The Missouri Botanical Garden announced a new, $92-million project that will welcome visitors to the world-renowned garden starting in 2022.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, the garden announced plans for the new Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, a visitor center that is better suited to welcome the 1 million people that visit every year.
The privately-funded project will begin construction in January of 2020 and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022.
The garden says the new visitor center will streamline ticketing and be more accessible for visitors while offering improved amenities to guests. Those amenities include views of the garden’s most notable locations, seating areas and multiple food options, including a sit-down cafe.
The project was designed by world-class architect Ayers Saint Gross and landscape architect Michael Vergason in partnership with St. Louis-based construction manager Alberici.
“We are fortunate to be a part of the St. Louis community whose generosity enabled this project to be privately funded with no taxpayer money,” Missouri Botanical Garden President Peter Wyse Jackson said in a press release.
The current entryway and visitor center was built in 1982 and was designed to accommodate 250,000 visitors per year.