Idaho Botanical Garden

What Idaho Botanical Garden does

Idaho Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit botanical garden established in 1984 on a 32-acre site leased from the Idaho State Historical Society on the grounds of the former Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho. The Garden operates approximately 15 acres of cultivated specialty gardens (including English, Rose, Meditation, Children's Adventure, Idaho Native Plant, Lewis and Clark Native Plant, and Firewise gardens) and serves individual visitors, families, school groups, corporate clients, and wedding clientele. Core offerings span general admission, multi-tier membership ($50-$5,000 annually), youth education and STEAM camps, an evidence-based Horticulture Therapy Program, signature events (Outlaw Field concerts, Winter Garden aGlow, Savor Idaho, Shade City Brewfest, Great Garden Escape), private event venue rentals, an annual Spring Plant Sale featuring 20,000+ plants, and a digital Garden Explorer plant database.

The Garden operates on a hybrid revenue model combining transactional revenue (admissions, event tickets, wedding rentals, plant sales) with subscription/membership recurring revenue and charitable donations/grants. It receives no general city, state, or federal funding, relying instead on a 5,000-member base, major foundation donors (Cambia Health Foundation, Regence BlueShield, Borbonus Family Foundation, Idaho Women's Charitable Fund), corporate sponsors, and reciprocal admission partnerships with 300-360+ gardens via the American Horticultural Society. Technology infrastructure is operational rather than differentiating: Blackbaud for donations/memberships/ticketing, Ticketmaster for concert ticketing, Volgistics for volunteer management, Social Good Software for the event calendar, and a third-party Garden Explorer plant database.

The organization serves 131,000+ guests annually, educates 11,000 children, and is currently mid-execution on a 10-acre Phase 1 expansion that began September 2025, with future plans including a Visitor and Education Center and a permanent year-round home for the Boise Farmers Market. Leadership is led by Executive Director Erin Anderson, with a development team directed by Jennifer Dunmire (Development Director) and Jennifer Parks (Senior Development Director, Expansion Campaign). Recent recognition includes Idaho Business Review 'Best of 2026' awards for Best Non-Profit and Best Event & Meeting Space, and a 2025 Wheel the World accessibility verification.

Name

Idaho Botanical Garden

Legal name

Idaho Botanical Gardens, Inc.

Website

https://idahobotanicalgarden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Idaho Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit botanical garden in Boise, Idaho, operating 15 cultivated acres on a historic 32-acre site. It serves 131,000+ annual visitors through admissions, memberships, youth education, horticulture therapy, signature events, private venue rentals, and an active 10-acre expansion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Horticulture Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

Keywords

• Botanical garden services
• Horticulture therapy programs
• Environmental education
• Event venue rental
• Plant conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership subscriptions ranging from $50 to $5,000 per year across multiple tiers (Garden Access, Garden Friend, Garden Enthusiast, Garden Supporter, Garden Sustainer, Perennial Society, Garden Steward). Provides recurring revenue with benefits including free admission, event discounts, and reciprocal garden access.
2. General Admission: Per-visit admission fees: $15 non-members, $13 seniors, $9 youth (ages 4-12), free for members and children 3 and under. Walk-in visitors represent a significant revenue stream.
3. Concert and Event Tickets: Ticketed events including Outlaw Field Summer Concert Series, Great Garden Escape, Shade City Brewfest, Savor Idaho wine festival, and Winter Garden aGlow. Concerts sold through Ticketmaster with membership pre-sale access.
4. Private Event Rentals: Venue rentals including weddings, elopements, corporate retreats, and private celebrations. Full garden buyout starts at $15,000, single garden rentals from $5,000-$7,000, elopement packages from $110-$600.
5. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The garden is a 501(c)(3) receiving no general city, state, or federal funding, making donations critical to operations. Major donor categories include Legacy Gardeners, Cultivators of Change, Roots of Generosity, and Garden Champions.
6. Merchandise and Retail: Garden Store selling holiday items, locally made gifts, festive décor, and memberships. Revenue from on-site retail operations.
7. Plant Sales: Annual Spring Plant Sale featuring over 20,000 plants representing approximately 300 varieties. Horticulture's largest annual fundraiser supporting plant collections and conservation programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Idaho Botanical Garden is a 32-acre nonprofit botanical garden located on the former Idaho State Penitentiary grounds in Boise, Idaho. It operates 10+ themed gardens, delivers nature-based education programs (youth STEAM camps, school field trips, horticulture therapy), hosts signature events (Outlaw Field concerts, Winter Garden aGlow, Savor Idaho), and rents garden spaces for weddings, elopements, and private/corporate events. Revenue is generated through admissions, memberships, event tickets, venue rentals, plant sales, donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Idaho Botanical Garden is a nonprofit botanical garden and living museum that operates as a single unified offering with multiple program components. The Garden's core product is its 32-acre cultivated garden experience, supplemented by distinct programs including the Horticulture Therapy Program, Youth Education and STEAM Camps, and various event series (Outlaw Field Concerts, Great Garden Escape, Shade City Brewfest, Savor Idaho). Additional offerings include seasonal exhibits (Woodland Wonders, Winter Garden aGlow, Fairy & Gnome Home), venue rental services for weddings and private events, an annual Plant Sale, a Garden Explorer digital plant database, and Garden Membership programs with multiple tiers. The Garden's digital presence includes a blog with horticultural education content and a news section for organizational announcements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Idaho Botanical Garden (Living Museum) A 32-acre nonprofit botanical garden located on the site of the old Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho, offering visitors educational and recreational experiences with cultivated specialty gardens, plant collections, and nature-based programming.
• Horticulture Therapy Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Welcomes over 131,000 guests each year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, significant and foundational.

• University of Idaho Extension, Ada County Master Gardener ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Launched 'Master Gardener Mini Lessons' partnership providing free educational opportunities for Garden guests every Saturday from June 6 through August 1, 2026. Volunteer Master Gardeners staff the Children's Adventure Garden offering hands-on learning about plants and pollinators.
• Boise Farmers MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026Launched 'Rooted Together' event series celebrating shared vision for local food, agriculture, education, and community connection. Partnership aims to create a permanent, year-round home for Boise Farmers Market within the Garden expansion.
• Idaho Wine CommissioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Co-presenting Savor Idaho 2026, Idaho's premier wine and cider event, as the flagship celebration of Idaho Wine and Cider Month. Garden provides venue while Commission provides winery/ciderie participants and marketing support.
• Plant SelectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and professional horticulturists. IBG became licensed propagator in 2018 to grow and sell these plants. Garden showcases Plant Select varieties in demonstration garden.
• City of GoodsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership addressing food security. Produce from Vegetable Garden is donated to City of Good Women's and Children's Shelter.
• Idaho State Historical Society and State of IdahofoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand lease arrangement for the 32-acre site of the old Idaho State Penitentiary grounds, the foundational relationship enabling the Garden's existence since 1984.
• Wheel the WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility verification partnership reviewing Garden grounds to provide detailed accessibility information for travelers with disabilities.
• Local Healthcare ProviderssignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with healthcare providers offering horticulture therapy as complementary, non-clinical therapeutic option for patients.
• Community Reentry and Correctional Support OrganizationssignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRC Program partnership providing women with restorative, skills-building horticulture therapy experiences supporting healing and reintegration.
• Pahove Chapter of Idaho Native Plant SocietysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership developing the Idaho Native Plant Garden in 1990, demonstrating Idaho's diverse flora and educating visitors about botanical heritage.
• Idaho FirewiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership managing the Firewise Garden demonstrating fire-resistant plants and planting designs to protect properties from wildfire damage.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Missouri Botanical Garden: Historic nonprofit botanical institution with deep programming, research, and event portfolio. Same 501(c)(3) model, AHS reciprocal network, and education/event revenue mix as IBG, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: One of the largest U.S. botanical gardens with comprehensive programming, education, research, and event offerings. Same nonprofit operating model and reciprocal garden network participation as IBG, but significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Denver Botanic Gardens: Largest botanical garden in the Rocky Mountain region with comparable climate adaptation, similar nonprofit membership/event model, and overlapping educational and therapeutic programming. Most directly comparable peer given shared intermountain West geography.
• San Diego Botanic Garden: Nonprofit regional botanical garden with comparable visitor scale, weddings/events, membership tiers, and educational programming including therapeutic horticulture initiatives. Similar mid-sized nonprofit garden operation.
• Portland Japanese Garden: Pacific Northwest nonprofit botanical garden with comparable visitor scale, cultural event programming, wedding venue rentals, and tiered membership structure. Similar size, mission, and event-driven revenue mix.
• Tucson Botanical Gardens: Mid-sized nonprofit desert botanical garden with similar educational programming, plant sales, weddings, and event-driven revenue model. Comparable scale to IBG with analogous programming mix.
• Atlanta Botanical Garden: Larger-scale nonprofit botanical garden with signature concert series, weddings, memberships, and educational programming. Comparable operating model and event/membership revenue architecture, though larger in scale.
• Utah's Hogle Zoo & Red Butte Garden: Regional botanical garden on a university arboretum model in Salt Lake City with similar arid-climate plant collections, membership tiers, concert series, and education programs. Comparable scale and visitor base to IBG.

Regional players

• Boise Parks and Recreation: Local government operator of competing free outdoor recreation in Boise (foothills, Greenbelt, parks). Does not operate a botanical garden but competes for the same Treasure Valley outdoor visitation and discretionary time/spend.

Others

• American Horticultural Society: Industry body that administers the reciprocal garden network (300–360+ gardens) in which IBG membership tiers participate. Not a competitor; a strategic ecosystem partner enabling member value and inter-garden collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IdahoBotanicalG
• Facebookfacebook.com/IDBotanicalGarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/IdahoBotanicalGarden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Idaho Botanical Garden