Green Bay Botanical Garden blooms with benefits

GREEN BAY, WI – (WGBW & WISS) – Featuring 47 acres of gardens, structures, architecture, and over 120,000 plants, the Green Bay Botanical Garden is a blooming asset on the city’s west side. It’s more than just a pretty place to stroll. It’s also an educational, social, horticultural destination and entertainment venue. 

“When I walk outside, every day, there’s something new blooming,” said Linda Gustke,  Director of Education and Guest Experience for Green Bay Botanical Gardens. “And even if you don’t like flowers, or you like them but they’re not as much your thing, we’ve got concerts.

Friday nights, the Green Bay Botanical Garden hosts the Grand Concert Series at the Billie Kress Amphitheater. On most Thursday nights through the summer, regional artists perform at the Schneider Family Grand Garden in the Sanimax Concert Series. 

Gustke says adding the amphitheater opened up the garden to more activity.

“Really, it’s a nice great area where we can fit around 15 hundred people or more at the big stage,” Gustke said. “That has been really a game changer for us in the last few years on being able to bring in these larger bands, and bring more people in for music in the garden.” 

She recommends bringing a blanket or lawn chair to concerts. Concessions are also available.  

Other activities at the Garden include yoga, plant workshops, nature walks, and more.

“Education, obviously is core to our mission at the Garden. Recreation. Just connecting people with plants wherever we can meet them,” said Gustke. “We offer things you can sign up for in advance, cooking and horticulture and a lot of wellness lately.”

Community Funded

Gustke said the Green Bay Botanical Garden is not funded by the City of Green Bay, by Brown County, or by any governmental agency. It is community-funded. Donations, memberships, and special events fund the employees and upkeep at the gardens.

The Green Bay Botanical Garden opened in 1996 as the only botanical garden in Northeast Wisconsin.

“When I got there I realized it was so much more than just pretty flowers. It’s really amazing and such an escape for people – a respite for people,” Gustke enthused.

Gustke said she started working with the Green Bay Botanical Garden because she loves environmental education and likes to connect people with plants. It wasn’t until she started with the community-funded non-profit organization that she realized just how much activity it hosts.

“We really like to say that we are a place for all ages and stages. So, if you’re celebrating a wedding, you’re celebrating a life, if you are celebrating a graduation, we’ve had graduations out there. Family events – We’ve had Mommy Groups come on out and hang out for the day. So really, we feel like there is something for everybody,” Gustke said.

All ages: All stages

After COVID, the Green Bay Botanical Garden saw a need to get kids and everybody back outside to connect with nature. They created the new Bells Children’s Garden that opened last May. Gustke calls it two-and-a-half acres of a children’s wonderland.

“You can come and you can play in our splash pad. You can slide down the slide. You can crawl through the cave tunnel, all while also learning about what’s in nature there. And learning about native plants and where our water comes from,” she said.

In the past year, the school field trip program has exploded with more schools coming to the garden. Gustke said the garden also brings their education program into the schools if requested.