Waterfront Botanical Gardens
| Waterfont Botanical Gardens | |
|---|---|
Graeser Family Education Center at Waterfront Botanical Gardens | |
Interactive map of Waterfont Botanical Gardens | |
| Type | Botanical |
| Location | 1435 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 38°15′48.13″N 85°43′26.25″W / 38.2633694°N 85.7239583°W |
| Area | 23 acres (9.3 ha) |
| Opened | October 4, 2019 |
| Status | Open year-round |
| Species | 133 (55 native) |
| Parking | Free parking |
| Website | waterfrontgardens |
The Waterfront Botanical Gardens is an urban botanical garden in Louisville, Kentucky. The botanical garden occupies 23 acres (9.3 ha) in the Butchertown neighborhood east of Downtown Louisville along Beargrass Creek. It was planned to be built in phases with Phase 2A currently in development. The first phase opened on October 4, 2019, including the Graeser Family Education Center and the Mary Lee Duthie Gardens. Phase 1 was completed in 2021.[1][2]
A plant survey coducted by Botanica in 2014 documented the native and invasive plants on the site. Botanist Patricia Haragan led the study which found 133 species, including 57 native plants.[3][4]
In October 2024, local and state funding was announced for expanison of Phase 2A which will include a Japanese Garden, Bonsai garden, tree allée and the Beargrass Creek Overlook, among other projects.[5]
In March 2026, Phase 2A of construction was slated to begin in the spring 2026. With the grant of $500,000 from the James Graham Brown Foundation, the WBG has raised $9.3 million towards its goal of $10.5 million, leaving $1.2 million remaining to raise for its next big expansion.[6][7]
History
During the early history of the city, the region the botanical garden sits was a neighborhood known as The Point. As a result of its location along the Ohio River, the region flooded repeatedly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, including in 1883, 1913 and 1937. Most houses in the neighborhood were destroyed from the flooding.[8][9]
In 1953 the city of Louisville purchased property in the area to create a city dump, eventually becoming the Ohio Street Dump. The dump was expanded until Interstate 71 was constructed in the late 1960s and the city began closing the dump site. The dump was closed in 1973 after another landfill was constructed. The site was left mostly abandoned until the site was selected as the location of the botanical gardens in the late 2000s. On September 15, 2017, a groundbreaking ceremony started the Phase 1 construction which was completed in December 2023.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Our History". Waterfront Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Waterfront Botanical Gardens Blooming in Louisville". Go To Louisville. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Plant Survey". Waterfront Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ Haragan, Patricia Dalton; Masters, Jeffrey (September 2014). Waterfront Botanical Gardens Ongoing Plant Species List Final Report: March – September, 2014 (PDF) (Report).
- ^ "$5 million in state, local funding will help Waterfront Botanical Gardens expand in Louisville". WDRB. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Waterfront Botanical Gardens to Receive James Graham Brown Foundation Grant". Waterfront Botanical Gardens (WBG). March 3, 2026.
- ^ "Waterfront Botanical Gardens receive $500,000 grant for expansion plan". WDRB News. March 3, 2026.
- ^ "Flooding History in Louisville". Louisville MSD. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "The Point". Historic Photos Of Louisville Kentucky And Environs. Retrieved 30 August 2025.