The Arboretum At Penn State

What The Arboretum At Penn State does

The Arboretum at Penn State is a public garden and educational facility operated as a department of The Pennsylvania State University under Penn State Outreach, located on the University Park campus in University Park, Pennsylvania. The organization's core offering is free public access—open daily from dawn until dusk—to the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens (including the Rose and Fragrance Garden, Pollinator and Bird Garden, and Childhood's Gate Children's Garden) and the surrounding Natural Lands (including old-growth forest patches, Hartley Wood, Marsh Meadow, and the Wildflower Trail). The facility maintains curated, documented plant collections with measurable scale (54+ white pines, 2,500+ milkweed specimens spanning seven species, 200+ rose specimens across 50 cultivars, 65 witch hazel specimens, 31 pawpaw specimens, 40+ iris varieties, and 20+ crabapple varieties) that also serve as a living laboratory for university research.

The business model is a hybrid of freemium public access and diversified small-ticket revenue streams. Direct revenue is generated through venue rentals (Overlook Pavilion, Event Lawn, and garden spaces for weddings and private events), fee-based structured programs (Yoga in the Gardens at $12–$15 per session with multi-session discounts), and charitable donations through a "Make a Gift" program. Operating costs are largely underwritten by institutional funding from Penn State, and the facility leverages a volunteer and Master Gardener network to expand programming capacity beyond its 13-person staff. Distribution is primarily walk-in public access supplemented by group tours, guided walks, online program registration, and venue rental inquiries.

The organization operates as a community- and event-driven institution targeting five primary segments: general public visitors seeking recreation and nature appreciation; families and youth groups participating in educational programming; schools and educational organizations booking guided tours and field trips; corporate and private clients renting event venues; and wellness enthusiasts attending structured activities such as yoga. Marketing is executed through a content-led digital approach centered on the arboretum.psu.edu website, an email newsletter, an event calendar, and periodic news articles, with no paid acquisition or app-based channel. There are no indications of M&A activity, venture investment, or independent commercial scaling; the entity is wholly embedded within Penn State's institutional governance structure.

Name

The Arboretum At Penn State

Legal name

The Arboretum at Penn State

Website

https://arboretum.psu.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arboretum at Penn State is a university-operated public garden in University Park, PA, offering free daily access to botanic gardens, natural lands, and curated plant collections while generating supplemental revenue through venue rentals, fee-based programs, donations, and Penn State institutional funding for the general public, families, schools, and event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Botanical Garden Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Public botanical garden
• Educational garden programs
• Venue rental services
• Plant collection research
• Community horticulture events

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Rentals: The arboretum generates revenue through renting facilities for weddings, events, and private gatherings at various venues including the Overlook Pavilion and other event spaces.
2. Program Fees: Fees collected for structured programs such as Yoga in the Gardens sessions at $12-$15 per session, with discounts available for multi-session registrations and special rates for volunteers and students.
3. Donations and Gifts: Accepts charitable donations through its 'Make a Gift' program and recognizes donors through its 'Thanks to Our Donors' page, suggesting a donations-based revenue stream.
4. University Funding: As part of Penn State Outreach, the arboretum receives institutional funding from the university, which supports operations and development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Arboretum at Penn State is a public university botanical garden that provides free daily access to curated plant collections, themed gardens, and natural lands at its University Park, Pennsylvania site. It monetizes through fee-based educational programs, youth programs, guided walks, yoga sessions, weddings and venue rentals, and special events, while supporting university research and community horticulture education.

Product overview

The Arboretum at Penn State is a university botanical garden offering a unified portfolio of garden experiences, educational programs, and venue services. The core offering centers on the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens with themed garden areas (Rose and Fragrance Garden, Pollinator and Bird Garden, Childhood's Gate Children's Garden) and Natural Lands including old-growth forest and wildflower trails. Supporting offerings include structured Educational Programs (Nature Sketching, Discovery Drop-In, Story Circle), Youth Programs, Guided Walks and Tours, and Yoga in the Gardens seasonal sessions. Digital services include the Arboretum Explorer Tool for plant collection exploration. Venue services encompass weddings and rentals at facilities including Overlook Pavilion and Event Lawn. Special annual events include Nittany Lights, Star Party, and seasonal festivals. The organization also maintains extensive documented plant collections serving research and educational purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lincoln CavernsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincoln Caverns educators partner with the arboretum to provide educational cave and fossil-related programs for children, including PA Paleo and Crazy About Caves workshops that teach paleontology and speleology concepts.
• Penn State University Libraries Conservation CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with the arboretum to offer papermaking workshops, providing conservation and creative arts education using the arboretum's natural setting.
• Central Pennsylvania ObserversminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmateur astronomy group provides telescopes and expertise for Star Party events, enabling public stargazing experiences at the arboretum.
• Penn State Master GardenerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn State Extension Master Gardener educators deliver programming including Trees with Penn State Master Gardeners walks and other plant-focused educational sessions, leveraging university horticulture expertise.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York Botanical Garden: A 250-acre botanical garden in the Bronx operating extensive plant collections, educational programs, research, and venue rentals. Comparable as a flagship public botanical garden with curated collections, youth education, and event-based revenue streams.
• Longwood Gardens: A large public garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, offering curated plant collections, educational programs, ticketed admission, and major event hosting. Comparable as a Pennsylvania-based garden with a similar mix of collections, programs, and venue rentals.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: A National Historic Landmark botanical garden in St. Louis offering extensive plant collections, research, education, and ticketed admission. Comparable as a large public garden with research, conservation, and education programs.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: A research arboretum managed by Harvard University in Boston. It is a directly comparable university-affiliated arboretum offering free public access, curated plant collections, research partnerships, and educational programming.
• UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden: A 100-acre public garden operated by the University of California, Davis, offering plant collections, teaching gardens, and free public access. Comparable as a university-affiliated arboretum with research, education, and community engagement.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: A 385-acre public botanical garden operated in partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Comparable as a large public garden offering educational programs, research, venue rentals, and visitor amenities — a model of programmatic diversification.
• United States Botanic Garden: A federally operated public botanical garden in Washington, D.C., offering free admission, plant collections, and educational programming. Comparable as a free-admission public garden focused on education and curated collections.
• Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania: A 92-acre public arboretum operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It is the closest comparable peer — a university-affiliated arboretum offering gardens, educational programs, venue rentals, and visitor access on the East Coast.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: A 52-acre public botanical garden in Brooklyn offering themed plant collections, youth and adult education, and event programming. Comparable as an urban public garden with similar mix of education, collections, and community engagement.
• Cornell Botanic Gardens: A university-affiliated botanical garden operated by Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offering plant collections, natural areas, and educational programming. Comparable as an Ivy-adjacent land-grant university arboretum with a similar mix of gardens, natural lands, and free public access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-arboretum-at-penn-state

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Arboretum At Penn State