We grow our community, enhance our region and celebrate our state:

  • Admission is always free.
  • Gardens open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk.
  • Alabama's largest living museum.
  • Largest free-lending horticulture library in the US, open 7 days a week.
  • Special events generate excitement, captivate families and inform the public.
  • We provide the most beautiful outdoor location in the city.
  • Native plant collections celebrate Alabama's biodiversity, 5th highest in the US.

We nurture curiosity and expand knowledge:

  • Educational and environmental mission inspires lifelong learners.
  • Programs and workshops for children and adults (from amateur to professional).
  • 94% of children attend free, hands-on, science curriculum-based programs (2006-07 academic year).
  • Plant Information Center and Regional Horticulture Hotline managed by Alabama Cooperative Extension System experts and Master Gardeners.
  • Beauty of plants and the art of the garden soothe, stimulate and inspire.

We promote health and provide hope:

  • Horticultural therapy programs offered free.
  • Food from Bruno Vegetable Garden feeds Birmingham's hungriest.
  • Miles of safe, serene paths and trails for walking and jogging.
  • Contact with gardens and nature lowers heart rates and blood pressure.
  • Programs promote sustainability and environmental stewardship.
  • USDA plant conservation site.

We engage diverse partners and collaborate widely:

  • Birmingham City, Jefferson County and other local schools.
  • Alabama A&M, UAB, Auburn, Jacksonville State and Samford Universities.
  • Relationships with Government of Japan, Sister and Friendship Cities.
  • Native seed exchange with Wuhan Botanical Gardens, Wuhan, China.
  • Support for high-elevation plant exploration in Thailand, Viet Nam.

We Impact Economic Development:

  • Non-profit Arts and Cultural Institutions in Birmingham generate $125 million in local economic impact.1
  • The "Green Industry" in Alabama generates over $1.9 billion in economic impact.2
  • Gardening is the #1 hobby in America, generating $35.2 billion nationwide.3

1 Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations and Their Audiences in Jefferson County, Alabama: 2005, Americans for the Arts

2 Dr. Deacue Fields, Auburn University: 2005

3 National Gardening Association: 2005

PLANTS ARE NOT AN OPTION; THEY ARE A NECESSITY.