Private guided tours are available for groups who are comfortable walking over some uneven paths. $7 per person (in addition to general admission: typically about one hour. Special extended or customized tours are $10 per person (in addition to general admission) and generally last about two hours. For larger groups, we provide multiple Garden Hosts which results in multiple small groups allowing for the best experience for guests. Private guided tours for individuals or small groups of 10 or fewer guests are available for a minimum cost of $50 per tour. Booking and payment are required at least three weeks in advance.
Contact the Tourism department to book your tour
There are a number of tour options that you can choose from based on availability of guides or dates; pricing for tours is in addition to Garden admission:
- Garden overview - $7
Includes history of the Garden, covers a number of gardens within the Garden; approximately one-hour
- Garden including the Japanese Garden - $10
Includes history of the Garden, gardens within the Garden as guests walk to/from the Japanese garden: approximately two-hours
- *Sustainability - $10
Sustainability-themed visits to the Garden integrate an interpretive tour of the site with hands-on investigations of sustainability concepts. Participants explore topics such as energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, recycling, composting, air quality, water conservation, and the basics of green building, see the Garden’s energy initiatives and discovering how they can carry these practices over into their own lives.
- *Herbarium & Library - $10
Located in the Monsanto Building includes the MBG Herbarium which contains over 6-million specimens and the Peter H. Raven Library and rare-book room. Founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw, the herbarium and library are essential to the Garden's research program: limited to groups of 30 or less, approximately ninety minutes to two-hours.
- *Customized/specialized tours based on your request can be arranged we will do our best to accommodate your requests. - $10
*Subject to staff availability.