Public Gardens Listing: Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, MO)
While balcony container gardeners enjoy their small-space urban gardens, sometimes a few container plants on an apartment balcony above a busy street just isn’t peaceful enough. Balcony gardeners might not be able to have a peaceful, large garden, but there are public gardens and arboretums near every major city. Don’t just fawn over pictures of luxurious gardens, get out there and enjoy a day at a public garden! You may even bring some gardening inspiration home to your own balcony container garden.
If you live in or are visiting the Saint Louis, Missouri, area, why not visit the Missouri Botanical Garden?
- The 79-acre Missouri Botanical Garden is often hailed as the best botanical garden in the United States.
- The botanical garden is informally called Shaw’s Garden after Henry Shaw, the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Visitors can see his 1849 home, which is called the Tower Grove House.
- The top attractions at the Missouri Botanical Garden include the Japanese garden, the Victorian District and Tower Grove House, Butterfly House, Children’s Garden, Linnean House and the Climatron.
- The geodesic Climatron is the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory. The structure 70 feet tall in the center and spans 175 feet in diameter at the base. Inside of the climate-controlled conservatory are more than 2,800 plants belonging to 1,400 different species.
- The Linnean House was built in 1882 and is the last remaining greenhouse from when founder Henry Shaw lived on the property. The conservatory is named after Carl Linnaeus, the botanist who created the binomial nomenclature system of naming all living creatures. Learn more about how plants are scientifically named.
Famous glass artist Dale Chihuly created the chandelier in the Ridgway Visitor Center and three other pieces throughout the gardens in 2006 for his exhibition called “Glass in the Garden: Chihuly at the Missouri Botanical Garden.” Dale Chihuly’s artwork can also be found at the New York Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, and more.- Check the botanical garden’s website to learn about special events, such as the Orchid Show, Whitaker Music Festival, Japanese Festival and the Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show.
- Art classes, cooking classes, green living classes, gardening classes and more are available at the Missouri Botanical Garden – check the calendar of events on the website for available classes.
- Meet at the Ridgway Visitor Center at 11am (and at 1pm from April to October) to get a free guided walking tour. There are also multiple narrated tram tours every day from April to October for $4 a person.
Missouri Botanical Garden Quick Info
missouribotanicalgarden.org
(314) 577-5100
4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
Admission $8 ($4 for St. Louis city and county residents)
Open 9am-5pm daily
Closed Christmas Day
