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Boy looking at soil through a microscope

Garden Classes represent our signature experiences for school groups visiting the Garden! Led by our Educators, your students will get their hands dirty learning how plants work, the important roles they play in our environment, and the many ways in which we use plants every day. Each program is designed to engage students with inquiry-based conversations, hands-on experiences and content that strengthen curriculum connections to represent a seamless addition to your existing curriculum.

Garden Classes are available Tuesdays–Fridays throughout the year.

We encourage groups to picnic in neighboring Tower Grove Park before or after your visit. To book your reservation at a Tower Grove Park pavilion and/or picnic site, contact info@towergrovepark.org or (314) 771-2679 for more information.

PlantLab Investigations are programs designed with students grades 3–8 in mind. These 1-hour programs are conducted on-site at the Garden's PlantLab and offer students an opportunity to 'dig deeper' into plant science, learning how plants adapt to different environments, how plants and pollinators interact with each other, fruit formation and more.

Guided Experiences—Students can enjoy a guided tour through the Missouri Botanical Garden, where our Educators will reinforce how plants work and how we use them every day with examples. Students can take pots and plants back to school to pot and bring home!

Read more about each of our Garden Class offerings by clicking on the class title in the list below:

Heaps of Seeds (K–2—September and October only!)

Heaps of Seeds
Grades K–2
September–October
Duration: 90 minutes

Download pre- and post- visit lessons

Download class overview

Register online

   Dandelion seed headFrom acorns to zinnia seeds, the beginnings of a plant are found in an amazing diversity of shapes and sizes. Students will discover that stored inside every seed are all the parts of a plant. They will explore the Garden in search of seeds that travel by wind, water and wildlife. Each student will plant pinto beans to observe the development of seeds through early germination at school or home.

A Seasonal Snapshot (K–2)

A Seasonal Snapshot
Grades K–2
September–December & February–May
Duration: 90 minutes

Download pre- and post-visit lesson

Download class overview

Register online

   Apples on treeWhat season is it? How do you know? Through pre-post visit seasonal storyboards, students will observe the yearly life cycle of an apple tree. Out in the Garden, students will practice their observation skills as they compare and contrast the current season with other times of year. Students will plant basil seeds to take home.

Tops & Bottoms (K–2)

Tops & Bottoms
Grades K–2
September–December, February–May
Duration: 90 minutes

Download pre- and post-visit lesson

Download Class Overview

Register online

   OnionsWhat do we grow in the Garden? Tops, bottoms and middles! In this class, based on Janet Stevens’ book Tops & Bottoms, students identify and compare the physical structures of edible plants. Students will learn about the variety of plant parts we eat during their visit through the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening, viewing fruits and vegetables growing. Each student will plant seeds from an edible plant to take home.

Rainforest Rendezvous (3–5)

Rainforest Rendezvous
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Duration: 2 hours

Download Class Overview

Register online

   Plants inside Climatron
Escape to the Climatron® to learn how plants cope with over 80 inches of rain each year and compete for light in a dense forest. Giant leaves, climbing vines and epiphytes are just a few of the features of the rainforest your students will observe as they research the ways in which this productive biome is unique and important. They’ll become knowledgeable about rainforest products. Each student will plant a tropical house plant to take home.

Foodology (3–5)

Foodology
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Duration: 2 hours

Download pre- and post-visit lessons

Download class overview

Register online

   VegetablesHow much of our food can be traced to plants? All of it! In this class, students will explore the history and science of agriculture and food production. Along the way, they'll learn about the origins of our familiar food plants, contributions made by scientists like George Washington Carver, and ecological considerations like pollination and soil ecology.

Botanical Engineering (3–8)

Botanical Engineering
Grades 3–8
September–December and February–May
Duration: 2 hours

Download pre- and post-visit lessons

Download class overview

Register online

   ClimatronSurvival for plants often means finding innovative ways to overcome challenges in the environment! In this fascinating class, we'll first explore the adaptations that plants have devised that enable them to survive in some of our planet's most extreme environments. Then we'll venture into the Garden for a look at the solutions humans have devised to replicate these environments so that these plants can survive in St. Louis.

Asian Gardens: Science and Culture (6–12)

Asian Gardens: Science and Culture
Grades 6–12
September–December and February–May
Duration: 2.5 hours

Download Class Overview

Register online		   Pagoda in Chinese GardenExplore East Asia in this integrated curriculum course! Students will discuss similarities and differences between the Chinese and Japanese cultures. As they visit the Margaret Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden (Chinese Garden) and Seiwa-en (Japanese Garden), they will grasp the underlying philosophies that influenced each garden’s design and the traditions surrounding them. Connections to ecology surface as they stop at the moss garden and koi bridge. They will try their hand at an abacus and make additional connections across Social Studies, Fine Arts, and Literacy.

PLANTLAB: Botany and Biodiversity (3–8)

PLANTLAB: Botany and Biodiversity
Grades 3–8
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 30 students
Duration: 50 minutes

Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.

   SurvivorCarl Linneaus once said, “If the names are unknown, knowledge…also perishes.” Since 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden has served as a world leader in the fundamental science of discovering, classifying, and naming plant species from all around the world. This hands-on session will provide students with a taste of the real world work our researchers do, from collection and classification to identification and nomenclature.

PLANTLAB: Ecology and Engineering (3–8)

PLANTLAB: Ecology and Engineering
Grades 3–8
September–October & March–May
Capacity: 30 students
Duration: 1 hour

Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.

   Bee on clover blossomAn understanding the interconnectedness of the natural world is vital if we are going to tackle big challenges like climate change and conservation. In this class, students will explore the interdependence between flowering plants and their pollinators, underscoring how this simple relationship affects not just the organisms involved, but the ecology of their local habitats and human quality of life.

PLANTLAB: Plants and People (3–8)

PLANTLAB: Plants and People
Grades 3–8
September–December
Duration: 1 hour
Capacity: 30 students

Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.

   Students sawing woodPlants provide humankind with our most basic resources—food, medicines, fiber, building materials, and a range of other economically valuable products and essential services. This hands-on program gives students an opportunity to explore of the traditional uses of plants as well as glimpse some of the ways in which plants can be used in the future to address environmental and economic concerns.

Scheduling and Pricing for Garden Classes

All Garden Classes (including Guided Experience classes and PlantLab programs) are offered September–December and February–May. Classes must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.

Guided Experience classes may be requested online by following the link below.

REGISTER ONLINE

To request a PlantLab Investigation class, please email schoolprograms@mobot.org.

Fees for Garden Classes:

Guided Experience Classes  
Standard Class (up to 30 students and 6 adults): $180
Large Class (up to 60 students and 12 adults): $360
PlantLab Investigations (up to 30 students and 6 adults): $120

 

Please note that as a thank-you for the Zoo Museum District’s financial support of the Missouri Botanical Garden, schools located in St. Louis City and County receive a 50 percent discount on all class fees.


Chaperones:
One chaperone is required for every five students who attend. You may bring additional chaperones, but additional adults will be admitted at the normal admission price. Teachers must pay for all 'extra' chaperones prior to their visit, or have an invoice for chaperone admission sent to the school after the visit.

Scholarships are available. Download a school scholarship form.

 

Visit the Children's Garden

Consider visiting the Children's Garden when your Garden Class or Self-guided Visit is over! This engaging playspace offers wonderful opportunities for hands-on exploration and fun!

Available April through October for students ages 3–12. Cost is $3 per student: Tickets to enter the Children’s Garden must be purchased prior to arrival for the discounted rate. Groups entering the Children’s Garden must have a group ratio of 1 adult for every 5 students. Tickets to enter the Children’s Garden must be purchased prior to arrival for the discounted rate. Groups entering the Children’s Garden must have a group ratio of 1 adult for every 5 students.

Schools should indicate their intent to visit the Children's Garden when they register for their class or self-guided visit.

Learn more about the Children's Garden

 

Climatron® is a registered servicemark of the Missouri Botanical Garden.