Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

What Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College does

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College is a nonprofit educational arboretum and botanical garden operated as a unit of Swarthmore College on the college's campus at 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The institution functions as a public horticulture education platform, offering free admission to its grounds 365 days a year from dawn to dusk, supplemented by guided tours, adult programs, youth and family programs, wellness activities (forest bathing, yoga, sound baths), and seasonal celebrations. It serves a hybrid audience spanning the general public, horticulture and landscape professionals, Swarthmore College students and faculty, families with children, and dedicated gardening enthusiasts.

Its core offerings include guided in-person and virtual tours (including a YouTube-hosted Virtual Lunchtime Tour series), two annual industry conferences (the 30th Woody Plant Conference co-sponsored with Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and the Perennial Plant Conference co-sponsored with the Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group), and the Arboretum Explorer interactive web map for navigating plant collections and amenities. The Scott Associates membership program (operating since 1971) provides access to a 1,300+ book horticultural library, the quarterly Hybrid newsletter, members-only events, and garden trips. A volunteer network supports 60+ educational programs annually, and an Intern Travel Fund has operated for nearly 20 years.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring Scott Associates membership dues and donations, conference registration fees ($30-$149 per attendee), tribute gifts (dedicated trees and benches), and proceeds from special events. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the physical campus, the scottarboretum.org website, and digital channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or external funding are disclosed; the organization operates as a mission-driven nonprofit without independent investors.

Name

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

Legal name

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

Website

https://scottarboretum.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College is a nonprofit educational arboretum on Swarthmore College's campus offering free public access, horticultural programming, annual industry conferences, and a membership program serving visitors, professionals, and the college community in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Garden and Horticultural Education Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Horticultural education
• Public garden access
• Botanical collections
• Garden programming
• Plant science conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Swarthmore

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. Membership (Scott Associates): Annual membership program offering benefits including access to horticultural library (1,300+ books and thousands of magazines/catalogs), trips to other gardens, exclusive members-only events, and the Hybrid quarterly newsletter
2. Donations: Public donations supporting educational programming, horticultural displays, and intern travel fund
3. Conference Registration: Revenue from annual conferences including Woody Plant Conference ($119-$149) and Perennial Plant Conference ($30-$149)
4. Dedicated Gifts: Tribute gifts including dedicated trees and benches
5. Event Proceeds: Proceeds from special events and seasonal celebrations supporting the Arboretum

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College operates a horticultural arboretum and botanical garden on the Swarthmore College campus, offering free year-round public access to curated plant collections alongside paid educational programs, guided tours, wellness activities, seasonal celebrations, and two annual professional horticulture conferences. Its offerings include adult and youth programs, the Scott Associates membership program, and virtual programming for remote audiences.

Product overview

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College is a horticultural organization that operates as a single unified offering centered on public horticulture education and garden experiences. The core service consists of 365-day public garden access, supplemented by diverse programming including guided tours (in-person and virtual via YouTube), adult and youth educational programs, wellness activities like forest bathing, and seasonal special events. The organization hosts two major annual conferences (Woody Plant Conference and Perennial Plant Conference) and provides digital tools including the Arboretum Explorer interactive map and virtual garden tours. Membership is offered through the Scott Associates program (since 1971) providing access to publications like the quarterly Hybrid newsletter and the horticultural library. The portfolio also includes volunteer and internship programs funded through donations, with annual impact reports documenting organizational activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Tours and Programs Guided walking tours of the arboretum grounds led by horticulture staff, including highlights tours, green roof tours, and virtual lunchtime tours, available for adult and youth groups.
• Adult Programs Educational programming for adults including lectures, guided tours, and wellness activities such as forest bathing, offered both in-person and virtually.
• Youth & Family Programs Nature exploration activities for children and families including instructor-led and self-guided experiences designed to engage young nature explorers.
• Woody Plant Conference Annual day-long conference (30th year in 2026) focusing on great woody plants for the Mid-Atlantic region, co-sponsored with Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Registration priced $119–$149 per person.
• Perennial Plant Conference Annual day-long conference (since 1983) bringing together experts on perennials for educational presentations on deer-resistant design, native plants, and herbaceous plantings. Registration priced $30–$149 per person.
• Scott Associates Membership Annual membership program (since 1971) granting access to horticultural lectures, unlimited use of the horticultural library with 1,300+ books and thousands of magazines and catalogs, trips to other gardens, and members-only events.
• Special Events & Celebrations Seasonal celebrations and horticultural events including the Hidden Gardens fall celebration, Ohara School of Ikebana Exhibition, and related holiday programming, with proceeds supporting the arboretum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 horticulture-related educational programs and special events provided to public annually by volunteers

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ChanticleercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Woody Plant Conference and Perennial Plant Conference. Chanticleer is a premier public garden in Wayne, PA, and partnership provides conference content expertise and industry credibility.
• Longwood GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Woody Plant Conference and Perennial Plant Conference. Longwood Gardens is a world-renowned horticultural institution in Kennett Square, PA, providing expert speakers and industry leadership.
• Morris Arboretum & GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Woody Plant Conference. Philadelphia's official arboretum provides expertise and collaborative programming for regional horticultural education.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Woody Plant Conference and Perennial Plant Conference. Regional nonprofit horticultural organization supporting garden education and programming across Pennsylvania.
• Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Perennial Plant Conference. Regional organization of perennial plant enthusiasts providing expert speakers and collaborative programming.
• Park Avenue Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wellness programming including Solstice Yoga and Sound Bath events. Community wellness collaboration promoting health activities in the outdoor setting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tyler Arboretum: Arboretum in nearby Delaware County, PA, with a directly comparable mix of public-garden access, horticultural collections, educational programs for adults and children, and event-based revenue. Operates at a similar scale to Scott, making it one of the most direct size-and-model peers.
• Longwood Gardens: World-renowned public garden in Kennett Square, PA, and direct co-sponsor of Scott Arboretum's Woody Plant and Perennial Plant Conferences. Operates a comparable mix of curated plant collections, paid/educational programming, membership, and signature events, making it the closest benchmark for Scott's operating model within the Mid-Atlantic.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Major urban botanical garden offering curated plant collections, memberships, adult and youth education, and signature events. Operates a very similar product mix to Scott at greater scale, serving as a relevant direct peer for benchmarking revenue mix and programming depth.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Regional nonprofit horticultural organization and core co-sponsor of Scott's annual plant conferences. Highly comparable as a horticultural-education and advocacy peer with overlapping programming and donor pools in the same Mid-Atlantic market.
• Chanticleer: Premier public garden in Wayne, PA, and direct co-sponsor of Scott's annual horticultural conferences. Closely aligned in regional focus on the Mid-Atlantic climate, plant curation expertise, and educational programming for horticulture professionals and enthusiasts.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Research-focused arboretum operated by Harvard University. Closely comparable in being a college-affiliated arboretum stewarding curated woody-plant collections, delivering public education, and offering membership/library programs — a strong functional peer despite geographic distance.
• Morris Arboretum & Gardens: Philadelphia's official arboretum and co-sponsor of the Woody Plant Conference. Shares Scott's arboretum identity, public-garden operations, and university-adjacent institutional context, making it a directly comparable peer for collections and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: Large, established botanical institution with a wide portfolio including curated collections, adult education, family programs, events, and ticketed experiences. Functions as a broader-incumbent peer operating at significantly greater scale in an adjacent Northeastern market.
• United States Botanic Garden: Federal public garden in Washington, DC, offering curated plant collections and educational programming free to the public. Operates a similar free-admission, education-led model to Scott, making it relevant for benchmarking how publicly funded gardens sustain programming without ticket revenue.

Regional players

• Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library: Delaware-based garden, museum, and library complex with horticultural programs and a paid ticketing/membership model. Comparable as a regional horticulture-and-education attraction in the same Mid-Atlantic footprint, though its museum component makes Scott a more direct garden-only peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvC0UHVbLbJyN7RSjVJDHYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/scottarboretum
• Instagraminstagram.com/scott_arboretum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scott-arboretum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College