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN OPENED AS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN 2013, AND REMAINS IN A STRONG PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DES MOINES TODAY.OVER 40 YEARS SINCE ORIGINALLY OPENING, TODAY'S GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN IS A VIBRANT, 12-ACRE PUBLIC GARDEN, INCLUDING NEARLY FOUR ACRES OF FREE PUBLIC GARDEN SPACE, IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN DES MOINES. THE MISSION OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IS TO EXPLORE, EXPLAIN AND CELEBRATE THE WORLD OF PLANTS. AS AN INFLUENTIAL ARTS AND CULTURE DESTINATION, THE BOTANICAL GARDEN BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TOURISTS, CHILDREN, FAMILIES, HORTICULTURISTS, AND MORE IN A UNIQUE DESTINATION THAT PROMOTES EDUCATION AND ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP. WE BELIEVE EDUCATION IS A LIFE-LONG PURSUIT AND THROUGH THE FUSION OF ART, HORTICULTURE, AND LEARNING, WE ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PLANTS, PEOPLE, AND THE NATURAL WORLD FOR THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND VISITORS FROM ACROSS OUR STATE AND AROUND THE WORLD.IN 2023, THE GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN REACHED A MAJOR MILESTONE, MARKING ONE DECADE SINCE TRANSITIONING TO AN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT AS THE BOTANICAL GARDEN (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE). IN JUST OVER TEN YEARS, WE HAVE GROWN OUR PHYSICAL GARDEN SPACES TO TWELVE BEAUTIFULLY DEVELOPED ACRES, OUR PLANT COLLECTIONS TO NEARLY 3,400 SPECIES, OUR WORKFORCE TO MORE THAN 30 EMPLOYEES AND MORE THAN 400 VOLUNTEERS, AND OUR COMMUNITY TO INCLUDE 3,699 MEMBERS, AND 60+ COMMUNITY PARTNERS. 2023 ALSO MARKED ANOTHER MILESTONE RECORD HIGH VISITOR ADMISSION OF 148,852 FROM ALL 50 STATES AND 25 INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS! WE OFFERED MORE EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAN EVER BEFORE, SOLD OUT OF SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH, AND HAD RECORD BREAKING HIGH ATTENDANCE FOR SPRING BREAK PROGRAMMING. THE BOTANICAL GARDEN INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE RENTALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ENHANCED WELLNESS PROGRAMS, AND OPENED THE INAUGURAL NATURE PLAY, OUR FIRST OUTDOOR NATURAL PLAYSCAPE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. THE GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN IS MORE THAN A DOME. IT'S THE CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN PLANTS, PEOPLE, AND THE NATURAL WORLD, IT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE WHO YOU ARE, DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE, AND SPEND TIME WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER MOST. A PLACE WHERE ANYONE CAN EXPLORE, CREATE, CONNECT, AND EMBRACE THEIR TRUE NATURE.