San Antonio Botanical Garden

The mission of the San Antonio Botanical Garden is to enrich lives through plants and nature. The vision is to be a world-class garden recognized for outstanding horticulture displays, botanical diversity, education, conservation, and experiences that connect people to the natural world while embracing the sense of place that makes San Antonio unique.

The city’s recent growth has been dramatic both in full-time resident population and in temporary visitor numbers. The Garden realized that if they were to stay true to their mission and vision they must adapt to the city’s increasing size and popularity. They needed to expand their programming potential. This meant reimagining existing resources and adding new ones. The existing 30-acre site provided some room for reorganization but was not large enough to adequately accommodate the long-term vision. The acquisition of an 8-acre parcel along the southern boundary of the existing property provided the land necessary for growth.

What followed was a 2-phase endeavor that included the relocation and rethinking of the visitor entry experience and saw the addition of a new welcome center, event center, event lawn, outdoor classroom, culinary garden, family adventure garden, and covered pavilion.