Memphis Botanic Garden

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.

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

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

• Botanical garden services
• Horticultural education programs
• Outdoor event venue
• Arboretum public garden
• Environmental youth education

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.

• Regions BankflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting 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.
• AutoZonemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. AutoZone logo appears among partner logos on the amphitheater website, indicating financial sponsorship support.
• Gossett Motor CarsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Gossett Motor Cars logo displayed among amphitheater partners.
• Mahaffey Event Tent RentalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Mahaffey Event Tent Rentals provides event infrastructure support.
• Lilly CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Lilly Company logo appears among amphitheater partners.
• ProShow SystemscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. ProShow Systems provides production systems for events.
• TruGreencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. TruGreen logo appears among amphitheater partners, aligning lawn/landscape services with garden venue.
• Duncan WilliamsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Radians Amphitheater. Duncan Williams logo displayed among amphitheater partners.
• The Little Garden Club of MemphisflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstrumental 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork 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.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary 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)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOn-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 AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership organization. Memphis Botanic Garden is a member, gaining access to industry resources, best practices, and networking.
• American Horticultural SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Reciprocal Garden Network, AHS members get access to MBG and MBG members can visit 345+ other gardens. Strategic partnership for membership benefits.
• Artists' LinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/memphisbotanicgarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/memphisbotanic
• Xx.com/memphisbotanic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/memphis-botanic-garden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Memphis Botanic Garden