The Visitor Plaza Campaign
New Entrance: A Portal to the Future
October 2022 Update: The long-awaited Visitor Plaza project breaks ground, and all of us at the Arboretum eagerly await the construction of our new entrance.
During construction, we welcome members and visitors. Temporary garden entrances have been established at the Ayres Hall Gate and the South Parking lot. Please see map for details.
Among the updates is the selection of CMPG Project Management and Swinerton Construction as project manager and contractor respectively.
Due to a myriad of factors, construction costs have increased since the launch of our campaign, now a $10 million final project cost. We have raised $8.7 million (please see our fundraising milestones below) and remain grateful to every supporter who made this success possible.
While the Arboretum continues to work with donors who would like to be a part of this historic project and whose support is essential, the Arboretum Foundation is committed to seeing this project completed to the highest standards. Several recognition opportunities are still available. Many friends and supporters are thinking about a gift to create their own Arboretum legacy or to honor a loved one.
For questions or further information, please contact Sylvia Rosenberger, Chief Development Officer, at 626-821-3232, or at Sylvia.Rosenberger@Arboretum.org. Together, we will soon celebrate a new Visitor Plaza that will serve all Arboretum visitors!
January 2022 Update: With gratitude to our Arboretum Community of friends and supporters, we are pleased to have raised $8 million in gifts and pledges for the Visitor Plaza project.
November 2021 Update: Thanks to the support of many and the continued fundraising efforts by our Visitor Plaza Steering Committee, we are pleased to report that the Arboretum Foundation has raised $7.2 million to date.
Our deep thanks to all who have enthusiastically supported the campaign to help us reach this remarkable $7.2 million milestone – and our appreciation, as well, to all those who are still considering their support.
October 2021: The Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation announced the public launch of an ambitious campaign to transform the visitor experience. To date, $6 million has been raised. We are doing more than building a state-of-the-art entrance; we are creating a portal to a new era at the Arboretum. The Visitor Plaza Project will provide an even more welcoming and accessible entry for all into this treasured garden.
Enhancing the Arboretum experience became even more urgent as the coronavirus pandemic drove Southern California residents to the garden in record-breaking numbers. Not only did this emphatically demonstrate the importance of a safe and beautiful place to connect with nature, but it also highlighted how these improvements are critically necessary to accommodate today’s higher visitation.
“Visiting the Arboretum was the highlight of our week for my family during the pandemic. Our visits, and seeing the garden in bloom, have brought us so much joy, healing, and hope.” Yun Kim, Member
COVID-19 made clear that the Arboretum is an essential community resource. This is further evidenced by the fact that we are one of the very few major public gardens in the nation to have remained open throughout the entire pandemic. More than 700,000 visitors journeyed through the gardens last year alone and a new entry is required to ensure that the Arboretum can efficiently handle the growing number of guests.
New Pathway from Lower Parking Lot
“Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a place like the Arboretum existed. I have visited countless times since my youth, bringing my parents, grandmother, friends, and, most recently, my children. The new Visitor Plaza Project will transform our magnificent garden, making it even more accessible for all!” Annette Castro Ramirez, Co-Chair of the Visitor Plaza Steering Committee and Arboretum Trustee
Visitor Plaza Project
The Visitor Plaza Project is the realization of a long-held vision to build an entrance appropriate for the Arboretum and part of our commitment to enhance these gardens for future generations. Additionally, this project is pivotal to the Arboretum’s continual efforts to make the garden accessible for visitors of all ability levels and to provide exceptional hospitality that enriches enjoyment. The time is ripe for a new entrance that better serves all and reflects the Arboretum of the 21st century.
The Arboretum’s $10 million project will construct a new Visitor Plaza that will increase accessibility, provide superior hospitality, and enhance enjoyment of all that the Arboretum offers.
This is the organization’s first capital fundraising campaign since 1980, and the Visitor Plaza Project will leave a lasting imprint on the Arboretum. Thanks to the individuals and foundation partners that have already generously funded our campaign, we are on our way to making the Visitor Plaza a reality.
However, there is more still to do, and we are depending on friends, like you, to ensure success. Let’s celebrate the Arboretum’s unique horticultural and historic heritage, while also dramatically upgrading guest access and amenities, with a new Visitor Plaza. Please Give Today.
What the Visitor Plaza Project Will Do:
- Create new areas for gathering, ticketing, and initial orientation
- Ease navigation for all visitors
- Increase safety by addressing congestion issues
- Honor our storied horticultural heritage with beautiful botanical specimens
- Restore and re-adapt our mid-20th century modern architecture
- Improve access to fully meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
- Provide an unparalleled arrival vista from the historic Bauer Fountain to the majestic San Gabriel Mountains
- Construct an entrance worthy of a world-class botanic garden
Three Components of the Visitor Plaza. An Arrival Plaza, a Ticketing Pavilion, and a Welcome Plaza will comprise the new Visitor Plaza, which is being designed by EPTDESIGN in Pasadena. To take a Visitor Plaza Virtual Tour, click here.
Arrival Plaza
The Arrival Plaza will expand the current entrance, providing ample gathering space for the more than 17,500 field trip students and other groups that visit each year. Importantly, new ADA-accessible ramping will be installed in the south parking lot, supplying much-needed wheelchair and stroller access to the entrance. A newly designed and dedicated pathway, with built-in benches, will ease congestion and provide an attractive passage into the gardens. Lighting in this area will be upgraded as well.
Rain gardens, illustrating storm water capture, along with iconic plants the Arboretum has popularized in the region over the decades, will add beauty. The Arboretum will have a Horticultural Walk of Fame, showcasing the outstanding plants the Arboretum has introduced to the region.
Ticketing Pavilion
The Ticketing Pavilion will restore and reconfigure the present Gift Shop to create an open-air breezeway with ticketing windows, including an ADA-accessible window. The Gift Shop will move to the former Membership Office, adjacent to the Arrival Plaza. In addition, these changes will ensure that our historic mid-20th century structures are preserved for future appreciation.
Welcome Plaza
The Welcome Plaza will provide exemplary hospitality and orientation. New plantings and shaded garden areas, a visitor information kiosk with knowledgeable docents, updated maps, beverage options, and a dining terrace will be added to set the stage for relaxation and discovery.
A spectacular view of the Arboretum, stretching from Bauer Fountain, across Bauer Lawn and the Africa collection, to the magnificent San Gabriel Mountains, will be an additional reward for all who come to the garden.
“I am excited about the Visitor Plaza Project. It will be a great statement of what visitors can expect to enjoy inside. This special garden will continue to touch hearts and minds – and those of future generations – with its wonder.” Kathleen Ellison, Co-Chair of the Visitor Plaza Steering Committee and Arboretum Trustee
Ways to Give and Recognition Opportunities
Your support will help us reach this crucial goal, and, most importantly, make certain that this extraordinary public garden is accessible for all in our community far into the future. There are many ways to contribute to the Visitor Plaza Campaign. The Arboretum gratefully acknowledges the support of our donors through various recognition opportunities. Whatever you choose, know that your gift makes a tremendous difference.
For More Information
Please contact Sylvia Rosenberger, Chief Development Officer, at 626.821.3232 or by email at Sylvia.Rosenberger@Arboretum.org, if you have any questions. Thank you for your support!
