What Education and Conservation Programs Does Atlanta Botanical Garden Offer?

Updated

Atlanta Botanical Garden runs education programming for adults, children, and schools, and carries out conservation work through its Southeastern Center for Conservation. You can take part as a learner (classes, camps, school programs), as a supporter (membership, donation, volunteering), or both. The Garden's stated mission is to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation, and enjoyment, so these programs sit alongside the display gardens rather than being separate from them.

Education Programs

The Garden organizes learning under a Classes & Education section of its site, with separate tracks for different audiences.

For Adults

  • Adult Classes & Programs, listed with a program calendar so you can see what is scheduled.
  • Outdoor Kitchen Programs, which pair garden settings with food-related programming.

For Children and Families

  • Kids Programs, also organized around a calendar.
  • Garden Camps, the Garden's camp offering for children.
  • Lou Glenn Children's Garden, an outdoor garden area designed for younger visitors.

For Schools and Community Groups

  • School Programs for organized school visits.
  • Libraries programming, extending Garden education beyond the garden grounds.
  • Adult Group Tours & Visits, listed under Plan Your Visit, for organized adult groups.

If you are planning around a specific program, check the relevant calendar first — the Garden lists programs by calendar rather than as a single fixed schedule, and event dates shift seasonally.

Conservation and Research

Conservation at the Garden is concentrated in the Southeastern Center for Conservation, described on the site as covering science and research. Its work is grouped into:

Area What it covers
Science & Research The Center's research activity
Global Efforts Conservation work beyond the Southeast
Restoration & Monitoring Hands-on restoration and ongoing monitoring
Outreach, Education and Training Training and education tied to conservation
Meet the Team The staff behind the Center's programs

The Garden also maintains nationally recognized collections and runs an International Plant Exploration Program, which is how new plant material is identified and brought into the collection.

Plant Collections and Exhibits You Can See

The research and conservation side connects to what is on display. Collections and exhibits include:

  • Indoor Gardens — the Fuqua Conservatory, Tropical Rotunda, Orangerie, and Desert House.
  • Fuqua Orchid Center — the Garden's orchid collection and exhibits.
  • Outdoor Gardens — Conifer Garden, Conservation Display Garden, Storza Woods, Skyline Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Lou Glenn Children's Garden, and Anne Cox Chambers Garden.
  • What's in Bloom — a running guide to what is flowering at the time of your visit.
  • Art Collections — Sculptures, Water Features, and the Chihuly Collection.

The Conservation Display Garden is the most direct overlap between the conservation program and a general visit: it is an outdoor garden specifically organized around conservation themes.

How to Participate

  • Membership — Join Now, Renew Your Membership, Member Events, and Membership FAQs are all listed under Membership.
  • Donate — a Donate option appears in the main navigation, and there is a specific Donate to Conservation path.
  • Volunteer — listed in the main navigation.
  • Classes and camps — enroll through the Classes & Education calendars.
  • School and group visits — arrange through School Programs or Adult Group Tours & Visits.

Practical Notes Before You Go

  • The Garden is open Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., per the site's current notice; a "Closed Today" indicator also appears, so confirm the day before traveling.
  • Tickets are handled through a Tickets & Information page and a Get tickets link; the site does not state ticket prices in the material available here, so check the tickets page for current pricing and any login or advance-purchase requirements.
  • There are two locations: the Atlanta garden and the Gainesville garden. Programs and events are listed separately for each, so confirm which garden hosts the program you want.
  • Parking has its own page under Plan Your Visit.
  • Seasonal programming recurs annually — for example Cocktails in the Garden (May 14 – Sept. 24), Fest-of-Ale (Oct. 2 – Oct. 30), Scarecrows in the Garden (Oct. 1 – Nov. 1), the Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival (Oct. 22), and Garden Lights, Holiday Nights (November – January). Dates like these are the ones to verify against the current calendar, since they are listed as recurring rather than permanent.