Missouri Botanical Gardens

What Missouri Botanical Gardens does

Missouri Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit National Historic Landmark botanical institution founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw in St. Louis, Missouri. It operates a family of physical attractions — the main 79-acre Shaw campus, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield, and the 2,400-acre Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit — together with the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, collectively serving approximately one million annual visitors. Core offerings span visitor experiences (general admission, memberships, dining, retail, facility rentals, tram and walking tours), K-12 and youth education programs (school field trips, scout programs, teen initiatives), and a globally significant scientific research operation built around a 6-million-specimen Herbarium, the TROPICOS botanical database, and conservation science spanning 35 countries.

Underpinning the research mission is proprietary technology including an LLM-based herbarium transcription pipeline (ChatGPT GPT-3.5 Turbo combined with OCR and post-processing, achieving 76%+ accuracy) and GIS-based ecological education tooling deployed since 1998. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: general admission and memberships (adults $16, members $6, STL seniors $4), retail and food services (Garden Gate Shop, Sassafras Restaurant), facility rentals and private events, and a substantial donations and grants stream including a $14.4 million anonymous digitization grant and recurring property tax support through the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD) Botanical Garden Subdistrict. The institution holds AAM and AZA accreditations, is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by June McAllister Fowler, and is led since January 2025 by President and Director Dr. Lúcia G. Lohmann.

Name

Missouri Botanical Gardens

Legal name

Missouri Botanical Garden

Website

https://missouribotanicalgarden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Missouri Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit National Historic Landmark botanical institution founded in 1859 in St. Louis, operating the main garden, Butterfly House, and Shaw Nature Reserve, while conducting global plant conservation science and serving roughly one million annual visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Plant Science Research

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Botanical garden operations
• Plant conservation research
• Horticultural education programs
• Herbarium digitization services
• Public garden visitor experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission and Membership Fees: The Garden generates revenue through general admission tickets ($16 for adults, $6 for members, $4 for STL residents), membership programs, and group/scout tour bookings.
2. Retail and Food Services: Revenue from Garden Gate Shop, Little Shop Around the Corner, Sassafras Restaurant and Cafe, and gift cards.
3. Donations and Grants: The Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations, corporate partnerships, commemorative giving, planned giving, and grants including a $14.4 million anonymous grant for herbarium digitization.
4. Facility Rentals and Private Events: Revenue from private event rentals, wedding ceremonies and receptions, corporate events, and facility rentals.
5. Zoo-Museum District Funding: The Garden receives property tax-supported funding through the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD) as part of the Botanical Garden Subdistrict.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Missouri Botanical Garden operates a 79-acre National Historic Landmark botanical garden in St. Louis complemented by the Butterfly House in Chesterfield and the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, hosting approximately one million annual visitors through paid admissions, memberships, group tours, education programs, and special exhibitions. It also maintains one of the world's largest herbaria (6 million specimens) and the TROPICOS botanical database, conducting plant conservation research in 35 countries on six continents.

Product overview

Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and world-renowned botanical institution founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw. The organization operates as a unified platform of attractions, research services, and educational programs. Its core offering is the main botanical garden in St. Louis, supplemented by two family attractions—the Butterfly House in Chesterfield and Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit. Key visitor features include the iconic Climatron conservatory, Japanese Garden (Seiwa-en), Children's Garden, Sachs Museum, and the newly completed Jack C Taylor Visitor Center. The Garden offers diverse services including guided walking and tram tours, dining (Sassafras Restaurant), retail (Garden Gate Shop, Little Shop Around the Corner, MBG Press), and online tools (Plant Finder, MyGuide to the Garden). A cornerstone of its mission is scientific research conducted through its Herbarium and TROPICOS database—the world's largest botanical database—spanning 35 countries. Educational programming includes youth/teen initiatives (Eco-Act, MANTIS, OYC, SAGE, SIFT) and school programs. Recent developments include digitization of 6 million herbarium specimens and AI-powered transcription tools using large language models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jack C Taylor Visitor Center: The main visitor center at the Missouri Botanical Garden, a 94,000-square foot complex completed in 2025.
• Climatron
• Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House
• Shaw Nature Reserve

Products and services

• Missouri Botanical Garden (Main Campus) National Historic Landmark botanical garden in St. Louis, MO; one of the top three botanical gardens in the world; approximately one million annual visitors.
• Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House AZA-accredited butterfly conservatory in Chesterfield, MO featuring over 60 tropical butterfly species in a Tropical Conservatory with over 150 tropical plants, plus an outdoor native butterfly garden.
• Shaw Nature Reserve 2,400-acre nature preserve in Gray Summit, MO featuring bottomland forest, restored prairie, and outdoor recreation for visitors.
• TROPICOS World's largest botanical database and premier botanical website, providing scientific information essential to decision makers in conservation and environmental policy.
• Private Guided Walking Tours Expert-led private tours including Journey through Historic Garden, Asian Gardens, Seasonal Highlights, Conservatories, Trees of the Garden, Sustainability Features, and Herbarium & Library tour.
• Tram Tours Tram-based guided tours of the Garden grounds.
• Membership Program Annual membership offering free or discounted admission, special hours, retail and dining discounts, and exclusive benefits across the Garden's family of attractions.
• Education Programs Youth and family programs including school field trips, scout programs, teen programs (Eco-Act, MANTIS, OYC, SAGE, SIFT, Youth Fellowship), and teacher resources.
• Science and Conservation Research World-leading botanical research program including plant exploration, systematics, conservation, and applied botany conducted in 35 countries on six continents.
• Sassafras Restaurant and Cafe On-site dining restaurant and cafe at the main Missouri Botanical Garden.
• Garden Gate Shop On-site retail gift shop offering botanical-themed merchandise at the main Garden.
• Little Shop Around the Corner Specialty retail shop at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
• MBG Press Publishing arm of the Missouri Botanical Garden producing botanical literature and educational materials.
• Facility Rentals and Private Events Private event venue rentals at the Garden including wedding ceremonies, receptions, corporate events, and group functions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Discovered and formally described nearly 200 new plant species in 2025, accounting for approximately 10% of all new plant species described worldwide
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Washington University in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Joint appointments with two internationally recognized botanists: Lúcia Lohmann became president and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and George Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University; Toby Pennington joined as the inaugural David and Dorothy Kemper Professor. Both appointments strengthen the Living Earth Collaborative, a consortium dedicated to protecting and promoting global biodiversity.
• University of Missouri-St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Lúcia Lohmann, former UMSL PhD student, returned as president of the Missouri Botanical Garden on January 2, 2025. The Garden maintains academic partnerships with UMSL for research and education programs.
• Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLúcia Lohmann serves as Executive Director of the ATBC, linking the Missouri Botanical Garden to international tropical biology and conservation research networks.
• International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLúcia Lohmann serves as President of IAPT, positioning the Missouri Botanical Garden as a leader in global plant taxonomy standards and practices.
• Ayers Saint GrossflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS architecture studio designed the Jack C Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden - a 94,000-square foot complex with biophilic design elements including custom suspended lantern with Gingko tree pattern, terrazzo flooring with hand-laid brass leaves, and Missouri limestone and zinc facade. Project constructed in three phases over 20 months.
• Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Missouri Botanical Garden is a member of the ZMD, a property tax-supported district governed by an eight-member Board of Directors. ZMD distributes funds through five cultural subdistricts including the Botanical Garden Subdistrict, supporting the Garden's botanical facilities and educational services.
• K-12 Schools in St. Louis AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, managed by the Missouri Botanical Garden, has engaged thousands of students and teachers in ecological education using GIS technology since 1998. Programs include curriculum revitalization and statewide mapping contests for K-12 students.
• Institutions in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Madagascar, VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Garden maintains resident curators in countries of exceptional biological importance who work with local institutions on conservation, research, and training programs. Work is conducted in partnership with institutions in host nations to strengthen their capacity and serve their needs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York Botanical Garden: 250-acre botanical garden in the Bronx, NY operating as both a major visitor destination and research institution with one of the world's largest herbaria. The most directly comparable peer to MBG in terms of research depth, visitor scale, and institutional prestige as a top-tier U.S. botanical garden.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: 385-acre public garden in Glencoe, IL with major plant research, conservation, and education programs. Comparable in Midwest regional positioning, scale, and multi-site operating model (including outlying nature sites).
• Longwood Gardens: 1,100-acre botanical garden in Kennett Square, PA renowned for its horticultural displays and major conservatories. Highly comparable to MBG in terms of public-facing garden experience, conservatory attractions, and event-driven revenue model.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical garden in London operating Kew Science and a major herbarium/database comparable to TROPICOS. Closest international peer given parallel research/conservation mission at scale, including digitization initiatives and global plant science leadership.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: 52-acre urban botanical garden in Brooklyn, NY with major research and education programs. Comparable urban botanical garden with strong K-12 educational programming and similar visitor scale in a major U.S. metro area.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: 281-acre research arboretum affiliated with Harvard University operating as both a public garden and major plant research institution. Comparable in academic-research integration, herbarium collections, and dual visitor/research mission.
• United States Botanic Garden: Federal botanical garden in Washington, DC with conservatory and national plant collections. Directly comparable visitor/research mission and product mix (conservatories, themed gardens, educational programs), though federally operated rather than independent nonprofit.
• Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Garden: 120-acre botanical garden plus library/art museum in San Marino, CA operating as a multi-disciplinary cultural and research institution. Comparable integrated model combining botanical displays, research collections, and major visitor destination status.
• Denver Botanic Gardens: 100+ acre urban botanical garden with research, conservation, and education programs across multiple sites. Comparable multi-site operating model, urban botanical garden positioning, and emphasis on native plant conservation programming.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Gardens: Gardens program of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC operating multiple gardens across the National Mall and broader Smithsonian properties. Overlaps with MBG in horticultural display, public education, and plant conservation scope, but operates under a much larger institutional umbrella rather than as an independent botanical garden.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mobotgarden
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mobotvideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/missouribotanicalgarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/mobotgarden

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missouri Botanical Gardens