What Brooklyn Botanic Garden does

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is a nonprofit botanical garden institution operating a 100-acre garden in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, founded in 1910 and incorporated as Brooklyn Botanic Garden Corporation. It functions as both a cultural destination and an educational institution, serving general public visitors, families, adult learners, K-12 schools, community gardeners, and event hosts. Core offerings include general admission, a tiered annual membership program (Individual $75 through Chairman's Circle $50,000+), continuing education classes spanning horticulture, floral design, art, and wellness, community greening programs (Greenest Block in Brooklyn, Community Garden Alliance, Street Tree Stewards, Brooklyn Urban Gardener, Master Composter Certificate), school group workshops, and venue rentals for weddings and corporate events. Research assets include an Herbarium and the New York Metropolitan Flora Project.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: recurring annual membership subscriptions, one-time admission and class fees, tax-deductible donations and charitable contributions (including corporate sponsorships such as Brooklyn Org as Major Sponsor), event rentals, and on-site retail and dining. Pricing for continuing education classes ranges from approximately $55 to $191+ per class, with member discounts of 5-15%. The organization sells tickets and memberships through bbg.org, third-party platform ShowClix for same-day entry, and Active Network for class registration. Digital engagement is supported via Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, Facebook, Flickr, and mobile apps including BloomWatch and Bloomberg Connects. The Garden maintains 100+ year brand equity anchored by its iconic cherry blossom collection and earned a 2016 Garden Writers Association Silver Medal for its Eat Local blog series.

The Garden currently operates with 101-250 employees from entrances at 990 Washington Avenue and 455 Flatbush Avenue, while the original 150 Eastern Parkway entrance and Osborne Garden are temporarily closed for restoration. No parent company, external investment, or acquisition activity is indicated; BBG is supported independently through memberships, donations, corporate sponsorships, and program fees.

Name

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Legal name

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Corporation

Website

https://bbg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a nonprofit 100-acre botanical garden in Brooklyn, NY, operating since 1910. It serves visitors through tiered memberships, admission, continuing education classes, community greening programs, school workshops, and event venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership programs ranging from $75 Individual to $50,000+ Chairman's Circle, providing free admission, exclusive hours, discounts on classes and dining, and other benefits.
2. Admission Fees: Visitors pay admission fees for entry to the Garden, with specific hours varying by day. Wednesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, Tuesday/Thursday until 8:30pm. Closed Mondays.
3. Continuing Education Classes: Fee-based classes and workshops covering horticulture, art, floral design, health & wellness, nature, and maker skills. Classes range from $55 to $191+ depending on topic and materials.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, benefit events, and bequests/estate planning contributions.
5. Event Rentals: Venue rental for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, and special occasions photography.
6. Retail and Dining: On-site shop and cafe/dining facilities generating revenue from visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Botanic Garden operates a 100-acre urban botanical garden offering paid general admission, a tiered annual membership program, fee-based continuing education classes in horticulture and floral design, K-12 school and group programs, and community greening initiatives across Brooklyn. The Garden also rents its grounds for weddings, corporate events, and photography sessions, and operates on-site retail and dining facilities.

Product overview

Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a unified portfolio of visitor experience and educational programs centered around its 52-acre urban botanical garden. The core offerings include general garden admission and tiered membership programs (Individual through Chairman's Circle), continuing education classes spanning horticulture, floral design, art, and wellness, and community greening initiatives like the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. The Garden also provides venue rental for events, school group programs, the Eat Local recipe series, and access to research collections including an Herbarium. The product architecture is organized around visitor services (admission/membership), education (classes/certificate programs), community engagement (greening programs), and research (plant records/collections).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garden Admission Tickets General admission tickets granting access to the Garden's 100-acre outdoor grounds, conservatories, and plant collections, available Wednesday-Sunday.
• Membership Program Tiered annual membership offering free general admission, member-only hours, discounts on classes, dining and retail, and reciprocal privileges at botanic gardens nationwide. Levels include Individual ($75), Dual ($115), Friends & Family ($200), Contributor ($275), Supporter ($550), Patron ($800), President's Circle ($1,500+) and Chairman's Circle ($50,000+).
• Continuing Education Classes Fee-based adult courses covering horticulture, tree care, floral design, art, health & wellness, nature, and maker skills, including the multi-course Horticulture Certificate program.
• Event Hosting & Venue Rental Rental of Garden spaces for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, and special occasion photography sessions.
• School & Group Visits Guided workshops and educational programs for school children, families, and other groups, including Project Green Reach, Urban Advantage, and BASE high school programs.
• Community Greening Programs Urban greening initiatives delivered in Brooklyn neighborhoods, including the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, Community Garden Alliance, Street Tree Stewards, Brooklyn Urban Gardener training, and Master Composter Certificate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of Greenest Block in Brooklyn program transforming neighborhoods across Brooklyn
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New York Botanical Garden: The largest botanical garden in the United States, also located in the New York City metro area (Bronx). Directly comparable to BBG as a major nonprofit botanical garden with similar membership programs, education, exhibits, and a 250-acre urban site.
• Central Park Conservancy: The nonprofit that manages and restores Central Park in Manhattan. Comparable to BBG as a NYC nonprofit cultural institution funded by memberships, donations, and events, overseeing large-scale urban horticulture and public access.
• Wave Hill: A 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx, NYC. Comparable to BBG as a NYC-based nonprofit public garden offering admissions, memberships, education programs, and event venue rentals.
• Longwood Gardens: One of the world's premier horticultural display gardens in Pennsylvania. Comparable to BBG as a major nonprofit botanical garden with tiered memberships, educational programs, event hosting, and extensive curated plant collections.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: A 385-acre nonprofit botanical garden operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society. Directly comparable to BBG in scale, programming (memberships, classes, community programs), and nonprofit operating model.
• Queens Botanical Garden: Another NYC borough-based public botanical garden (Queens) operating as a nonprofit cultural and educational attraction with similar visitation, membership, and community programming model to BBG.
• United States Botanic Garden: The oldest botanic garden in the U.S., located in Washington, D.C. Comparable to BBG as a major public-facing botanical institution with educational programs, exhibits, and curated plant collections.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: A National Historic Landmark botanical garden in St. Louis, founded in 1859. Comparable to BBG as a long-established nonprofit botanical institution with research, education, and extensive visitor programs.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: A 281-acre research arboretum managed by Harvard in Boston. Comparable to BBG as a major urban public garden combining curated plant collections, research (Herbarium equivalent), and education programs.
• Atlanta Botanical Garden: A 30-acre nonprofit botanical garden in Atlanta, Georgia. Comparable to BBG in operating model (nonprofit membership-based attraction with education, exhibits, and event hosting) and in scale of operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brooklynbotanic
• Instagraminstagram.com/brooklynbotanic
• TikToktiktok.com/@brooklynbotanic
• Xx.com/bklynbotanic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooklyn-botanic-garden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Brooklyn Botanic Garden