Quad City Botanical Center

What Quad City Botanical Center does

Quad City Botanical Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public botanical garden founded in 1998 and located on a single site at 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois, adjacent to the Mississippi River. Its core physical asset is a 6,444 sq ft climate-controlled Tropical Sun Garden atrium housing a 14-foot waterfall, stream, fish pond, 70-foot skylight, and fruit-bearing tropical collections, complemented by outdoor gardens, a Children's Garden with water features, a 1:24-scale G-Scale garden train exhibit operated in partnership with the Heartland Model Railway Club, a permanent Garden Glass exhibit of 350+ pieces produced by Hot Glass (Davenport, IA), and an educational greenhouse.

The organization operates a multi-segment revenue model combining consumer (admissions, individual/family memberships from $40-$600/yr, gift shop, group tours $7-$15/person), enterprise (school field trips at $5/student, outreach presentations at $50 each, facility rentals for weddings and corporate events, corporate memberships from $350/yr), and institutional (donations, grants, Adopt-a-Garden sponsorships $25-$1,000, Growers Club recurring $20/month, tribute bricks) streams. It serves K-12 students (~10,000 annually through tours and outreach, with >12,000 total learners on-site), families, adult visitors, event hosts, and corporate partners in the Quad Cities region.

Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer on-site, supplemented by outbound education via the Plant Discovery Bus mobile unit (donated by Quad Cities MetroLINK, first-year deployment to Rock Island-Milan School District in 2025-26), reciprocal membership benefits through the American Horticultural Society (345+ gardens), and the FunBundle cross-promotional partnership with Niabi Zoo and Putnam Museum & Science Center. The Center is governed by a Board of Directors, supported by a permanent endowment established in 2014, and operates with 13 staff including an Executive Director, Head Gardener, Director of Education, and Banquet/Events Manager.

Name

Quad City Botanical Center

Legal name

Quad City Botanical Center

Website

https://qcgardens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Quad City Botanical Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public botanical garden in Rock Island, Illinois, operating a tropical atrium, outdoor gardens, and educational programming for K-12 students, families, event hosts, and visitors in the Quad Cities region since 1998.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Botanical Gardens & Event Venue

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Public botanical garden
• Garden education programs
• Event venue rentals
• Annual garden membership
• Plant conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: General admission fees for visitors. Admission represents approximately 10% of earned annual income.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership programs with tiers ranging from Individual ($40/year) to Sun ($600/year), providing unlimited admission, guest passes, discounts, and reciprocal benefits at 345+ gardens through American Horticultural Society.
3. Facility Rentals: Event hosting for weddings, receptions, banquets, corporate meetings, rehearsal dinners, and private events in indoor banquet facilities and outdoor garden spaces. Evening facility rentals available November-February with 50% discount.
4. Group Tours: Adult education tours including Tropical Paradise Tour ($10/person), Chocolate Tour ($15/person with presentation and sampling), and self-guided tours ($7/person) for groups of 10 or more.
5. Educational Programs: School field trips ($5/student starting), outreach programs to classrooms ($50/presentation), scout badge programs, and seasonal classes.
6. Gift Shop Sales: The Garden Store offers plants, art, books, jewelry, and home decor with 10% member discount. Includes consignment arrangements with local artisans.
7. Donations and Grants: Tax-exempt 501c3 nonprofit receiving donations, tribute gifts, tribute bricks ($150-$300), corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. EIN: 36-3496537.
8. Adopt-a-Garden Program: Sponsorship of specific garden areas ranging from $25 (Pollinator Gardens) to $1,000 (Sun Garden and Grounds) with recognition signage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Quad City Botanical Center operates a public botanical garden featuring an indoor tropical atrium, outdoor plant collections, a Children's Garden, and an educational greenhouse. It sells general admission and annual memberships, hosts weddings and corporate events in its banquet and garden facilities, runs K-12 educational programs including a mobile Plant Discovery Bus, and operates The Garden Store gift shop. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community asset supported by donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Quad City Botanical Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public botanical garden offering a unified portfolio of visitor experiences centered around its tropical Sun Garden, outdoor gardens, and educational programming. The core offering comprises garden admission and self-guided exploration, supplemented by fee-based guided tours (Tropical Paradise, Chocolate), education programs serving 10,000+ annual students, and the mobile Plant Discovery Bus for outreach. Revenue streams include annual membership tiers (Individual through Sun), event hosting services for weddings and corporate functions, and a gift shop. The organization positions itself as both a public garden and banquet facility, with the Sun Garden serving as the architectural centerpiece.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Garden Admission

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve approximately 10,000 students annually through educational tours and outreach programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quad Cities MetroLINKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Plant Discovery Bus project; donated bus for conversion to mobile educational unit. Illinois Department of Transportation approved the bus donation.
• Edwards CreativecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal creative agency that designed and created the Plant Discovery Bus with local experts.
• Heartland Model Railway ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to operate the 1:24th scale G-Scale garden train exhibit with almost 800 feet of track. Trains operational May-October Sundays and special events.
• American Horticultural SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal benefits program providing members access to 345+ public gardens across North America.
• Niabi Zoo and Putnam Museum & Science CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunBundle partnership offering combined membership to all three Quad Cities cultural institutions.
• Hot Glass (Davenport, IA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal glass art studio that designed, created, and installed the Garden Glass permanent exhibit featuring 350+ handmade glass pieces in the gardens.
• World ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partner for Plants of the World exhibit featuring personal stories of immigrants and refugees now calling Quad Cities home.
• Tapestry FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partner for Plants of the World exhibit.
• Blackhawk College ESL ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partner for Plants of the World exhibit featuring stories of Quad Citizens from around the world.
• Tri-City Garden ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlants and maintains the Scrambled Alphabet Garden with letter representations and corresponding flowers.
• Handicapped Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlants the Ability Garden of raised beds designed for people with limited mobility.
• Figge Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecommended travel destination partner; premier art exhibition facility between Chicago and Des Moines.
• Quad City ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization serving 350,000+ people annually at 200+ community sites; recommended as travel destination partner.
• HTG SupplyminorOthersRock Island business that donated LED grow lights and fixtures allowing expansion of plant sale area in The Garden Store.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Botanic Garden: Federal public garden in Washington, D.C., featuring conservatory, plant collections, and educational programming. Comparable as a public-facing botanical garden emphasizing education and conservation.
• Longwood Gardens: Premier U.S. public garden with conservatory, extensive outdoor gardens, education, and ticketed events. Comparable in core operating model but operates at substantially larger scale and with significantly higher ticket prices.
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: Michigan-based non-profit botanical garden and sculpture park with conservatory, outdoor gardens, art exhibits, education, and event hosting. Comparable in combining horticulture, art exhibits (similar to Garden Glass), and large-scale event business.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: One of the oldest public botanical gardens in the U.S., operating a large conservatory, extensive outdoor collections, educational programs, and event venues. Most directly comparable as a regional non-profit botanical garden with similar programming pillars (admissions, membership, education, weddings, donations).
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Major Midwest non-profit botanical garden with 27 gardens, education programs serving tens of thousands of students, event hosting, and reciprocal membership networks. Comparable in mission, programming mix, and non-profit funding model, but at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Reiman Gardens: Iowa State University-affiliated botanical garden featuring outdoor gardens, conservatory, events, and education programming in the Midwest. Comparable in scale, regional mission, and educational program focus.
• Niabi Zoo: Coal Valley, IL zoo and FunBundle cross-promotional partner with the Botanical Center. Comparable as a Quad Cities cultural attraction offering membership, education, and event hosting through a non-profit model.
• Garfield Park Conservatory: Indianapolis-based public conservatory with extensive plant collections, education programs, and event rentals in a Midwest urban setting. Comparable operating model combining conservatory, gardens, education, and community programming.
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Non-profit Pittsburgh conservatory with a glasshouse at its core, seasonal flower shows, education programs, and event hosting. Comparable in combining a signature indoor tropical display with year-round educational and event programming.
• Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden: Iowa-based non-profit botanical garden with conservatory, outdoor gardens, education programming, event rentals, and membership tiers. Closest geographic and scale comparable to Quad City Botanical Center in the Midwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qcbotanical
• Facebookfacebook.com/qcgardens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Quad City Botanical Center