The Missouri Botanical Garden opened to the public in 1859 and began to grow in the European tradition of horticultural display combined with education and the search for new knowledge. Today, 155 years after opening, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and a center for science and conservation, education and horticultural display.
More than 4,800 trees live on the grounds, including some unusual varieties and a few stately specimens dating back to the 19th century, when Garden founder Henry Shaw planted them. The William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening, the nation’s most comprehensive resource center for gardening information, includes 23 residential-scale demonstration garden.
The 79 acres of splendid horticultural display at the Missouri Botanical Garden offers something for everyone. Outstanding displays include the Chinese Garden, English Woodland Garden, Ottoman Garden, and Victorian District. A vibrant tropical rainforest thrives inside the Climatron® conservatory, while the adjoining Temperate House is home to a multitude of Mediterranean species. The Japanese Garden covers 14 acres, making it one of the largest Japanese strolling gardens in North America.