Reciprocal Garden Membership: 300+ Gardens to Explore

Do you have a membership to your local botanical garden?  Maybe you have been contemplating whether or not to sign up for one.  The benefits of belonging to a botanical garden include free admission, special exhibits, discounted classes as well as endless inspiration for your own garden.  But, did you know that there is another benefit that you may not know about?  One that could open the gates to over 300 other botanical gardens throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean all for the price of one membership?  That is one great deal!

The Reciprocal Admissions Program is made up of botanical gardens who honor the membership programs of other gardens and offer free admission.  In other words, if you are a member of your botanical garden and they participate in the Reciprocal Admissions Program, you can use your membership card to visit participating botanical gardens for free.  How cool is that?

Last year, I used my membership at The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, to visit several gardens while visiting Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota last year.  All I had to do was to show my membership card.  It was a great way to explore the different regions that we were visiting and see the similarities and differences in plants and gardening practices.  In addition, I didn’t have to pay anything extra to see these beautiful gardens other than my original garden membership from back home.

Gardens within 90 miles of the garden where you hold our membership can sometimes be excluded, so it’s best to call ahead, if you have any questions before visiting.  Members of the American Horticultural Society can also make use of this benefit.

For more information on which gardens participate in the Reciprocal Admissions Program, click here and start planning your next garden visit!

How about you?  Do you have a garden that you would love to visit?