Calder Gardens
Calder Gardens is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to sculptor Alexander Calder's legacy. Opened September 2025 after a $70M capital campaign, it presents exhibitions, gardens, and programming to the general public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Calder Gardens does
Calder Gardens is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit cultural institution dedicated exclusively to the work and legacy of sculptor Alexander Calder. The institution opened to the public on September 21, 2025, on a purpose-built site along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron with landscape design by Piet Oudolf. It presents rotating exhibitions, permanent-collection displays drawn from the Calder Foundation's holdings, and immersive garden installations intended to contextualize Calder's sculptural practice within a landscape-architecture setting. The institution operates in formal partnership with both the Calder Foundation and the adjacent Barnes Foundation.
Operationally, Calder Gardens runs a multi-format programming slate that includes signature series such as Artists as Gardens, Silent Days, and the Moon Alignment Series, alongside standard exhibition rotations and educational offerings. Curatorial leadership is provided by Senior Director of Programs Juana Berrío, and the institution's brand identity — including a "CA" trademark — was developed with Studio Tribute. A free July admission initiative was deployed during the opening year to broaden first-year public access.
The revenue model combines individual ticket sales ($18 adult admission), a tiered individual membership program ($98–$550), a newly launched Corporate Council sponsorship tier for institutional/B2B support, private donations, and draw from an endowment funded by a $70 million capital campaign closed prior to opening. Calder Gardens also shares a reciprocal membership and co-branded Plus ticketing arrangement with the Barnes Foundation, creating bundled value across the two Parkway institutions. The institution reports a headcount of 11–50 employees, consistent with a small-to-mid-scale cultural nonprofit in its inaugural operating year.
Calder Gardens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Calder Gardens
- Legal name
- Barnes Foundation
- Website
- https://caldergardens.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Calder Gardens is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to sculptor Alexander Calder's legacy. Opened September 2025 after a $70M capital campaign, it presents exhibitions, gardens, and programming to the general public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Calder Gardens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Museum and Cultural Institution
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
Keywords
Where Calder Gardens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Calder Gardens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: General admission tickets sold directly through the website and at the door. Adult tickets are $18, seniors $16, youth (13-18) and college students with ID are $5, children 12 and under are free.
- Membership Program: Annual memberships starting at $98 provide unlimited free admission to Calder Gardens and the Barnes Foundation, exclusive morning access, guest passes, shop discounts, and dining discounts. Membership auto-renewal is available.
- Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations support areas of greatest need. Contributions made via the Barnes Foundation. Additional giving circles include Friends of Calder Gardens ($10,000/year) and International Friend ($25,000/year).
- Merchandise Sales: The Calder Gardens Shop sells books, prints, gifts, clothing, accessories, and paper goods featuring reproductions of Calder's work.
- Guided Experiences: In-Depth Contemplation Walks offered daily at 11:30am and 1:30pm for $30 (members $15), including admission. Private walks available for groups up to 10.
- Commissioned Events and Performances: Ticketed performances and concerts such as the Artists as Gardens commission series. Prices vary; e.g., Gryphon Rue concert at $65 (members $50).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Adults |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Seniors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Youth/Students |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Children |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Contemplation Walks |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Patron |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Contributor |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Supporter |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Sustainer |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - National |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Artists as Gardens Commission Concert |
| Subscription | Annual | Friends of Calder Gardens |
| Subscription | Annual | International Friend |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Calder Gardens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Calder Gardens is a nonprofit cultural institution that presents a rotating installation of Alexander Calder's artworks spanning his 50-year career, displayed in an 18,000-square-foot building designed by Herzog & de Meuron surrounded by gardens designed by Piet Oudolf. It generates revenue through general admission tickets ($18 adults), guided Contemplation Walks ($30), tiered memberships ($98-$550/year), donor programs, ticketed performances, and merchandise sales. The institution combines art, architecture, and landscape to offer contemplative cultural experiences distinct from traditional museums.
Product overview
Calder Gardens is a cultural institution and rotating art installation dedicated to Alexander Calder's work, featuring a 18,000-square-foot building designed by Herzog & de Meuron surrounded by gardens designed by Piet Oudolf. The core offering consists of general admission tickets ($18 adults) to view rotating installations of Calder's artworks spanning his 50-year career, plus guided Contemplation Walks ($30). The institution offers tiered membership programs (Patron through Sustainer, $98-$550/year) providing reciprocal benefits with the Barnes Foundation. Programming includes ongoing series such as Silent Days (monthly quiet hours), Moon Alignment Series (lunar meditation), Pictures in Motion (film series), Artists as Gardens (commissioned contemporary art), and People Talking (conversations). Donor programs include Friends of Calder Gardens ($10,000-$25,000/year) and Circles membership. A retail shop sells Calder-related merchandise. The institution opened September 21, 2025, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- General Admission Tickets Daytime admission tickets to Calder Gardens to view rotating installation of Alexander Calder's artworks and Piet Oudolf-designed gardens. Adults $18, Seniors $16, Youth 13-18 $5, Children 12 and under free. Free for ACCESS/EBT cardholders, Philadelphia K-12 teachers, and active-duty US service members from Armed Forces Day to Labor Day.
- Contemplation Walks 45-minute intimate guided experiences through indoor and outdoor spaces led by specially trained guides. Available daily at 11:30am and 1:30pm. $30 for non-members (includes admission); $15 for members. Limited to 10 visitors per walk. Private walks available by calling 215.278.7250.
- Membership Program Tiered annual membership offering unlimited free admission to Calder Gardens and Barnes Foundation, exclusive morning access, guest passes, shop/restaurant discounts, and reciprocal benefits at partner museums. Tiers include Patron ($98/year), Contributor ($170/year), Supporter ($290/year), Sustainer ($550/year), and National ($75/year for those living more than 200 miles away).
- Silent Days Monthly after-hours program (5-7pm) offering reduced-capacity access to galleries and gardens dedicated to silence and sensory awareness. Visitors are asked to remain in silence, refrain from electronic devices, and may meditate, read, sketch, or observe.
- Moon Alignment Series Monthly contemplative meditation practice held twice per month coinciding with full and new moons. Includes walking meditation, silent meditation, and closing reflections led by the Contemplative Arts Fellow.
- Pictures in Motion Film and video art series presenting moving-image works including experimental cinema, artist films, and documentaries organized around themes reflecting Calder Gardens' curatorial focus on motion, time, and sound.
- Artists as Gardens Commissions series inviting contemporary artists to conceive time-based programs including performances, healing practices, screenings, workshops, and discursive events over extended periods. First commission: Gryphon Rue concert 'Cave Rainbow in Negative Color' on March 21, 2026, priced at $65 ($50 members).
- People Talking Conversations series expanding on themes relevant to Calder Gardens and contemporary culture, centering storytelling and interdisciplinary dialogues.
- Friends of Calder Gardens Donor program bringing together arts patrons, horticulture enthusiasts, and philanthropists with invitations to exclusive social events, special access to programming, and travel opportunities. Tiers include Friend ($10,000/year) and International Friend ($25,000/year).
- Corporate Council Membership Corporate membership program offering complimentary admission, exclusive event invitations, and hosting capabilities. Supports community programs, curatorial initiatives, horticultural care, and garden maintenance.
- Calder Gardens Shop Physical and online shop offering books, prints, gifts, clothing, accessories, and paper goods featuring reproductions of Alexander Calder's work. Does not carry Calder-inspired jewelry or mobiles per the artist's legacy.
Companies that use Calder Gardens
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Calder Gardens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Calder Gardens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Piet OudolfcoreInternationally acclaimed Dutch landscape designer joined the project in 2021. Designed the naturalistic four-season gardens featuring over 250 plant varieties and approximately 37,000 perennials. Oudolf's approach celebrates plants through all phases, creating gardens that evolve beautifully through each season.
- Herzog & de MeuroncorePritzker Prize-winning architecture firm selected as Design Consultants in 2020. Responsible for the building's design, featuring softly reflective metal cladding that blurs boundaries between architecture and nature. The almost 18,000 sq ft structure is sheathed in metal cladding and includes galleries illuminated by natural light. Ballinger serves as Executive Architects for the project.
- Barnes FoundationcoreProvides administrative, operational, and educational programming support to Calder Gardens through an innovative resource-sharing model. Calder Gardens is a registered name of the Barnes Foundation. The Barnes is the responsible party for privacy policy and terms of service. Located at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, approximately 500 yards from Calder Gardens.
- Calder FoundationcoreProvides the curatorial vision and collection access for Calder Gardens. Founded in 1987 by Alexander S.C. Rower and the Calder family. Retains all rights to works of art by Alexander Calder depicted on the site. Alexander S.C. Rower serves as President of the Calder Foundation, Chair of the Calder Gardens Curatorial Committee, and is Calder's grandson.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Calder Gardens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Naumkeag (The Trustees of Reservations): Historic estate with designed gardens that integrates landscape design and cultural programming. Comparable as a smaller-scale site pairing designed gardens with visitor programming and donor-supported nonprofit governance.
Direct peers
- Storm King Art Center: Large-scale outdoor sculpture park in New York's Hudson Valley combining monumental sculpture with landscape design. Closest U.S. comparable to Calder Gardens' integration of sculpture and designed landscape, with comparable ticketed admission, membership, and seasonal visitation dynamics.
- Longwood Gardens: Major Pennsylvania public garden destination with ticketed admission, tiered memberships, and donor programs. Comparable in its combination of designed horticulture, ticketed access, and nonprofit governance with substantial donor support.
- The Calder Foundation (Alexander S.C. Rower): Curatorial partner that controls the Calder artworks exhibited at Calder Gardens. While not a ticketed venue itself, it is the institutional steward of the same artistic legacy and the primary upstream supplier of content for Calder Gardens.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art: Major Philadelphia art museum at the opposite end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, serving the same cultural-tourism and local resident audiences with ticketed exhibitions and membership programs. Direct comparator for visitor volume and membership pricing benchmarks.
- Barnes Foundation: Adjacent Philadelphia art museum on the same Benjamin Franklin Parkway; provides operational, administrative, and membership support to Calder Gardens and offers reciprocal admission to its members. Effectively a sister institution rather than a competitor, but it is the closest direct functional comparable in scale, audience, and business model.
- Rodin Museum: Single-artist sculpture museum also located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Highly comparable operating model: small site, single-artist focus, garden component, and lean staffing — useful benchmark for visitation and membership economics.
Regional players
- The Fabric Workshop and Museum: Philadelphia-based contemporary art museum with residency-based programming and nonprofit governance. Comparable as a Philadelphia contemporary art venue with experimental programming, though focused on textile-based and resident artist output rather than sculpture.
- Institute of Contemporary Art (University of Pennsylvania): Free-admission contemporary art venue on the University of Pennsylvania campus near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Comparable as a Philadelphia contemporary art venue targeting similar audiences, though operating with a free-admission model rather than ticketed.
Others
- Piet Oudolf-designed public gardens (e.g., High Line, Lurie Garden): Other public landscapes designed by Piet Oudolf share the same horticultural DNA and design language. Comparable for horticulture-driven visitation, but they are free public parks rather than ticketed cultural institutions and therefore indirect peers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Calder Gardens social profiles
Digital presenceCalder Gardens compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Calder Gardens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calder Gardens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Calder Gardens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calder Gardens 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 Calder Gardens
What does Calder Gardens do?
Calder Gardens is a nonprofit cultural institution that presents a rotating installation of Alexander Calder's artworks spanning his 50-year career, displayed in an 18,000-square-foot building designed by Herzog & de Meuron surrounded by gardens designed by Piet Oudolf. It generates revenue through general admission tickets ($18 adults), guided Contemplation Walks ($30), tiered memberships ($98-$550/year), donor programs, ticketed performances, and merchandise sales. The institution combines art, architecture, and landscape to offer contemplative cultural experiences distinct from traditional museums.
Is Calder Gardens a public or private company?
Calder Gardens is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Calder Gardens founded?
Calder Gardens was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Calder Gardens based?
Calder Gardens is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Calder Gardens make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, donations and Annual Fund, merchandise Sales, guided Experiences and commissioned Events and Performances.
Who are Calder Gardens's main competitors?
Naumkeag (The Trustees of Reservations) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Storm King Art Center, Longwood Gardens, The Calder Foundation (Alexander S.C. Rower), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation and Rodin Museum. Regional players are The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Institute of Contemporary Art (University of Pennsylvania). Piet Oudolf-designed public gardens (e.g., High Line, Lurie Garden) is listed as an others.
Does Calder Gardens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calder Gardens.
What industry is Calder Gardens in?
Calder Gardens's product category is Art Museum and Cultural Institution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAJACAH, Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.