Massachusetts Horticultural Society

What Massachusetts Horticultural Society does

Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1829 and headquartered at the Garden at Elm Bank, a 36-acre botanical garden in Wellesley, Massachusetts, less than 20 miles from Downtown Boston. The organization operates one of the oldest horticultural societies in the United States, maintaining twelve display gardens and a historic estate featuring the Cheney-Baltzell Manor House designed by Carrere and Hastings and gardens laid out by the Olmsted Brothers in 1907. Its mission is to promote horticulture for the public good through garden access, education, and community programming.

MHS generates revenue across six primary streams: tiered memberships ($55 individual to $1,000 Cultivator Circle, plus $200-$600 organizational tiers), garden admission and event tickets ($14 adult admission, $20-$25 special events), wedding and private event venue rentals at the Garden at Elm Bank, fees for classes and workshops (botanical art, ecological horticulture, horticulture foundations), donations and grants (including a $600,000 state grant for Manor House stabilization), and photography session bookings. Signature events include Tulip Mania (75,000+ tulips on display), Sunflower Spectacular, the New England Fall Flower Show, and Festival of Trees (18,000+ annual attendees).

The organization serves individual gardeners and families as its primary segments, alongside garden clubs, schools, wedding and corporate event hosts, and corporate volunteer groups. It distributes services through its own website (masshort.org), phone and mail enrollment, walk-up admissions, and a network of over 70 Green Partner nurseries across New England. Technology infrastructure is built on HubSpot CMS with Stripe payments, Tripleseat for private event bookings, Cognito Forms for class registration, Better Impact for volunteer management, and Elfsight for the event calendar. The organization also pursues historic preservation through active projects including the Olmsted Asian Garden Restoration and the Manor House Stabilization initiative.

Name

Massachusetts Horticultural Society

Legal name

Massachusetts Horticultural Society

Website

https://masshort.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1829

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Massachusetts Horticultural Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1829 that operates the 36-acre Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA, generating revenue from memberships, signature festivals, wedding venue rentals, educational classes, and donations to serve gardeners, families, schools, and event hosts across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Horticultural Society Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

Keywords

• Horticultural society
• Botanical garden
• Horticulture education
• Garden venue rental
• Flower show events

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellesley

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues ranging from $55 for Individual to $1,000 for Cultivator Circle, plus organizational memberships at $200-$600. 100% of membership is tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Event Tickets and Admission: Garden admission fees ($14 adults, $5 youth), special event tickets (Tulip Mania $20 adults, Fall Flower Show $25 adults), and festival admissions (Festival of Trees).
3. Venue Rentals: Private event and wedding venue rentals at the Garden at Elm Bank and Hunnewell Building. Includes corporate events, social gatherings, and weddings with customizable indoor/outdoor configurations.
4. Educational Programs: Fees for classes, workshops, certificate programs including botanical art, ecological horticulture, and 10-week horticulture foundations courses. Also includes youth education programs.
5. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations, planned giving, IRA QCD gifts, stock transfers, car donations, and corporate sponsorships. Received $600,000 state grant for Manor House stabilization.
6. Photography Sessions: Portrait photography sessions ($85), group bookings ($450), and marketing/stylized sessions at the Garden at Elm Bank venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Massachusetts Horticultural Society operates a 36-acre botanical garden (Garden at Elm Bank) in Wellesley, MA, and sells memberships, event tickets, classes, and venue rentals around it. Core offerings include signature flower festivals (Tulip Mania, Fall Flower Show, Festival of Trees), tiered memberships, educational classes in horticulture and botanical art, and wedding/private event venue rentals. The organization also runs youth education, volunteer programs, and historic landscape conservation projects.

Product overview

Massachusetts Horticultural Society operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1829, offering a unified portfolio of horticulture-focused products and services centered around the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA. The core offerings include: (1) Public garden access and signature seasonal events (Tulip Mania, Sunflower Spectacular, Fall Flower Show, Festival of Trees, Christmas in July) that draw visitors for flower displays and educational experiences; (2) Membership programs providing garden admission, class discounts, and Green Partners retail discounts across personal and organizational tiers; (3) Educational programming through classes and workshops in botanical art, horticulture, ecological gardening, and ikebana; (4) Wedding and private event venue rental services utilizing the garden's twelve outdoor spaces and historic indoor venues; (5) Youth education and volunteer programs; and (6) Historic conservation projects including the Olmsted Asian Garden Restoration and Manor House Stabilization. The organization also accepts donations through multiple channels and maintains a curated vendor collection for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Garden at Elm Bank: A 36-acre botanical garden venue operated by MHS in Wellesley, MA, featuring twelve display gardens and historic estate architecture.

Products and services

• Garden at Elm Bank
• MHS Membership Programs
• Classes & Educational Programs
• New England Fall Flower Show
• Tulip Mania
• Sunflower Spectacular
• Festival of Trees
• Christmas in July
• Weddings & Private Event Venue Rental
• Youth Education Programs
• Volunteer Programs
• Photography Sessions
• Book a Speaker / Plantmobile
• Vendor Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ annual visitors to Festival of Trees alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Green Partners (70+ Nurseries and Garden Centers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of nurseries and garden centers across Massachusetts and New England offering retail discounts to MHS members. Includes Weston Nurseries, Mahoney's Garden Center, Briggs Nursery, and many others. Discount program drives membership value and cross-promotion.
• Preferred Vendors (Weddings & Events)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurated collection of vendors including caterers, planners, florists, photographers, bands/DJs, rental companies, transportation, and accommodations. Vendors vetted and recommended for events at Garden at Elm Bank.
• American Horticultural Society (AHS) Garden NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHS is a member of AHS Garden Network, providing reciprocal admission benefits to members visiting gardens across North America. Members receive free or discounted admission to participating gardens.
• Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation partner enabling donors to turn unwanted vehicles into cash for MHS programs. CARS handles pickup, sale, and tax documentation for car donations.
• Card to Culture Program PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Mass Cultural Council, Department of Transitional Assistance, WIC Nutrition Program, and Massachusetts Health Connector providing discounted garden admission ($5 adults, free children) for EBT and WIC cardholders.
• Bartlett Tree ExpertscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the New England Fall Flower Show, contributing to the premier horticultural exhibition event in the region.
• Perennial Plant AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presenter of Spring Perennial Plant Symposium, bringing expert speakers and horticultural education content to MHS events.
• Van Berkum NurseryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-run New Hampshire grower and speaker sponsor for Spring Perennial Plant Symposium, known for hardy, environmentally responsible perennials with focus on seed-grown New England natives.
• Student Conservation AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric carpentry team working on Manor House window rebuilding as part of stabilization project, providing skilled labor for preservation work.
• Beals + ThomasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm that authored articles about Olmsted Asian Garden Restoration & Repurposing project, documenting the landscape restoration initiative.
• Brent and Becky's BulbsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBulb supplier affiliate program where 25% of sales are donated to MHS when customers select Massachusetts Horticultural Society from organization dropdown at Bloominbucks.com.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Boston-area public arboretum operated by Harvard, comparable in geographic market and educational mission but free to the public with institutional backing. Competes for horticulture visitors, members, and educational programming in the same Boston metro.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Large Midwestern botanical garden operating display gardens, signature events, education, and venue rentals. Mirrors MHS's product mix but at a much larger institutional scale with significant operating budget.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Major urban botanical garden with membership, signature seasonal events (e.g., cherry blossom festival), wedding venues, and youth education — directly mirroring MHS's revenue model, though at substantially larger scale and urban draw.
• Longwood Gardens: Premier 1,100-acre horticultural display garden in Pennsylvania with membership, signature events (festival season), educational programs, and venue rentals. Comparable to MHS in offering mix but operates as a much larger, ticketed destination.
• New York Botanical Garden: Largest botanical garden in the US, operating a 250-acre estate in the Bronx with extensive educational programming, signature seasonal events, and venue rentals. Comparable to MHS as a public-facing botanical garden with membership, events, classes, and weddings, but at much larger scale and national draw.
• United States Botanic Garden: Federal public garden in Washington, DC with display gardens, educational programming, and signature seasonal displays. Comparable in operating philosophy (public-facing botanical display with educational programming) though federally operated rather than member-supported.

Direct peers

• Wave Hill: Public garden and cultural center in the Bronx, NY offering display gardens, signature seasonal events, weddings/private events, and educational programming. Closely comparable in scale, programming mix, and nonprofit membership-based operating model to MHS.
• Tower Hill Botanic Garden: Massachusetts-based public botanical garden in Boylston, MA operating a comparable mix of display gardens, signature events, classes, wedding venue rentals, and memberships. Most direct geographic and operating peer to MHS, both serving Greater Boston/New England audiences with similar revenue models.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Regional horticultural society operating the Philadelphia Flower Show and community gardening programs. Directly comparable as a nonprofit horticultural membership organization running a flagship flower show and educational programming.

Regional players

• Heritage Museums & Gardens: Duxbury, MA nonprofit cultural attraction with gardens, signature events, and educational programming. Comparable to MHS as a regional New England nonprofit attraction offering seasonal events, memberships, and garden displays.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/masshort
• Facebookfacebook.com/masshort
• Instagraminstagram.com/masshort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massachusettshorticulturalsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Massachusetts Horticultural Society