Amarillo isn’t well-known for its scenery, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still beautiful things to look at in the area. One of these scenic beauties is the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, a 4.4 acre garden that features a tropical conservatory with plants and even some animals native to regions of tropic conditions. The plants, trees, and shrubs that grow within the walls of the gardens correlate with the season of the year.
The Amarillo Botanical Gardens offers an event space available for rent to hold weddings, birthdays, galas, and other events. Events can take place either indoors or outdoors and guests are welcome to explore the gardens. There are also seasonal events that take place at the gardens such as Music in the Gardens in the summertime and Christmas in the Gardens when the holiday season rolls around.
Amarillo Botanical Gardens is located in Medical Center Park next to the Don Harrington Discovery Center at 1400 Streit Dr, Amarillo, TX 79106. The garden is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Saturday. A staff member can be reached at (806) 352-6513 to answer any questions.
Established in 1954, various garden clubs conglomerated into what was then known as the Garden Center. These clubs were formed starting in 1929 by a group of women who had an interest in forming Amarillo’s very first garden club. Their mission was to prove that it was possible to grow various plants, trees, and flowers in the dry and arid climate of the Texas Panhandle. The group set out to find plants that would grow in the soil, survive in drought, and flourish in the wind and sun. Following a successful beginning, the group was contracted to complete beautification projects around the city.
The Garden Club was thriving by 1945 with 125 individuals joining the group. Because there were so many different areas of interest, the club decided to break off into 13 individual groups dedicated to their own niche. These groups formed over the next 10 years.
More space was sought out for the Garden Center in 1960 and therefore the center relocated to a new home. This additional space was used for test gardens and programs designed for individuals with disabilities. The current location of the Garden Center is where the Amarillo Botanical Gardens sits today. It was dedicated on 1968 in Medical Center Park following years of fundraising efforts. Once the move was completed, club members and volunteers got to work amending soil, planting seeds and propagating cuttings.
In 1979, Jane Meyers took over directing the Garden Center until she handed the role over to Jackie Wilson in 1992. Under Wilson’s leadership, the name of the Garden Center was changed to Amarillo Botanical Gardens. Buildings were expanded upon, garden events such as Music in the Gardens began taking place, and the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory was constructed.
Read more about interesting things to do in Amarillo here.