Iowa Arboretum & Gardens

What Iowa Arboretum & Gardens does

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens is a nonprofit, community-supported public garden operating a 160-acre campus near the Des Moines metro area in Madrid, Iowa. Founded in 1968, it curates hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials across cultivated gardens, open-planted tree groves, native woodland and prairie trails, and interactive natural areas such as the Treehouse Village with its suspension bridge. The organization serves families, individual visitors, school/scout/homeschool/camp groups, corporate groups, and horticulture enthusiasts through seasonal visitor access, educational programming, events, and venue rentals.

The platform underpinning operations is conventional rather than proprietary: a WordPress-based public website, the Neon CRM system for ticketing, event registration, and membership management, Google Forms for volunteer/RSVP intake, and an internal plant database with mapping software used by staff (Curator of Collections and Grounds, Curatorial Assistant, Horticulture Technician) to track plant health, size, and location. A distinguishing capability is the Ornamental Trial Program (Spring 2023), a public-facing trial garden that evaluates herbaceous perennials and shrubs under Central Iowa's Zone 5 climate, with biweekly manual data collection and annual Field Day events.

Revenue is generated through a diversified set of channels: tiered individual memberships ($25 Student to $5,500+ Benefactor), a Corporate Friend program with five tiers ($150-$1,500+), admission fees, ticketed events such as Tunes in the Trees concerts ($10-$15), workshops and the annual Spring Fever Symposium, venue rentals for weddings, corporate events and photography, on-site gift shop sales, and donations/memorials/endowment contributions. Go-to-market is primarily regional and event-driven, supported by an AHS Garden Network Program partnership providing reciprocal access at 345+ gardens across North America and the Caribbean.

Name

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens

Legal name

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens

Website

https://iowaarboretum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens is a 160-acre nonprofit public garden near Des Moines, Iowa, offering curated plant collections, educational programs, events, and venue rentals to families, schools, corporate groups, and horticulture enthusiasts through memberships, admissions, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Garden & Arboretum Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Nature Lodges & Eco-Resorts (THAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Public garden arboretum
• Horticulture education
• Event venue rentals
• Botanical garden tours
• Nonprofit nature preserve

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program with multiple tiers ranging from Student ($25) to Benefactor ($5,500+), providing free admission, discounts, and reciprocal privileges at over 345 gardens.
2. Admission Fees: Weekday admission 9am-4pm, weekend admission 10am-4pm. Treehouse Village Playtime available for $5 per person.
3. Event Tickets and Concerts: Tunes in the Trees concert series: $10/Members, $15/General Public. Season tickets available (4 concerts for price of 3). Additional events include Yoga in the Gardens, workshops.
4. Venue and Facility Rentals: Birthday parties, weddings, photography sessions, corporate events, and other private rentals of the grounds and facilities.
5. Gift Shop Sales: On-site gift shop offering plants, merchandise, and horticultural items with 10% discount for members.
6. Donations and Fundraising: Annual Garden Social & Auction fundraiser, general donations, memorial/honorarium gifts, planned giving, endowments, and capital project contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens operates a 160-acre nonprofit public garden and arboretum featuring hundreds of thousands of plants across themed gardens, walking trails, and natural areas. It offers visitor admissions, horticultural education programs, weddings and private event venue rentals, a gift shop, and membership-based community access.

Product overview

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens operates as a single unified public garden experience spanning 160 acres near the Des Moines metro area in Madrid, Iowa. The core offerings center on visitor access to cultivated gardens, extensive plant collections (oaks, nut trees, conifers, native plants), and natural areas including prairie restorations and woodland trails. Key attractions include Treehouse Village with suspension bridge, an ornamental Trial Program for evaluating plant performance in Central Iowa, and comprehensive Educational Programs for schools and groups. The organization generates revenue through membership subscriptions, event rentals (weddings, photography, corporate), gift shop sales, and public programming including seasonal concerts and wellness activities. The product portfolio functions as an integrated visitor experience rather than a modular platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Garden Admission General public access to the 160-acre gardens, trails, and natural areas for individual visitors and families.
• Annual Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Reciprocal privileges at more than 345 gardens throughout North America and Caribbean
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boy Scouts of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership program hosting Boy Scouts groups for educational nature experiences and merit badge opportunities.
• Boone County TrailsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship supporting trail access and connectivity for outdoor recreation in Boone County area.
• Iowa State University Xi Sigma PicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISU Xi Sigma Pi Forestry program hosts annual Maple Syrup Day event at the Arboretum, featuring pancake breakfast and educational demonstrations about maple syrup process, timber sports, and wood turning crafts.
• Iowa Young BirderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative program where Iowa Young Birders staff lead children in discovering birding at the Arboretum, exploring bird habitat and learning identification techniques.
• Iowa Arborist AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for KIDS CLIMB tree climbing events where the Iowa Arborist Association provides equipment (helmets, harnesses) and trained staff to assist with safe tree climbing experiences.
• American Horticultural SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in AHS Garden Network Program (GNP) providing reciprocal benefits - GNP members receive complimentary general admission to the Arboretum, and Iowa Arboretum members receive benefits at participating GNP gardens.
• Museums for AllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNAP/WIC card holders receive discounted admission (Museums for All program) to support accessibility.
• Seed Savers ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed Savers Exchange director Vivian Bernau presented at the 2026 Spring Fever Symposium on seed stories and preservation, highlighting collaborative relationship in horticultural education.
• PanAmerican Seed / Ball Horticultural CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarcus Jansen, Product Manager for PanAmerican Seed, presented at Spring Fever Symposium on plant breeding and new garden plant development, reflecting industry partnerships in trial programs.
• Iowa Natural Heritage FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent land ownership bordering Arboretum property, with shared conservation mission in the region.
• Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent land ownership bordering Arboretum property, supporting conservation and natural resource management in Iowa.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Seed Savers Exchange:

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Botanic Garden: Large-scale public garden with 27 gardens and four natural areas, operating extensive plant evaluation and trial programs. Sets the regional standard for educational programming, membership models, and event-driven revenue.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: One of the oldest botanical institutions in the U.S., operating extensive plant collections, research, and educational programming in St. Louis. Establishes the broader incumbent benchmark for horticultural excellence and trial program scale.

Regional players

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens: Madison, Wisconsin-based public botanical garden with similar offerings including gardens, education, and events. Comparable scale and Midwestern regional positioning with overlapping visitor demographics.
• Lauritzen Gardens: Omaha-based botanical garden serving the regional Midwest market. Comparable scale, membership structure, and educational programming. Regional peer in the Upper Midwest botanical garden market.

Direct peers

• Holden Forests & Gardens: Ohio-based arboretum and botanical garden combining the Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden. Operates extensive plant collections, research, and educational programs at comparable mission level.
• Morton Arboretum: Large-scale tree-focused arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. Operates plant collections, trial programs, educational programming, and membership with reciprocal networks. Closest analog in mission, collections focus, and trial program development.
• Reiman Gardens: Iowa State University-affiliated public garden in Ames, Iowa. Comparable scale and offerings including gardens, educational programming, and events. Directly competes for Iowa visitors, field trip programs, and donor support within the state.
• Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden: Direct regional peer located in the Des Moines metro. Operates as a botanical garden with educational programming, events, and memberships serving the same Central Iowa audience. Most direct competitive overlap for visitors, members, and school groups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IowaArboretum
• Instagraminstagram.com/iowa_arboretum
• Xx.com/iowaarboretum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-arboretum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Iowa Arboretum & Gardens