Memphis Botanic Garden
Memphis Botanic Garden is a 96-acre nonprofit botanical garden and event venue in Memphis, Tennessee, operating 30 specialty gardens, a Level 4 Arboretum, and the 6,000-capacity Radians Amphitheater. It serves 260,000+ annual visitors and 40,000+ school children through admissions, memberships, concerts, education, weddings, and corporate events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Memphis Botanic Garden does
Memphis Botanic Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 96-acre living museum in East Memphis under contract with the City of Memphis since 1964. The campus comprises 30 specialty gardens across seven zones, a Level 4 Arboretum with 180+ tree species, a Tropical Plant House with 200+ tropical species, a 2.5-acre children's garden (My Big Backyard), and a permanent sculpture collection. The Garden serves 260,000+ annual visitors and 40,000+ school-aged children (including 102 of Memphis' 112 public schools), with education reach 3.5x the national average among large U.S. gardens.
The organization runs a diversified platform built on admissions, tiered memberships ($75-$1,000 with reciprocal access to 345+ gardens via AHS), event venue rentals across multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, the Live at the Garden concert series at the 6,000-capacity Radians Amphitheater, corporate sponsorships (Regions Bank as presenting sponsor, plus AutoZone, FedEx, TruGreen, and others), an on-site cafe and gift shop, and a planned giving program (Heirloom Society, est. 2022). The Garden is supported by a network of 21+ garden club and plant society partners, major institutional donors (FedEx, Assisi Foundation, Children's Foundation of Memphis), and dedicated staff of 51-100. Radians Amphitheater operates as a separate LLC subsidiary, and Executive Director MaryLynn Mack (2025-present) leads a board-governed organization.
Memphis Botanic Garden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Memphis Botanic Garden
- Legal name
- Memphis Botanic Garden Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://membg.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Memphis Botanic Garden is a 96-acre nonprofit botanical garden and event venue in Memphis, Tennessee, operating 30 specialty gardens, a Level 4 Arboretum, and the 6,000-capacity Radians Amphitheater. It serves 260,000+ annual visitors and 40,000+ school children through admissions, memberships, concerts, education, weddings, and corporate events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Memphis Botanic Garden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Botanical Garden and Horticultural Education
- NAICS
- Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)
- 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)
Keywords
Where Memphis Botanic Garden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Memphis Botanic Garden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- General Admission Tickets: Daily admission fees for visitors to explore the 96-acre garden. Adults $12, Seniors $10, Children 2-12 $7, under 2 free. This is the primary revenue stream for individual visitors.
- Membership Program: Annual membership tiers ranging from $75 (Individual) to $1,000 (Contributing Member). Membership provides free unlimited admission, discounts on events, reciprocal access to 345+ gardens, and other perks. Family membership starts at $125.
- Event Venue Rentals: Revenue from renting indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and celebrations. Multiple venues available including Hardin Hall (5400 sq ft), Goldsmith Room, Sara's Place, and outdoor gardens. Catering and bar services also provided.
- Live at the Garden Concert Series: Signature outdoor concert series at Radians Amphitheater featuring major artists. Tickets sold through Ticketmaster. Presented by Regions Bank with corporate sponsorship.
- On-site Food & Retail: Fratelli's Cafe operated by Kris Shelby (certified Project Green Fork restaurant) provides food service. Gift shop sells housewares, home decor, garden essentials, and branded items. Seasonal pop-up shop 'Gifts of Green' during holidays.
- Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: Corporate opportunities including event sponsorships, donations, group rates, and volunteer programs. Sponsors include Regions Bank (Live at the Garden presenting sponsor), AutoZone, Gossett Motor Cars, and others.
- Donations & Planned Giving: Tax-deductible donations supporting operations, educational programs, and horticultural displays. Heirloom Society planned giving program with various giving methods including wills, IRAs, life insurance, and appreciated securities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Daily Admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Senior Daily Admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Children Daily Admission |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Plus Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Garden Plus Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporting Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Contributing Member |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | My Big Backyard Canopy Birthday Party |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guest House Birthday Party |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Themed Birthday Party Add-On |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Garden Talks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Group Tours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wedding Ceremony Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Photography Sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Camps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Caterpillar Club Summer Camp |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
Memphis Botanic Garden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Memphis Botanic Garden operates a 96-acre public botanical garden featuring 30 specialty gardens across seven zones, a Level 4 Arboretum, Youth Education and Tropical Plant House, and My Big Backyard children's garden. The foundation sells admissions, memberships, event venue rentals, educational programs (field trips, summer camps, workshops), and hosts the Live at the Garden concert series at Radians Amphitheater, supplemented by an on-site cafe, gift shop, and donation-funded programs.
Product overview
Memphis Botanic Garden is a 96-acre not-for-profit botanical garden and event venue in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization operates as a multi-faceted platform offering horticultural displays, environmental education, and entertainment. Core offerings include the Living Collection (30 specialty gardens across seven zones, Level 4 Arboretum with 170+ tree species, Sculpture & Art Collection), Educational Programs (serving 40,000+ students annually including Field Trips, Summer Camps, Caterpillar Club preschool program, O.A.K. videos, and Garden to Grocery videos), Live Entertainment (Live at the Garden concert series at Radians Amphitheater hosting 6,000+ attendees), and Venue Services (Weddings & Private Events across 5 indoor/outdoor spaces, Birthday Parties in My Big Backyard, Corporate Events). Ancillary offerings include Fratelli's Cafe (on-site dining), Gift Shop, and Annual Memberships with tiered benefits. The property is located in Audubon Park and hosts over 260,000 visitors annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Radians Amphitheater: An outdoor concert venue at the Garden that hosts the signature Live at the Garden concert series, featuring performances by major artists in a relaxed, uniquely Memphis atmosphere.
- My Big Backyard
- Youth Education and Tropical Plant House
Products and services
- Annual Membership Program
- Live at the Garden Concert Series
- Radians Amphitheater Venue Rentals
- Weddings and Private Event Rentals
- Field Trips and School Programs
- Summer Camps at the Garden
- Caterpillar Club Preschool Program
- Children's Birthday Parties
- Adult Education Programs (Garden Talks, Workshops, Guided Tours)
- Fratelli's Cafe On-Site Dining
- Gift Shop and Garden Retail
- Professional Photography Session Permits
- Incognito Art Auction and Fundraiser
- Heirloom Society Planned Giving Program
- Corporate Sponsorship and Partnership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving over 40,000 school-aged children annually through educational programming
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Memphis Botanic Garden
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Memphis Botanic Garden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Memphis Botanic Garden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.
- Regions BankflagshipPresenting sponsor of Live at the Garden, the signature outdoor concert series at Radians Amphitheater. Regions Bank branding appears prominently on concert marketing materials and event pages. Partnership provides major event funding and brand visibility for the concert series.
- AutoZonemajorCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. AutoZone logo appears among partner logos on the amphitheater website, indicating financial sponsorship support.
- Gossett Motor CarsmajorCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Gossett Motor Cars logo displayed among amphitheater partners.
- Mahaffey Event Tent RentalscoreCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Mahaffey Event Tent Rentals provides event infrastructure support.
- Lilly CompanycoreCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Lilly Company logo appears among amphitheater partners.
- ProShow SystemscoreCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. ProShow Systems provides production systems for events.
- TruGreencoreCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. TruGreen logo appears among amphitheater partners, aligning lawn/landscape services with garden venue.
- Duncan WilliamsmajorCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Duncan Williams logo displayed among amphitheater partners.
- The Little Garden Club of MemphisflagshipInstrumental in creating My Big Backyard children's garden and continues to support Garden programs. Contributed to Sensory Garden renovation and ongoing cherry tree planting since early 1950s. Key donor and volunteer partner.
- Garden Clubs & Plant Societies (21 organizations)coreNetwork of 21 garden clubs and plant societies including Memphis Garden Club, Memphis Herb Society, Memphis Orchid Society, Evergreen Garden Club, and others. Partners receive meeting space, discounts, and collaborative programming opportunities.
- TicketmastercorePrimary ticketing platform for Live at the Garden concert series. Provides online ticket sales and venue ticketing services for Radians Amphitheater events.
- Fratelli's Cafe (Kris Shelby)coreOn-site cafe operator providing food service. Kris Shelby prepares fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Restaurant is certified Project Green Fork for sustainable practices. Operates Mon-Sat 11am-2pm.
- American Public Gardens AssociationcoreProfessional membership organization. Memphis Botanic Garden is a member, gaining access to industry resources, best practices, and networking.
- American Horticultural SocietycoreThrough Reciprocal Garden Network, AHS members get access to MBG and MBG members can visit 345+ other gardens. Strategic partnership for membership benefits.
- Artists' LinkcoreSupporting partner for Incognito Art Auction & Party. Artists' Link connects Mid-South artists with the Garden's art auction program.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Memphis Botanic Garden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens: A 55-acre nonprofit botanical garden and historic estate in Nashville, Tennessee offering gardens, art exhibitions, and educational programming. Highly comparable as a Tennessee/regional peer with a similar horticultural-plus-events business model.
- Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: A 66-acre nonprofit botanical garden in Dallas with specialty gardens, seasonal events, education programs, and venue rentals. Closely matches MBG's mix of horticulture, paid events (concerts, seasonal festivals), and youth education.
- Chicago Botanic Garden: A 385-acre nonprofit botanical garden with 27 specialty gardens, education programs, and event venue operations. Comparable as a mission-aligned peer with similar programming mix, though at substantially larger scale.
- Missouri Botanical Garden: A 79-acre nonprofit botanical garden in St. Louis offering horticultural displays, education, and event venues. Directly comparable in mission, scale, programming mix (admissions, memberships, events, education), and nonprofit funding model.
- Huntsville Botanical Garden: A 112-acre nonprofit botanical garden in Alabama with specialty gardens, education programs, and a children's garden. Comparable as a Southeastern U.S. regional peer with similar size, programming, and visitor mix.
- Atlanta Botanical Garden: A 30-acre nonprofit botanical garden in Atlanta featuring specialty gardens, a tropical conservatory, and major event programming. Comparable in operating model, membership tiers, children's garden offerings, and concert/festival programming.
Broad incumbents
- Longwood Gardens: A 1,077-acre nonprofit botanical garden in Pennsylvania known for its conservatory, fountains, and performing arts programming. Comparable as a mission-aligned peer with concerts and events, but operates as a much larger, more tourism-oriented institution.
- Biltmore Estate: A 8,000-acre estate in Asheville, NC with formal gardens, event venues, and hospitality. Overlaps with MBG on garden experiences, weddings, and ticketed events, but is a for-profit operation at vastly larger scale.
- New York Botanical Garden: A 250-acre nonprofit botanical garden in the Bronx offering extensive education, research, and event programming. A larger, more established peer with a broader research mission; comparable in core business model but operates at materially greater scale and budget.
Others
- American Public Gardens Association: The professional association for public gardens of which MBG is a member. Relevant as an industry/network peer and benchmarking organization, though not a direct operating competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Memphis Botanic Garden social profiles
Digital presenceMemphis Botanic Garden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Memphis Botanic Garden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Memphis Botanic Garden subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Memphis Botanic Garden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Memphis Botanic Garden M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Memphis Botanic Garden
What does Memphis Botanic Garden do?
Memphis Botanic Garden operates a 96-acre public botanical garden featuring 30 specialty gardens across seven zones, a Level 4 Arboretum, Youth Education and Tropical Plant House, and My Big Backyard children's garden. The foundation sells admissions, memberships, event venue rentals, educational programs (field trips, summer camps, workshops), and hosts the Live at the Garden concert series at Radians Amphitheater, supplemented by an on-site cafe, gift shop, and donation-funded programs.
Is Memphis Botanic Garden a public or private company?
Memphis Botanic Garden is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Memphis Botanic Garden founded?
Memphis Botanic Garden was founded in 1964. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Memphis Botanic Garden based?
Memphis Botanic Garden is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Memphis Botanic Garden make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. General Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, event Venue Rentals, live at the Garden Concert Series, on-site Food & Retail, corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships and donations & Planned Giving.
Who are Memphis Botanic Garden's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden, Huntsville Botanical Garden and Atlanta Botanical Garden. Broad incumbents are Longwood Gardens, Biltmore Estate and New York Botanical Garden. American Public Gardens Association is listed as an others.
Does Memphis Botanic Garden have an API?
No public API is recorded for Memphis Botanic Garden.
What industry is Memphis Botanic Garden in?
Memphis Botanic Garden's product category is Public Botanical Garden and Horticultural Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAL, Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections), with a secondary code of THAJACAH, Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions. Its NAICS code is 71213 and its SIC code is 7997.