McKee Botanical Garden

What McKee Botanical Garden does

McKee Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating an 18-acre historic tropical botanical garden in Vero Beach, Florida, on a site originally developed as McKee Jungle Gardens in 1922 and reopened under its current name on November 18, 2001, after a community-led rescue from development. The Garden preserves over 10,000 native and exotic plants and is distinguished by an IWGS Collection of Excellence-certified waterlily collection (one of only seven worldwide, with 51 certified varieties), a living orchid collection of more than 900 specimens including rare, historic, and native species, and architectural landmarks such as the Hall of Giants, Spanish Kitchen, and the first engineered bamboo structure in the United States permitted for construction. Specialized horticultural capabilities include Titan Arum (corpse flower) cultivation under dedicated curator leadership.

The Garden generates approximately $4.1 million in annual operating revenue across five primary streams: gate receipts (~30%), membership dues (~24%), endowment investment returns (~24%, drawn from an endowment valued at over $10.3 million at a maximum 3.5% distribution rate), public support and contributions (~18%), and special events and on-site retail (~3%). Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led, combining daily on-site admissions, an online ticketing and membership portal (mckee.ticketapp.org), and signature annual events — Jungle Lights (25 nights in 2025, drawing 17,000+ visitors), the Waterlily Celebration (21st annual), the Rare & Exotic Orchid Exhibition & Sale (2nd annual), and the Motor Car Exhibition (17th annual). The Garden cultivates a 7,000+ member base, hundreds of volunteers, a Legacy Society of 30+ planned-giving donors, and named corporate sponsors across the Treasure Coast region (John's Island Real Estate, Piper Aircraft, Florida Power & Light, Wilmington Trust, among others).

Beyond consumer visitation, McKee operates education programs (Camp McKee, guided group tours, Explorer Backpacks, school field-trip curriculum), ecosystem restoration partnerships (Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and The Million Orchid Project for native orchid reintroduction; Lubee Bat Conservancy for native bat conservation via 'The Belfry' bat house), and commercial extensions including the Garden Café, Garden Gift & Book Shop, and a Rizzoli-published commemorative book for its 2026 Centennial. Distribution is concentrated to a single physical site in Vero Beach with Southeast Florida as the primary catchment; the leadership team of approximately 20+ staff is led by Executive Director Rochelle Wolberg.

Name

McKee Botanical Garden

Legal name

McKee Botanical Garden

Website

https://mckeegarden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McKee Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an 18-acre historic tropical garden in Vero Beach, Florida, serving 130,000+ annual visitors and 7,000+ members through admissions, memberships, signature events, and conservation and education programs anchored by an IWGS-certified waterlily collection and 900+ orchids.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Cultural Attraction

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protected Cultivation of Specialty Crops (Orchids, Bonsai, Exotics) (AFAGAHAH), Native & Pollinator Garden Design/Install (HSAIABAG)

Keywords

• Botanical garden attractions
• Horticultural education programs
• Tropical plant conservation
• Garden membership programs
• Outdoor event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Vero Beach

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Gate Receipts / Admission: Daily admission tickets sold to visitors. Primary revenue stream representing approximately 30% of operating revenue ($4.1 million total operating revenue). Tickets sold online through their portal and at the door.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with multiple levels offering unlimited admission, special benefits, and discounts. Represents approximately 24% of operating revenue. Over 7,000 members supporting the Garden.
3. Public Support / Contributions: Donations, annual fund appeals, and planned giving through Legacy Society. Represents approximately 18% of operating revenue. Includes corporate sponsorships and business supporter program.
4. Special Events and Exhibits: Revenue from signature events including Jungle Lights holiday display, Motor Car Exhibition, Orchid Exhibition, and Waterlily Celebration. Tickets and sponsorships for these events.
5. Gift Shop & Café: On-site retail operations including Garden Gift & Book Shop and Garden Café. Represents approximately 1% of operating revenue.
6. Net Investment Return: Returns from endowment investments valued at over $10.3 million with 3.5% maximum annual distribution rate. Represents approximately 24% of operating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McKee Botanical Garden operates an 18-acre historic tropical botanical garden in Vero Beach, Florida, featuring over 10,000 native and exotic plants including an IWGS-certified waterlily collection and a 900+ orchid collection. The Garden generates revenue through daily admissions, annual memberships, signature seasonal events (Jungle Lights, Waterlily Celebration, Orchid Exhibition, Motor Car Exhibition), on-site amenities (Garden Café and Gift & Book Shop), educational programs for children and adults, and philanthropic contributions.

Product overview

McKee Botanical Garden operates as a single-site nonprofit botanical garden with multiple interconnected attractions and programs. The core experience centers on the 18-acre historic jungle garden featuring over 10,000 tropical plants and living collections including the IWGS-certified waterlily collection (one of only seven worldwide) and over 900 orchids. The garden offers timed admission tickets and various membership tiers as primary revenue products, supplemented by on-site amenities (Garden Café, Garden Gift & Book Shop), signature annual events (JUNGLE LIGHTS holiday display, Waterlily Celebration, Orchid Exhibition, Motor Car Exhibition), and educational programs (Camp McKee, guided tours, classes). Merchandise includes the Rizzoli-published commemorative book 'The Jungle Garden: Preserving a Tropical Landscape' ($65) and Limited-Edition Centennial Tote Bag ($38). Conservation initiatives include The Belfry bat house partnership. The garden's programs serve as major fundraisers while the membership program provides sustained support with over 7,000 members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garden Admission Daily tickets to the 18-acre historic tropical botanical garden featuring 10,000 tropical plants, waterlily collections, orchid displays, and immersive jungle landscape, sold online and at the gate.
• Annual Membership Annual membership program offering multiple tiers with benefits including unlimited admission, exclusive member events, discounts at the Garden Café and Gift Shop, and special programming access.
• JUNGLE LIGHTS Holiday Display Annual Treasure Coast's largest holiday light display featuring immersive Amazon-themed lantern exhibits, animated animal displays, and festive seasonal experiences running December through early January.
• Annual Waterlily Celebration Annual celebration of McKee's IWGS Collection of Excellence waterlily collection, one of only seven gardens worldwide with this distinction. Features photography contests, plein-air artists, vendors, and horticulture presentations.
• Rare & Exotic Orchid Exhibition & Sale Annual exhibition showcasing rare and exotic orchids with nationally and internationally acclaimed orchid growers, featuring lectures and educational offerings. Co-hosted with the Vero Beach Orchid Society.
• Motor Car Exhibition Annual exhibition of classic convertibles, roadsters, hot rods, racers, and motorcycles displayed throughout the historic garden. One of McKee's most important annual fundraisers.
• Garden Café On-site café serving food and beverages, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 3:00pm during regular garden hours.
• Garden Gift & Book Shop On-site retail store offering garden-themed merchandise, books, and commemorative items including the Limited-Edition Centennial Tote Bag and The Jungle Garden commemorative book.
• Children's Garden Whimsical outdoor destination designed by landscape architect Emmanuel Didier that inspires imagination and curiosity in children through interaction, education, and exploration.
• Guided Group Tours Educational guided tours for groups exploring McKee's historic jungle garden, living collections, and architectural icons including the Hall of Giants, Spanish Kitchen, and Bamboo Pavilion.
• Camp McKee Summer camp program for children offering educational and recreational activities in the garden setting.
• The Jungle Garden: Preserving a Tropical Landscape (Commemorative Book) Lavishly illustrated commemorative book published by Rizzoli celebrating McKee's Centennial, featuring photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo, text by Heather O'Shea, and foreword by Julian Fellowes. Priced at $65.
• Limited-Edition Centennial Tote Bag Custom-designed natural canvas commemorative tote celebrating McKee's 100th Anniversary (1926-2026), featuring the Garden's iconic Phalaenopsis orchid. Priced at $38.

Named customers5 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lubee Bat ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025McKee Botanical Garden partnered with Lubee Bat Conservancy, the only U.S.-based organization dedicated exclusively to saving bats, to launch 'The Belfry' - a bat house providing safe roosting sites for local bats including Mexican Free-tailed bats, Evening bats, Southeastern Myotis, and the Critically Endangered Florida Bonneted bat. The partnership includes educational workshops and programs highlighting bats' role in pest control, pollination, and ecosystem health.
• Vero Beach Orchid SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025McKee Botanical Garden and Vero Beach Orchid Society co-host the Annual Rare & Exotic Orchid Exhibition & Sale, featuring nationally and internationally acclaimed orchid growers including Krull-Smith, Odom's Orchids, Ritter Tropic 1, Quest Orchids, and Springwater Orchids. The partnership celebrates McKee's orchid legacy dating to Arthur McKee's original collection in the 1930s-40s.
• Canopy Strategic Business PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025McKee worked with Canopy Strategic Business Partners to develop a comprehensive five-year strategic business plan, completed through an eight-month planning process involving the Board of Directors and staff.
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024McKee partnered with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to advance the propagation and reintroduction of native orchids across the property. Fairchild is a leading botanical research institution and partner in The Million Orchid Project, a conservation initiative to reestablish rare native orchids throughout South Florida.
• The Million Orchid ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024McKee is a proud partner in The Million Orchid Project, a groundbreaking conservation initiative to reestablish rare native orchids throughout South Florida. The Garden participates in propagation and reintroduction efforts for native orchid species.
• Indian River Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Indian River Land Trust led the community effort in the 1990s to rescue and preserve McKee's 18-acre historic core from development, ultimately resulting in the Garden's restoration and reopening in 2001. The partnership continues as a key preservation ally.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Selby is a Sarasota-based public botanical garden renowned for its orchid and epiphyte research collection and rotating horticultural exhibitions. Direct peer in tropical plant curation, conservation mission, and event-driven attendance.
• Naples Botanical Garden: Naples is a Florida public botanical garden of comparable scale and visitor experience with a similar mix of tropical plant collections, signature seasonal events, and educational programming. McKee's Director of Capital Planning previously served as VP of Operations there.
• Bok Tower Gardens: Bok Tower is a historic Central Florida garden listed on the National Register with comparable operating model, membership base, and educational mission. McKee's Director of Capital Planning previously served as Director of Facilities and Operations there.
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Fairchild is a major South Florida public botanical garden that co-hosts McKee's native orchid propagation work via The Million Orchid Project. It is the closest direct peer in tropical horticulture, education programming, and visitor scale on Florida's east coast.
• Harry P. Leu Gardens: Leu is a historic Florida botanical garden in Orlando with a National Register-listed landscape and similar mix of signature events, educational programs, and member-supported operations. Comparable size, model, and visitor demographic profile.
• Mounts Botanical Garden: Mounts is Palm Beach County's botanical garden with a similar mix of tropical collections, educational programming, and signature seasonal events. Direct regional peer for visitor demographics and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: NYBG is a leading national botanical garden with comparable conservation, education, and signature exhibition programming. Much larger institution operating at national scale, but overlapping in plant collection curation and event-driven membership model.
• United States Botanic Garden: The USBG is a federal public botanical garden with plant conservation, education, and exhibition programming. Comparable institutional model as a public-facing botanical garden, though at substantially larger scale and with federal funding.
• Atlanta Botanical Garden: Atlanta Botanical Garden is a larger Southeastern public garden with extensive signature seasonal events (including a holiday light display comparable to Jungle Lights), conservation programs, and educational programming. Broader incumbent at greater scale.
• Longwood Gardens: Longwood is a much larger, established public garden in Pennsylvania with a comparable combination of historic landscape, signature seasonal light display (similar to Jungle Lights), and educational programming. Broader incumbent in scale and endowment size, but overlapping mission and event model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mckeebotanicalgarden81
• Facebookfacebook.com/McKeeGarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/mckeebotanicalgarden
• Xx.com/mckeegarden

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 McKee Botanical Garden