Explore The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park

Visitor Center

The Visitor Center is open seasonally April – October. To schedule a docent-led tour, please call us at (231) 935-4077. The grounds are always open!

Tours

To schedule a docent-led tour starting in April, please call us at (231) 935-4077 or stop by the Visitor Center Tours are available from April 1 to October 31.

Self-Guided Audio Tour

The self-guided Audio Tour is available year-round. Pick up a map in front of the Visitor Center and tour at your own pace. Or enjoy an audio tour from home!

Three Season Art Show

The Featured Artist Three Season Art Show program takes place from April-October on the upper level of the Visitor Center. Works of art are on display and for sale.

VISITOR CENTER

Upon your visit to The Botanic Garden, you will be welcomed by our Visitor Center. This beautiful building was once the Traverse City State Hospital’s Granary, built around 1886. Come inside to see the original stone walls and tunnel that originally connected the farm’s root cellar to the Granary’s lower level.

The Visitor Center’s lower level includes a gift shop, information desk, restrooms and drinking fountains. On the second floor, above the gift shop, is the Three Seasons Gallery open from April through October where we feature local artists who display and sell their two dimensional art. Upstairs, the second floor, is also a classroom/meeting room where most of The Botanic Garden classes and workshops are held.

This bright and beautiful room is also available for rental year-round for your special event.

Because environmental sustainability is a guiding principle of The Botanic Garden, many components of the renovation were designed for LEED certification. Energy saving lighting, heating & cooling and water conservation systems were incorporated. The Visitor Center’s V-shaped roof collects and stores rainwater for garden irrigation. Recycled materials were utilized wherever possible, including wood paneling from Manistee’s Vogue Theater. Even old cast iron cow water buckets from the adjoining barn now serve as lighting fixtures in the classroom!

Interested in renting the Visitor Center as a space for your next personal or professional event? Click here to learn more!

HOURS

The Visitor Center is open April – October.
Our grounds are always open to the public!

Gift Shop & Visitor Center Hours:

Monday – 10am-5pm
Tuesday – 10am-5pm
Wednesday – 10am-5pm
Thursday – 10am-5pm
Friday – 10am-5pm
Saturday – 10am-5pm
Sunday – Closed

We can’t wait to see you!
There is no charge for admission, however donations are always appreciated.

Call us at (231) 935-4077 to schedule a docent-led tour of the garden, or with any questions.

The self-guided audio tour is available any time.

GARDEN TOURS

We offer guided tours of The Garden from April through October. The Visitor Center is open April 1st – October 31st.

The grounds are always open to the public!

There is a self-guided audio tour available year-round. Pick up a map in front of the Visitor Center any time to take a self-guided tour at your own pace.

Our Botanic Garden Tours are guided explorations of our property’s unique past, present and future. Visitors are introduced to areas like our Visitor Center, Pavilion, multiple garden spaces (some that are currently works in progress), the Historic Barns, and more.

Please call us at (231) 935-4077 to schedule a docent-led tour.

THREE SEASONS ART SHOW

FEATURED ARTISTS

The Visitor Center is open from April – October. We exhibit art from featured artists on the upper level, above the gift shop. Works of art by featured artists are on display and for sale. Please keep reading to learn more about the artists currently featured in the Visitor Center.

2026 Season

The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City will host the exhibit, In Full Bloom, by local artist Jane Kendra for the fall season. Her artwork will be on display from August 25th – October 30th.

Jane Kendra Bio

Jane Kendra grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, graduated with a B.S. degree in Architecture from Lawrence Tech University and worked as an architectural designer at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for most of her career. During the pandemic her job was eliminated and she found herself with the opportunity to reignite her life-long passion for art. She transferred the skill set she developed as an architectural designer to her painting, creating paintings that document the color, form, and light she observes in nature. Jane furthered indulged her interest by pursuing a certification in Botanical Art and Illustration from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh, completing the program and receiving her certificate in 2024. Jane loves to explore other mediums and content in her artwork which can be seen on her website at www.janekendra.com

The Three Seasons Art Show in The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park features Jane Kendra, who had the opportunity to change careers during the pandemic, rediscovered her love of art after contemplating her next steps and realized that making art was the only path she wanted to pursue. Her solo show “In Full Bloom” highlights her reawakening as an artist and runs August 25th – October 30th.

Visit the Three Seasons Gallery on the upper level of the Gift Shop and Visitor Center at The Botanic Garden at the Historic Barns Park, Traverse City.

Works of art will be on display and for sale.

A portion of the proceeds benefit The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park.

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.