World-class Guest Experience
The centerpiece of the Gateway to the Garden campaign is the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, serving as a place of welcome and a portal to the Missouri Botanical Garden beyond. Here, technology and nature work in harmony to provide a world-class guest experience. Multi-tiered entry gardens lead to a soaring lobby filled with dappled natural light. Arresting views of gardens and conservatories await just a few steps away.
New Landscapes Tell the Story of the Garden’s Global Mission
The Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center will help us better serve St. Louis and guests from around the world for generations. The new layout and enhanced amenities significantly expand the Garden’s ability to educate, entertain, and engage visitors in more ways. The Garden’s new entry experience will include a dynamic, diverse landscape of species that beautifully illustrate the story of the Garden’s global mission.
Accessible Amenities
Updated amenities offer all a visitor could need for an unforgettable Garden experience. Accessible guest services welcome visitors from our own neighborhood and from across the world. Three different sets of barrier-free restrooms, family restrooms, and a Calming Corner Room ensure comfort while meeting a diverse array of needs and mobility levels. A flexible auditorium and classrooms featuring cutting-edge technology offer diverse educational experiences.
Sassafras, the Garden restaurant, provides quick service and sit-down dining. Indoor and outdoor seating areas are separated only by a wall of windows, providing incredible views of the surrounding landscapes.
The new Garden Gate Shop entices visitors to explore Garden souvenirs, designs from local artists, books filled with gardening tips, and a vast patio of outdoor, seasonal plants.
Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center Features
- Composed entirely of glass, the south side of the facility will afford stunning views of the Garden from every vantage point.
- An immersive Video Wall will showcase our conservation work around the globe and in the St. Louis community.
- The Garden Gate Shop will be twice the size and fully accessible with a large outdoor plant sale area.
- Sassafras will offer several dining options and will feature indoor and expanded outdoor seating with panoramic views of the Garden.
- The Lelia J. and David N. Farr Auditorium will serve as a community meeting space and will feature an orientation to your visit and other virtual tours.
- The new Bayer Event Center will serve the community and host private events, conferences, and educational sessions.
- The new Emerson Conservatory will display Mediterranean plants and host annual flower shows.
