Welcome to the Garden
GARDEN EVENT RENTALS
If you are interested in renting the Botanic Garden for a wedding, reception, rehearsal dinner, or other event, please contact our Facility Rental Coordinator at ktucker@georgiasouthern.edu.
FOR A VIRTUAL, VIDEO TOUR OF THE GARDEN, CLICK HERE.
The Garden features over 11 acres of gardens on the early twentieth-century farmstead of Dan and Catharine Bland. Wander the trails, paths, and courtyards and explore the intriguing natural and cultural wonders of the southeastern coastal plain, where persistence, ingenuity, and deep respect have bound people to the land. Discover a significant and growing collection of native and heritage plants, including over 20 of the state’s protected species. Peer down a pitcher plant, gaze upward at the gnarled branches of magnificent longleaf pines, and inhale the heavy scent of confederate jasmine. Wrap your hands around the handles of a plow or admire the 1929 cover of Georgia Magazine, which features Mr. Dan and Ms. Catharine’s farm as an inspiration for all of Georgia. Enjoy the past, wonder at the present, and learn for the future at the Botanic Garden.
The Garden offers woodland trails, a landscape garden of coastal plain natives, a native azalea collection, an arboretum, a children’s garden, a complex of early 20th-century farm buildings, the Rural Life Museum, the Whelchel Camellia Garden, heritage gardens, a bog and sandhill, and the Kennedy Outdoor Classroom. The Garden is a research and educational resource for faculty and students and provides undergraduate and graduate programs, projects, and internships as well as continuing education programs of interest to the community.
Mission
Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University
- Promotes knowledge and appreciation of the native plants and animals of the southeastern coastal plain
- Enhances the quality of life through the region by presenting classes, events, concerts, festivals, and other cultural and historically driven opportunities that connect learners of all ages with the rich natural and cultural heritage of the region.
- Inspires environmentally responsible behavior by providing a sound scientific context and demonstrating sustainable practices while pursuing scientific, cultural, and creative solutions to environmental challenges.
History
Staff
Forms
Current & Holiday Hours
Monday-Friday 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM

The Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University participates
in the Reciprocal Admissions Program.
Garden Memberships at the Sustainer level and above are granted this benefit at participating Gardens.
Click Here to join or upgrade your membership.
Garden Fauna – Recent Fauna found in the Garden