Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark.
The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis. The Garden offers 79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, and one of the world's largest collections of rare and endangered orchids.
Features include the Climatron® - the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory, incorporating the principles of R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic system, and the 1882 Linnean House - the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River.
The Victorian District includes Victorian-style gardens, an Observatory, Tower Grove House (Henry Shaw's original 1850 estate home), and the Sachs Museum, which specializes in botanical art and artifacts.
Shaw Nature Reserve, a 2,441-acre natural habitat of prairie, wetlands and woodlands, is also owned by the the Missouri Botanical Garden. It is located 32 miles to the southwest, in Gray Summit, MO.